If you’ve decided to sell your home – you’ve probably heard just about everyone tell you that you must have your home professionally styled before going to market. But what if you’re on a budget? It’s definitely possible to successfully style your home yourself (with a little help, if you so choose) to boost your return come auction day. Here are six guidelines for every home stylist to follow:
1) De-clutter
You definitely don’t want people playing footsies with your floordrobe during the home open, that’s a given – but think bigger than your standard tidy-up when prepping for sale. In addition to removing trip hazards and putting everything neatly in its place (as you would, say, when hosting friends for dinner), go a step further and remove the clutter. Relegating that towering in-tray on your desk into a drawer, and popping extra ornaments into a cupboard will boost the perceived spaciousness of the rooms and create a more inviting energy.
2) De-personalise
Your end goal when flinging open your doors for potential buyers is for them to be able to imagine themselves living there. This is made a little harder when they come face-to-face with photos of your Uncle Jim and Aunty Sue on the fridge – so round up personal paraphernalia such as family wall calendars, those post-its reminding your hubby to pick up Tim Tams, and happy snaps (sorry, Uncle Jim) and pop these in a drawer too.
3) Home Stylist Hack
Now that you’ve created the perfect blank slate, it’s time to start styling your home. Before you head for a long lie down at the thought, here’s a hack you’ll like: you don’t need to style every single room to have a serious impact. If you haven’t got the budget (or time) to give your whole home a makeover, leave the bedrooms and focus on the kitchen and living areas. These are the key rooms that influence buyers, so your best bet as a home stylist is to start here.
4) Update Accessories
A great way to add instant appeal to buyers is making your home appear fresh and current – but you don’t need to buy up the entire IKEA showroom to look the part. Simply updating your accessories and soft furnishings – think cushions, throws, rugs and wall prints – will dramatically improve the impression left on people viewing your home.
5) Focus On Street Appeal
When considering your property presentation, be sure you don’t focus solely on the interiors. Street appeal is hugely important, as it quite literally creates the first impression for passers-by and would-be buyers at your home open. To maximise street appeal, ensure the garden is tidy (we’re talking mowing the lawns, trimming any hedges and having rogue weeds removed), move unsightly garden furniture to the shed and freshen up the paint on your railings and fence.
6) Get A Partial Styling
If you’ve flexed your home stylist muscle and you’d still like to call in the pros, but you can’t quite stretch your budget to a top-to-toe treatment, consider opting for a partial styling. Furnish & Finish offers a service whereby they will utilise existing furniture and enhance your interior with accessories, or simply focus on key rooms – and they can work with you to achieve the right outcome within your budget.
Have more questions? Give our interior stylists a call and we’d be happy to share some more tips.
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