Staging a property correctly can play a crucial role in its sale.
Stage four lockdown is the perfect opportunity to restyle your home in preparation for sale, in order to have the upper hand when the market reopens.
From a fresh coat of paint to simple spring cleaning, experts say simple tasks could help grab buyers’ attention.
Interiored interior designer Elissa Then said property styling should be seen as “an investment” that could hold the key to securing a sale.
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Thoughtful accessories like throws and cushions can provide a finishing touch.
“The most important tip is to clean, declutter, and depersonalise,” Ms Then said.
Removing personal items like family photos and trinkets should be first on the to-do list, she added.
“It helps buyers visualise their own items in the space,” she said.
“And it will open up the rooms to appear more spacious, and easier to walk through in open for inspections.”
Interiored interior designer Elissa Then.
While using a professional stylist was always recommended, vendors who chose to go it alone could perform simple tasks themselves, like painting walls a clean white, or upgrading small items like cushions and throws.
Undertaking projects like creating a feature wall for added drama could also make all the difference, and still be done on a budget.
Ms Then suggested going for a neutral palette with hints of colour.
Updating walls with natural colours is often a safe bet.
“Generally whites or soft greys are used for a timeless look,” she said.
”And add a touch of luxury to each room to get that designer look, with reflective objects and accessories that can help to give the illusion of a bigger room – think things like mirrors or candles.
“The key thing is to make the home look relatively new and comfortable to live in, so buyers will have a direct interest and emotional attachment to the property.”
Hiring a staging company, which would have modern furniture and artwork on hand, for part of the styling was another way to bring life back into a property.
From furniture layouts to paint colours, there’s a number of things to consider.
Vendor Marketing principal advisor Craig Knudsen said sellers should take a holistic view of their home’s presentation and avoid getting wrapped up in their own personal attachment.
He said it was crucial to maintain a home’s facade, which would likely be the hero image of the sales listing, so buyers got a strong first impression.
“When a buyer walks up to the front of a home, it’s got to be warm and inviting, and that needs to continue when they step foot inside,” Mr Knudsen said.
“If it’s contemporary home, it should have contemporary furniture.” The same principle applied for a heritage home, he said.
The vendor advocate said he had found a property’s styling could be the factor that got a buyer over the line.
If the home belongs to a specific era it’s important to be cohesive.
Sellers who made the most of their time in lockdown to prepare their home could reap the rewards once restrictions eased, he added.
“As more listings come up after lockdown, buyers will have more choice and might be more selective,” Mr Knudsen said.
“It’s going to be first in, best dressed, and styling is certainly going to be paramount,” he said.
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