Styling and staging your home for a quicker sale and a higher price

In a competitive marketplace, the presentation of your home could be the deciding factor between a buyer purchasing your property over another one down the street. But styling and staging doesn’t mean you have to rush to Target and stock up on fancy cushions or hire an expensive interior designer. By applying a few simple techniques, you can present your home with confidence knowing you’ve done all you can to achieve top dollar and a quick sale.

Cleaning and tidying

Ensuring your house is sparkling clean when it hits the market sends a clear message to the buyer that this is a well-maintained home. When cleaning your house for sale, it should go beyond your weekly clean.  A deep “spring clean” will have an enormous impact on the final presentation of your property, making it more appealing to buyers.

Consider cleaning these forgotten about areas in your home:

• Clean all the windows, including the laundry and garage.
• Wash or dry clean carpets and rugs, polish lino, tiles and wooden floors.
• Light fixtures. Clean all light fixtures and shades.
• Ceiling fans and exhaust covers. These are dust magnets, spruce them up with a clean and polish.
• Curb appeal. Entice your buyers to pull over and inspect your home by mowing the lawns, mulching the gardens and painting the fence.

Rose’s tip: most ceiling fixtures can be made to sparkle by running them through the dishwasher.

Create space

Creating a free-flowing space where potential buyers can move about easily will allow them to visualise themselves living in the home.

Try these simple tips below to create the illusion of extra space:

• Lighting techniques. Open all windows and blinds before a showing and turn on all the lights.
• Rearrange furniture. Sometimes moving a couch away from a wall or by leaving a space in front of a bedroom door can make a room look bigger.
• Consider removing large or bulkier items from the room to increase the space.
• Remove personal belongings. Personal items should be removed not just for security, but because less clutter will create a more spacious feel.
• Clean out cupboards and pantries. A cupboard that is over-flowing will make buyers question if there is ample storage.

Rose’s tip: walk through each room to ensure that every light is in working order before the photoshoot and inspections.

Consider your choice of colours and palettes

A bright red feature wall may be appealing to you, however, a bold colour choice may overwhelm potential buyers. Consider repainting the interiors of your home in a light and neutral palette. Refreshing the paint can enhance the space but try not to go too minimalistic in your approach to redecorating as this will create a cold and sterile atmosphere.

Rose’s tip: a pop of colour can be added with the use of bright cushions and rugs, whilst a vase of beautiful flowers or a bowl of green apples can create a striking focal point.

Hire a professional or DIY

If budget allows, hiring a property stylist will help you achieve a professionally styled look. Stylists have knowledge of the latest trends and have access to a wide range of furniture which they can hire to stage your home. Working closely with photographers, they also have an understanding of how each room will be photographed and presented online. Hiring a property stylist can be expensive, depending on whether you have a simple walk-through or a full furniture installation. Be sure to do some research and get a few quotes.

Rose’s tip: a professionally styled look can be achieved by doing it yourself. Cut out pictures from magazines of style that appeals to you or browse other online listings for inspiration.

Using the above tips will help you to present your home in its best light, attracting more buyers and increasing competition, leading to a quick sale and a premium price. If you’d like more styling and presentation tips, download my free eBook, “101 Choices….” For tips and advice that won’t drain your time, money or energy, click on the link here <insert link> or call/email Rose today.

address – Brighton, Qld 4017
postal – PO Box 608, Sandgate QLD 4017
phone – 0438 515 003
email – rose@rosekelly.com.au