There’s a lot to think about when preparing a home for sale, and the consequences of putting a foot wrong can be daunting when it comes to one of your biggest assets. If you’re getting ready to sell a house, one of your top considerations might be whether or not to invest in property styling.
Before you leap in head first, make sure to do some basic homework to find out if styling your property will maximise your return. Employing the help of a professional to create an attractive home can be a great way to get on the market and gain a faster sale, for a better price.
The benefits of property styling
There are many good reasons to invest in property styling, including:
Expert advice. When you have the help of a quality property stylist on your side, you’ll receive feedback on the best ways to prepare your home for sale, including any small renovations or paint jobs that may be necessary to complete before styling commences.
Eliminate stress. Real estate stylists can reduce the stress of selling your home by depersonalising and decluttering it for you. Some will even clean and organise repairs – ensuring your home is immaculate for the duration of the sales campaign. It’s kind of like having a fairy godmother waving her wand while you relax!
Turn positives into negatives. A good home stager will know how to amplify the best attributes of your home, but a great home stager will turn the negatives into positives. They will be able to make use of cramped spaces, create flow and bring light into your rooms – even in the darkest of places.
Stand out in the market. In a saturated market, an immaculate and perfectly styled home will be more noticeable and gain more attention from potential buyers.
Appeal to a broader market. Experienced property stylists know the market demographics for the area and what buyer demand looks like. They will style to that taste, while achieving a consistent look throughout the home that attracts the right buyer.
Create an emotional connection. People spend more time viewing staged homes than naked ones. Did you know that 95% of people are not able to visualise the scale or how they would utilise a vacant space? Visualising the space as theirs and how it could work for their lifestyle helps to create an emotional connection.
Better photographs. It’s a fact that first impressions count, and your photographs are the first port of call for potential buyers. Photographs sell homes. Your potential buyers are going to be attracted to what they see on your online listing, which means these images are a crucial part of your campaign. Your home styler will ensure your home is ready to be photographed at its best, increasing buyer interest and open house attendance rates.
Less time on the market. You don’t want your property to languish on an unforgiving market, where buyers think there’s something wrong with your home if it doesn’t sell quickly. A staged home can spend 72% less time on the market.
Maximise your sale price. Keep your eyes on the prize, because the number one goal of getting your home styled professionally is to increase your sale price. On average, some say you should see a sales price increase of at least 10%, but some stylists in Sydney and Melbourne report that it can be even higher. That’s some serious bang for your buck.
Property styling pitfalls
Without beating around the bush, property styling can be expensive, particularly for a full stage. You do have the option of a partial stage, using some of your existing furniture, but for a more cohesive and polished look it’s always recommended to go with the full package.
Property styling can set you back anywhere between $1,500 for basic staging, up to $10,000 or more for a full styling with high-end furnishings. This can also be influenced by the experience of the property stylist, their locality, and many other factors, including the size of your home. You may want to ask your real estate agent for a few different supplier options, from basic, moderate to premium property stylists – and take your pick!
The risk you take when employing a property stylist is that if your house does not sell for whatever reason, you’ve forked out a lot of cash for an expensive campaign that failed. And if your property does sell but without any real sale price increase, you’ve also experienced a loss – although, you may regard staging as a way to improve your chances of sale, rather than increasing your sale price.
One thing to remember when considering property styling is that if you own an inexpensive property it may not be worth it all, as chances are it won’t add any extra value.
Peace of mind
The pros certainly do outweigh the cons in most cases, and if you’re trying to sell your house quicker and for a better price, home styling could be the key for you. With a Brickfloor Market Price Guarantee in place, you can rest easy knowing that you can invest in staging with the peace of mind that there is no risk of a failed sale.
Refer a friend
Know a homeowner who may benefit from Brickfloor’s Market Price Guarantee? Get in touch to refer a friend and receive $1,000 cash if they take up a Market Price Guarantee.
