PART 5 OF 5: PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE......

Tip 5: Styling & Presentation

Although it might not always be to your taste, a property with modern styling, will sell quickly and usually for top dollar.

Things to consider on the styling and presentation of your home:

-              a styled home creates excitement and an emotional attachment for buyers

-              the photography will look incredible and draw in more buyers

-              more buyers mean the odds of selling quickly and for top dollar are greatly increased

We recommend using the services of a professional home stylist, but for those who are a little creative and want to have a go, we have some tips from Interior Designer James Treble to help you get the perfect designer look for all your interior spaces. Source: https://www.homestolove.com.au/5-simple-home-styling-tips-to-remember-1772

1. SIZE DOES MATTER - When it comes to art, oversized pieces will always make a big statement. I suggest investing in one piece that you really love and placing it in a key position, like above the lounge or in a foyer, to set the stage for your home styling. A big piece of art means you don't need lots of other clutter in the room, as it remains the star of the space. Alternatively, a large piece of amazing fabric, framed or on a canvas, can work just as well.

2. POWER IN NUMBERS - Make a statement by grouping similar objects like vases, bottles or bowls together, so that they become a stronger design element as a whole than they would be individually. One of my tricks is to place three or five candlesticks (always odd numbers) of differing heights in one place. When lit, they become one large light feature, creating great ambience.

3. PRINTS AND PATTERNS - There are patterns everywhere in nature, like the bark of trees, or stones in a river. Natural patterns create interest, so why not use them inside as well? They don't have to be over the top either. A great way to add pattern is with cushions, throws and rugs, which can work together or independently to help you create the mood you want in your home.

4. GO GREEN - One of my favourite and most cost-effective ways to accessorise any room is to add some greenery; I love indoor plants and have one in nearly every room in my house. A great thing about indoor plants is that they help to blur the line between inside and out, making rooms feel larger and fresher at the same time. And you can easily enhance mood with an interesting basket or pot, chosen to work with the existing style of your interior.

5. LESS IS MORE - The term "less is more" means that having less of something makes a stronger – and more enjoyable – statement than overwhelming the senses with too much all at once. Strong colours or patterns, though amazing, create a better impact when used sparingly in interior design, than when lots of both are crammed together in one space. The same rule applies for mixing styles of furniture. Using mostly clean lines and neutral tones lets you add one outstanding piece. It can then sit comfortably, without competing with other pieces.

“Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful” ~Hazrat Inayat Khan~

If you would like personalised advice on how to present your home for sale, simply click this link or email us

PART 4 OF 5: PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE......

Tip 4: Furniture & Decluttering

When you are trying to sell your property, you want the home to look as spacious as possible. This means assessing how your furniture, collections and décor fit in to the space that you have.

Important things to take in to consideration when looking at each room:

-  is my furniture too big for this space?

-  do I have too many personal items on display?

-  should I just move everything out?

People often make the mistake of falling in love with a lounge or bed because of comfort or the way it looks, and when it’s actually in the property, we realise that it’s actually just a little too big for the space. Some of our tips:

Bedrooms - Things like large beds and bedside tables in small bedrooms makes the room look even smaller. Our suggestion is, get some small bedside tables (often this will be without drawers which is completely impractical for living, but necessary for sizing). If you can, in your master bedroom, we recommend putting your normal King or Queen bed into storage and hire or borrow a double bed which will create the impression of space. You can apply the same tips for the kids rooms if they have double beds, go back to single beds temporarily.

Lounge rooms – Oversized comfy sofa’s are great for the family lounging together, but when you’re looking to sell, if you have two lounge suites consider moving one of them into storage or if you have a couple of chairs in your set, put one or both of them in storage. Also, consider your coffee and/or side tables. Again, although it’s not practical for living, just for sale, either swap them for smaller one’s or remove altogether and place in storage.

Collections and personal items – You want your house to look like a home, so don’t remove all your personal items and collectibles, but perhaps halve them. It will make dusting before open inspections easier and the space will feel more open and cleaner with less items on each surface. We recommend that personal photos and valuables should be put away for open inspections.

Even if you have another house to move to, we don’t recommend just moving all your items out. Selling an empty house is not an easy task due to the following:

•  The marketing photography of a house full of empty rooms does not create any excitement in buyers looking for a new home. Think of the last time you looked at an empty property online. How quickly did you flick through the photos and how often did you ask, “what’s that room?”

•  When the buyers come to the open, they have a hard time determining how their furniture will fit in the space. The need to have some furniture there already as a point of reference and will often assume the worst eg. “this room’s definitely too small for our lounge suite”.

•  As with not removing too many of your personal/decorator items, you still want the house to feel like a home. An empty property feels abandoned and unloved, like the previous owner couldn’t wait to get out of there!

“Clearing clutter directs you towards paced progress…” ~Chayan Jain~

If you would like to see all our tips, please email info@spartners.com.au to request a copy of our Preparing Your Home For Sale booklet.