Styling to sell
Property styling is becoming increasingly popular nowadays thanks to renovation shows dominating our tv screens. Good styling choices not only improves the chances of selling your home but will also attract the highest possible sale price. While we understand that not everyone can afford a professional stylist, you can adopt some simple tricks to improve the look of your open home.
If you are selling your home chances are, you have also been looking for a new one. Take note of the things you notice about someone else’s home – Is the bed neat? What is the condition of the fixtures and fittings? Does the garden require a lot of maintenance? What turns you off about the styling of a home? What do you like about the styling of a home? These are all relative questions that will enable you to look at the current presentation of your home and make necessary modifications to spruce it up.
Start by looking at your property from across the road
Look at your home from the opposite side of the road, does it look warm and inviting? Is the garden and entrance path clear? Evaluate which parts of the entrance need some TLC.
As simple as it is, a nice welcome mat goes a long way.
You’ve got to spend money to make money
Outstanding maintenance repairs are always a stumbling block to a sale because if a prospective buyer sees one problem, they may think there are many more. Spending the money on repairs before you go to market generally pays off in the sale price.
Freshen it up
A lick of paint and new carpet instantaneously makes a house look clean and fresh again. Opt for neutral colours rather than bold feature walls, you can add in pops of colour later through art and decorative textiles. Colour theory also plays a big role, for example soft blues and grey create a feeling of relaxation while oranges and yellows create energy.
To get a better understanding of colour theory basics for interior design click here.
Especially for photography purposes, greenery and flowers add freshness and warmth to a space.
Focus on key rooms
Focus on the main rooms of your home – the main bedroom, kitchen, living area and backyard/courtyard. Pairing things back and decluttering the space is often underestimated, furniture should take up no more than 60% of the floor space in each room. Remove all personal items, including photos, but leave some accents such as a book or decorative bowl.
Also, clean out your cupboards so they look as spacious as possible.
The feature rooms need to have well-proportioned furniture to suit the size of the room and should contain a focal point, be it artwork, a mirror, a statement piece of furniture or colour accent. Don’t forget about any spare rooms, you are more than likely to get a better price if there is a bed or study in there.
