18 Aug Model Apartment Ideas

5 Ways to Stand Apart from the Competition

Are you looking for model apartment ideas to increase your model’s appeal? From design and technology to sales and marketing, Model55 takes pride in our commitment to helping apartment owners and operators thrive in today’s competitive market. As a result, we have identified five of our favorite model apartment ideas and tips for making memorable models.

#1. Know Your Demographic

Interior designers work within four walls. And, those walls could be anywhere. From a trendy downtown loft, to a rural country house, suburban sprawl, or a beachside bodega. Certainly, the old real estate saying, “location, location, location,” rings true for both the interior and exterior of a building. Also, it’s important to note that apartment staging is meant to attract potential residents. Thus, your knowledge of demographics has to be put before any model apartment ideas that suit personal tastes.

Understand that design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Your model apartments should reflect the lifestyles of prospective residents. For example, young city dwellers might prefer a modern urban design, while a family under a mountain pass might want rustic Americana. Model apartment designers should absorb the unique moods of surrounding cities and towns. Essentially, style should be created to serve the needs of the demographic and not the designer. So, if real estate relies on curb appeal than model staging should rely on appealing to the curb… or at least the people on it. Thus, the inside must mirror the expectations formed on the outside. Your model will stand apart from the competition if you keep this in mind.

#2. Focus on the Craft

Apartment staging requires the ability to maximize and minimize at the same time. Designs that boast too much moxie can drown the message. This can cause some of the best model apartment ideas to get lost in the process. Nothing should compete for attention. Clashing colors and themes may lead over-stimulated eyes everywhere at once. In contrast, cohesive decor and heightened sensory experiences greatly improve apartment tours. Tour takes will love running their fingers over a smooth coffee table while taking in the sweet smell of a yummy air freshener.

Beauty matters in the spaces you create. It is mentioned in the post, It’s Not You, It’s Your Model: Staging Your Apartment to Increase Occupancy, that most renters visit an average of 3.2 apartments before making their final decisions. Thus, future residents have to be completely absorbed in the story of your model apartment to make a difference in their final decisions. Therefore, your ability to create pleasing sensory experiences matters a lot. Sight must supported by other senses, i.e. touch, smell, and sound. You can start by using model apartment ideas that appeal to all five senses. We recommend a great article by our CEO, Sharon MacDonald, titled, The Five Senses: The Secrets of Create a WOW Model Apartment.

#3. Pick a Style

Trends rise and fall like the sun. Many industries revolve around the cutting edge until a new cycle of revivalism throws their course. Nostalgia is powerful: people obsess over their personal and collective past, conveniently forgetting the worst and remembering the best. Revivals allow the old to become new again are usually glossed over with sheen unseen during the original run. There are many new design styles that take old ideas and combine them with modern trends. In fact, the popular “Traditional” design style can easily be accented with modern pops. This seamless mesh of old and new that is huge hit with millennials. It utilizes neutral color schemes and elemental textures like wood, glass, and fabric. Its uniformity emerges from careful furniture placement, un-encumbering small rooms with big ideas.

Another popular trend making waves in model apartment staging is the “Rustic” style. This style is all about mood, evoking a specific sense of place and time. Imagine curling up with a blanket by the fire and letting your head retreat back on a comfortable pillow, all while staring at art colored by nature and woodland wonder. This style transports people. It is very popular with empty nesters and seniors, but is also gaining traction with young people who want the optical treats of rural life without living away from the city.

#4. Integrate Technology

The Internet completely altered the way people live and do business. Connectivity should be a major highlight of any model apartment. However, you need to be mindful of how distracting certain technologies can be. Subtle interruptions from blinking lights and annoying beeps could be harmful to the overall impression your model leaves. Luckily, the most important piece of modern technology goes completely unseen — Wi-Fi. Proximity to a strong connection – and the tasteful display of its compatible hardware – compliments savvy design. Most devices offer a sleep mode that turns otherwise bright screens into black mirrors. These reflective surfaces are great model apartment ideas, and can be an asset in your staging if they’re placed tastefully. Today’s apartment communities must model with technology in mind. If they do, they will be successful in differentiating their brand from the competition.

#5. Market Your Model

Sell, Sell, Sell – arguably one of the best ways to elicit excitement about living in your community(ies) is the model apartment(s). Although regional marketers and lease up agents may work in different capacities than interior designers, when it comes to the model they are both part of the same coin. And, although each side is different, the value is exactly the same. In other words, a beautifully designed model is the best way to tell a captivating story to prospective residents. However, without a publisher to generate excitement, that story will go stale.

Strongly marketing your model is the one of the best model apartment ideas to help your community stand out from the competition. Often times apartment providers overlook the importance of investing in professional photographs for social media, websites and other print collateral. This is a big mistake. Understanding that 99% of prospects are online searching communities before in-person tours can help justify the cost of professional photographs to purchasing decision-makers. In the case of selling apartments, the old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” rings true.

Share Your Model Apartment Ideas With Us!

We hope you enjoyed reading about our favorite ways communities can make their models stand apart. If you have questions about model apartments, we are happy to chat! Click here to contact us online today, and thanks for reading!