Martha Stewart or Nigella Lawson, a few candles can
also give a feeling of home. Try to choose fragrances
that are not overpowering and that will not compete
with each other.Hire an expert
If all of these tips have you feeling a little overwhelmed,
it may be time to call on someone who does this kind
of thing for a living.
Most agents now have their “go to” interior stylists;
their fees are even paid by some agents. But what exactly
do they do? Well, it depends on your needs. Many will
come in to vacant properties and use the huge range of
furniture and accessories they have in their warehouse
to give your property a cohesive look that appeals to
a particular market. Professional stylists (or stagers)
can also help hide awkward floor plans or finishes that
aren’t as high-end as they could be.
Under most circumstances stylists will hire out this
furniture to you, in the first instance, for five weeks – one
week is for the styling and photography and the other
four are for your sales campaign. For a one-bedroom
apartment this can cost as little as a couple of thou-
sand dollars, but the returns are usually in the tens of
thousands of dollars.
If you do not have the luxury of moving out of your
home while you are selling it, some home stagers will
offer partial styling. They will work with your existing
furniture, tell you what should be put into storage and
bring in artwork, lamps, rugs, soft furnishings and extra
pieces of furniture to give you the best possible chance
of attracting the biggest number of potential buyers.
It may seem like you are spending money that could
be put towards your next purchase, but properly styled
properties can be the difference between selling and
not selling. MWin a copy of the book
This is an edited extract from
Sold! by Nicole Jacobs (Hardie
Grant Books, RRP $29.99)
available nationally. Nicole is a
property adviser, buyers advocate
and expert on Channel Nine’s
The Block. Money has five copies to
give away. For your chance to win a copy, tell us in
25 words or less your top tip for styling a home
for sale. Enter online at moneymag.com.au/win
or send your entry to Money magazine, Level 7,
55 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Entries
open April 29, 2019 and close on June 5, 2019.Artwork and things on the wall are my styling
go to! The space isn’t finished unless there is
art on the wall!! You are selling an aspiration.
Shay (Shay and Dean, winners of Season 11, The Block: Blocktagon )