You know by now that staging your home is a great way to get potential buyers to picture themselves really living there. But did you know that you can influence their thinking and imagination through how you stage a home? In the marketing industry, they talk about a brand’s target audience and how best to reach them. Whether you realize it or not, when selling your home, you have a target buyer. For instance, your home might be best suited to a young, single professional; a family with small children; first-time buyers looking for a starter home; or an established family with a little more money to spend. Staging areas like the living room and kitchen are pretty straightforward, but how you stage extra bedrooms in the house can really speak to the right buyer for your home. Here are a few tips for styling those extra rooms to attract the attention of some key target buyers.

Single Professionals

If you own a condo or a smaller house in a business district, or perhaps near a university or hospital area, single professionals or couples are probably your target audience. Snag their attention by setting a second bedroom up as a home office. Place a beautiful desk and chair front and center. Include items that young professionals might appreciate, such as a wine fridge stocked with water or other beverages, lots of options for organization, maybe a small coffee maker, and perhaps a pull-out couch to show that the office can double as a guest room when needed.

Creative Types

Many creatives work from home these days, especially those whose craft involves, well, crafting things. If you live in an area that really focuses on art and artists, or if you know there are lots of stay-at-home parents in your area who might be into arts and crafts, staging an extra bedroom as an art room is a great idea. Include a large drafting table or crafting desk, an artist’s easel, an inspiration board, lots of storage options, and some colorful artwork.

First-Time Buyers

Lots of first-time buyers are young families or couples looking to settle down and make a steady life for themselves. Even if your first-time buyers don’t have any children, they might be thinking about it in the near future, or they might have nieces, nephews, or friends’ children to stay over from time to time. If you need to cater to this type of buyer, think about staging an extra room as a child’s bedroom, nursery, or playroom.

Established Families

If you live in a more expensive or traditionally family-oriented area, chances are your target buyer is an older, established family. At a higher price point or in an area that’s convenient for families, you’re going to need to show at least three rooms as bedrooms. Beyond that, you might want to think about how families might use extra rooms to spend their time. Create a game room for older kids; an office space where parents can escape to get work done or kids can finish their homework; or even a hybrid office space/guest room.

Staging does a lot to help prospective buyers visualize what life would be like in a home. Paying attention to the type of buyer likely to purchase in your area, whether it’s a large family, a young single, or a high-powered professional couple, will help you stage the extra rooms in your home to catch their attention.