Styling your home for sale

By Rich Harvey, CEO, propertybuyer.com.au

Regardless of how hot or cold the real estate market is, styling your home in advance of putting it up for sale can make a huge difference in the amount of interest you receive, how fast it sells and how much money it brings in.

From granny flats to luxury mansions, property buyers are drawn to inviting homes. The trick is knowing what to do in order to make your home as attractive as possible.

The benefits of styling your home

There are three primary advantages to styling your home for sale.

The first and most important is attracting more interest parties. This is especially essential in markets where there may be more homes for sale than interest buyers.

A property that attracts more bidders will lead to two positive outcomes all home sellers are looking for: A faster sale and a higher sales price.

More attention means a greater chance for more offers, and this will speed up how long it takes to find an offer you like and settle.

Also, more offers means a greater chance of competition from multiple bidders, something that can boost your sales price and leave you with a bigger chunk of change after the sale.

Steps to take

While the benefits of styling your home for sale may be obvious, the question of what exactly you should be doing remains.

The answer to this question can differ from seller to seller and property to property, but there are some general things to keep in mind.

For instance, no one wants to buy a house in Australia if it's smelly, cluttered and dirty. Your first step should be to remove any displeasing odors and unsightly dirt and grime.

Next, do what you can to declutter the space. While you don't want a completely empty home to show off, it's important to give prospective buyers the chance to imagine how their possessions might fit in the house, as well as how they plan to use different spaces.

Some renovation may be necessary to have your home looking its best. This can include things like a new paint job, replacing lighting fixtures, taking down outdated curtains and other small but important changes that can improve the look and feel of a home.

At the same time, it's important not to turn a home staging into a money pit. Spending a lot of cash on remodelling doesn't make sense unless your home is particularly old or rundown.

Keep in mind which changes will make the most difference and what economical steps you can take to make them happen.

The goal is to increase interest from buyers and hopefully see a higher sales price, not lose money in the process.

Hiring a professional or going it alone

Whether it's a starter home or a luxury penthouse, styling property in Australia can be a big job.

For this reason, many home sellers decide to invest in the services of a professional home stager.

Accredited staging professionals can be found through real estate agents or online, but before settling on a home stager, it's important to understand exactly what services they will provide and for how much.

Hiring a professional may not be financially feasible, in which case you'll need to style your home yourself.

Set aside enough time to seriously make over your home, and be sure to do research into what changes and upgrades home buyers are looking for. Your personal tastes may not match those of most home buyers, so it's better to err on the side of caution when styling your home yourself.