Property styling, sometimes referred to as home staging, is vital when you put your home on the market.
In this article, I give you some of my favourite tips on staging your home like a professional home stylist.
Why is property styling important?
First, you need to put yourself in the mindset of the type of person who will be most likely to buy your home. What would you like to see? Plenty of space and storage? Lots of greenery?
When you sell your home, you’re selling more than bricks and mortar; you’re selling a lifestyle. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home entertaining their friends and family ‒ but not living your life.
Getting started with staging your home
There are some basic steps. Some of these you probably have already on your radar but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of them. In our next blog, we’ll give you more tips for each room but you need to get the basics right first.
Declutter: You want your home to be as neutral as possible. Buyers want to get a sense of the space, including storage (and most of us live day to day with too much of everything).
Refresh: My go-to’s are a fresh coat of paint, new tapware and drawer and cupboard pulls.
Maintain: Fix dripping taps and sticking drawers. Make sure hinges are in good condition. Outside, make sure gutters are cleaned and paths and driveway are pressure washed.
Minimise colour: Create a colour palette by choosing one main colour and two complementary colours and use them throughout your home. (The ‘rule of three’ is that you should have just three colours per room, although you can get away with colourful complementary cushions in your living room.)
Room-by-room budget-friendly styling tips
I recommend going ‘minimalist with warmth’ for your photography and open-for-inspection days.
Kitchen
Make sure everything is sparkling. Clear benchtops of appliances. Add a healthy plant, a photo or a vase of flowers or greenery you’ve cut from your garden.
Bedrooms
Go all-white or classic with bedding. Add texture and colour with cushions or a throw. Ensure the carpet or rug is in a neutral tone. Add a plant and hang a fabulous photo. On your bedside table, add a lamp, a glass of water and a book. If you have shelves, group items like candles or photos in odd numbers.
Bathroom
Your medicine cabinet and/or your vanity should be almost empty. To give your bathroom a spa-like feel, buy products like Glow Lab you can find in the supermarket. When your shampoo, body wash and conditioner containers all match, there’s less visual clutter.
Keep the top of your vanity or any shelves clear except for maybe a hand towel or a small plant (like an orchid).
Living room
If you have mismatched furniture of different styles, try to lean to 70% of one style, then 20% and 10% for other styles. To unify the room, think about getting slipcovers in all the same colour (preferably neutral). Then add warmth and texture with cushions, a few coffee table books and a vase of flowers or greenery. You can bring in a few cherished items but make sure you curate them carefully. Most importantly, make sure you have laid out the room so there are good traffic areas. You don’t want potential buyers banging their shins on a poorly placed coffee table..
Add greenery
Cut from your garden or add plants, as long as they’re healthy.
Remember: sometimes a good-quality fake works as well in photography as the real thing especially plants like phalaenopsis (‘moth’) orchids.
Are we done yet?
Home staging might take a bit of work but it can easily add a few thousand dollars to your sale price.
Top tip: When you think you’ve finished, go back with your phone or camera and take photos. Sometimes it can take a few goes until you’re happy with what you see but persevere; it’s worth the effort!
Need advice on selling your Gloucester region property?
As a proud local, I’m here to guide you through the process of selling your home. I specialise in lifestyle, rural and residential properties. I’ve done it myself and helped many families over my career. So give me a call; I’m here to help.
