Virtual staging · case study
Build-to-Rent Flat Staged from Photographs, Edinburgh
Three photographs of a part-furnished flat in a 74-apartment build-to-rent development in Edinburgh, virtually staged so the rooms read as a lived-in home.
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Renders like these, from
- £95 per room
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours
- Revisions
- Up to 4 rounds included
- You send
- Photographs of the rooms and a style reference
A selection from the delivered set.
The brief
The operator wanted to trial virtual staging on one flat: the living and dining room, a bedroom and a bathroom. These were the operator's own photographs rather than CGI, and the base furniture had to stay in shot because it is what a tenant actually receives, so the work was to layer rugs, a laid dining table, a throw, windowsill dressing and lighting on top.
Our approach
Dressing was added over the real furniture in each photograph. The operator's amends switched on every light, bedside and ceiling, removed anything hung on the walls because the tenancies do not allow it, and laid the dining table properly in the living view.
The result
The bedroom and bathroom were finalised on 24 February 2025 and the living view on 28 February. After the second draft the operator said the images were much closer to the style they were aiming for.
Staging one part-furnished flat from three photographs
A build-to-rent operator wanted to trial virtual staging on a single flat in its 74-apartment development in Edinburgh. The work covered three of the operator's own photographs: the living and dining room, a bedroom and a bathroom. These were photographs and not CGI rooms, and the base furniture had to stay in shot because it is what a tenant actually receives. The staging therefore had to be additive, with rugs, a laid dining table, a throw, windowsill dressing and lamps placed on top of what was really there, never replacing it.
What was added, and what was left alone
The architecture of each photograph is untouched: tall multi-pane windows, painted radiators and timber floorboards in the living room, plain walls in the bedroom, and dark green tiles in the bathroom. On top of these sit a layered rug under the sofa, a fully laid dining table, lamps, window dressing and small objects, with warmer bedding and folded linen in the bedroom and plants and towels in the bathroom. Light on every added item follows the photograph's own light, so shadows fall the same way and nothing looks pasted in.
Amends from the operator's own rules
The operator's amends were practical rather than stylistic. Every light was switched on, bedside and ceiling, so the rooms read as warm and inhabited. Anything hung on the walls came out, because the tenancies do not allow it, and the dining table was laid properly in the living view. The bedroom and bathroom were finalised on 24 February 2025 and the living view on 28 February. After the second draft the styling had moved close to the operator's reference style. Staging that respects tenancy rules never promises more than the flat includes.
Briefing virtual staging for lettings photography
Good staging starts with a good photograph: level verticals, even light, all lamps on and the whole room in frame. Tell us what the tenant receives so we leave it alone, and list anything prohibited, such as wall hangings. Send reference images for the style you want. Staged photographs suit portal galleries, lettings listings and the operator's website, and pair well with furnished 3D floor plans. We return a fixed quote for a batch within one business day, with up to 4 revision rounds, assuming mark-ups come back within a day of each draft.
Questions
Virtual staging: questions clients ask
Yes. New items go on and around the existing furniture, so what a tenant actually receives stays visible. Rugs, throws, table settings and lamps are added while the real sofa or bed is left as photographed. Nothing needs moving or clearing before the photograph is taken.
Yes. Tell us what is not allowed and we leave it out, as with the wall hangings here. Staging should never suggest a tenant can do something the tenancy forbids. Restyling after the first draft sits within up to 4 revision rounds, assuming mark-ups come back within a day of each draft.
Shoot at chest height with vertical lines straight, all lights on and curtains open, with the whole room in frame. A wide lens without distortion works best. Clutter-free rooms are easier to match, though we can work with real furniture left in place.
Get a fixed quote within one business day
Send us your plans, elevations or even a sketch. Exterior renders from £295, interiors from £225, delivered in 5–7 business days.