Tag: for sale

Categories
Expert Tips Styling

Home staging: is it really worth it?

By Naomi Findlay

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase ‘home staging’ being thrown around the real estate industry recently. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it’s essentially styling (or staging) a home for sale. No doubt you’ve got a couple of questions. Is it worth it? Does it get results? And why exactly should you spend more money on a property you are trying to sell?

Money well spent

A staged property will present in a way that makes it more visually appealing which often will result in more people coming to the open houses, a higher selling price and a shorter sale period.

Data collected and analysed by the International Institute of Home Staging showed that in 2016, a staged property yields an average increase in sale price of between 10% and 15%. This means that a property that was originally valued at $500,000 has the potential of selling for $575,000 after it has been staged by a professional home stager.


Hire a professional

A home stager isn’t just anyone. So many people see the work home stagers do and think ‘I could do that,’ and they aren’t wrong. While they could create beautiful spaces repeatedly, they don’t always have the knowledge, skill or time it takes to become an expert home stager and get professional-level results. Many people assume home stagers are house fluffers or interior designers but a true professional must have extensive knowledge of the real estate market on national, state and local levels. They must know what price properties sell at in specific areas and why they sell at the price they do. Also, they must know about current design trends and the enduring, evergreen ones that show off the best aspects of a property for every possible target market. Professional home stagers should also know how to minimise a property’s low lights.

Is it worth the investment?

A quality home staging project can be an investment. Like many areas in life, if you want an amazing experience with amazing results you are going to have to make an investment. However, as of 2016, the average investment on home staging was between 0.4%-0.75% of the estimated property value. So, you are investing less than 1% of the minimum price your property will sell at to have it sell for more money! It’s a no-brainer really. *

In 2016, on average, for every $1 spent on home staging, the property owner received a return of $20. That means that if you spend $4,000 on a home staging project you could receive a return of $80,000. That is $80,000 that you didn’t have before and can put towards another property investment or into some amazing new furnishings in your new property. *

The market reality

Home staging has changed the real estate market and has changed the standard a property must be presented at to get a high return on your investment. Investing in a professional home stager takes away the stress of having to present your property for sale yourself and gives yourself the highest chance of selling for the highest possible price in the shortest timeframe.

* Data from Silk Home  and International Institute of Home Staging

—Naomi Findlay is Australia’s rapid renovation expert, founder of Silk Home and the International Institute of Home Staging.

Photos of staging by Naomi and the Silk Home team.

Categories
House Tours

Real home: An authentic Melbourne warehouse conversion

Located in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill, this 120-year-old heritage listed warehouse has a rich history. Originally a boot factory, it became a tannery where saddles were made for the light horse brigade in WW1, before it was divided into six warehouse apartment shells in 2001. This particular one has been lovingly transformed into a chic city sanctuary by Ben and Nicole Roe, who worked hard to honour the building’s past.

webres26082690

“We wanted it to be an authentic warehouse conversion. Every room has a warehouse aesthetic, even down to the bespoke toilet door track, the huge green warehouse laundry door, or the original Oregon and steel beams through the bathroom. The only hinged door in the house is the entry,” says Ben of the gorgeous, light-filled home.

webres26082499

“It was still very much in its natural state when we bought it and featured hardwood floors, original windows and three large Oregon beams running the length of the ceiling. We worked very hard to retain the remnants of the past by exposing the beams throughout the house, leaving the ink stains on the original floors, exposing the handmade nails (visible in the charcoal remains near the second bedroom window) and keeping the beautiful Northcote red exposed bricks,” says Ben.

webres26082479

Amazingly, the couple had never renovated or built before undertaking the project that saw them proceed with a slow, organic approach. “We constantly changed our mind throughout the process. We didn’t want to be too regimented in our approach as we wanted the space to evolve throughout the build. It is sometimes hard to conceptualise a house and you never quite know where shadows will fall, where the dark corners will be, until you put the walls up,” says Ben who made the master bedroom’s sliding bedroom walls – one of the highlights of the home. “The operable walls in the master bedroom are genius – you can make a door wherever you want, and have complete privacy, or have it completely open,” says Ben.

webres26082487
Master bedroom complete with sliding walls

Five years ago, Ben and Nicole opened Tree, a lifestyle store in Flinders on The Mornington Peninsula. Intent on bringing up their children in a country setting, the family relocated there a few years ago and thus the time has come to sell their city abode.

webres26083013
City views over the deck

“As we have done, we hope that the new owners share many a dinner party while overlooking our beautiful cityscape, or spend quiet wintery days reading or watching the footy while still having a sense of the outside with large windows letting in the day. They could also host a New Year’s Eve party on the deck watching the fireworks display over Melbourne,” says Ben.

webres26082973

Click here for all the sale details.

Categories
Designers House Tours

Greg Natale’s Sydney home for sale, open inspection tomorrow

It’s an exciting day when a world renowned interior designer puts their home on the market. Greg Natale recently listed his Sydney apartment for sale with open inspections starting tomorrow (Saturday 16 July 2016).

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0580

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0785

In the iconic Harry Seidler-designed Horizon Building in Darlinghurst, it’s the epitome of convenient inner city living at a prestigious address. The interiors are, as you’d imagine, super chic, with the award-winning designer’s signature touches everywhere.

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0775

Greg and his partner love the building so much they’ve decided to stay, buying a bigger apartment in there.

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0835

From the carpets and wallpaper from his own ranges to the custom black oak wardrobes and joinery throughout, this is a luxurious and stylish one-bedroom pad with a guide price of $1.1m.

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0736

The bathroom has an integrated laundry and the bedroom, a fabulous walk-in robe.

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0862

150614 - BAZAAR INTERIORS - GREG NATALE-0807

Every modern luxury has been thought of, including in-ceiling sound and ducted air con. The 71 sqm apartment’s layout has been maximised through an open plan layout, making it ideal for entertaining, with plenty of natural light through floor to ceiling windows. Wouldn’t it be nice to watch the sun go down over the city with a glass of wine on the curved balcony?

Open inspections starts tomorrow at 1.30pm, the apartment is being marketed through Bresic Whitney. Full listing and more information can be found here.

More about Greg Natale.

Photography by Felix Forest

Categories
Designers House Tours The Block

Darren Palmer’s own home is open for inspection and for sale

The Block judge Darren Palmer’s Sydney home is up for sale and letting the world see behind the doors is as nerve wracking as you might think! As if being an interior designer isn’t reason enough to fear people judging your design efforts, being a judge on a reality TV show watched by more than a million people can’t help! And before you ask, yes of course there’s some grasscloth wallpaper in there!

“All the way through this reno I was just thinking ‘don’t mess it up’. There’s pressure being the ‘expert’ to get everything perfect but at the end of the day nothing ever is perfect!” says Darren. “I’m proud of the result and hopefully the right people will walk in and fall in love with the house just like we did when we first saw it.”

Having visited when Darren and husband Olivier had just moved in a couple of years ago, I can vouch that this is a serious transformation and the end result is very impressive. Although pre-reno, the home was still very charming with some lovely character features, especially the ceilings, which I immediately loved! I’m so pleased to see these features have been kept and in some cases, restored.

It’s also in a delightful, tree-lined street and enviable location. “When we first saw the place we thought it was sweet,” Darren says. “It was a fairly spacious layout, all open plan downstairs. It needed a lot of work with creamy coloured paint and lacquered pine floors. The back yard was a non event and there was not much light.”


He had to stick with the original floor plan so Darren removed the bathroom and laundry to open up the back of the house to the rear courtyard and the middle of the house to some light. “I relocated the downstairs bathroom to our son’s old bedroom and made two rooms out of the large open space at the front of the house that I used to use as a home office and sitting room. Upstairs was a simple refit of the existing space with better layout and inclusions in the bathroom.”

Post reno, Darren thinks the house feels fresh, sweet and stylish. “It’s respectful of the house and period. We’ve restored some of the period features back to as new and added every modern convenience whilst also increasing the living space and amenity in the home.”

As Block viewers will know, there are challenges with every project but Darren says his building team did a stellar job (got to keep those trades happy, right?). “The biggest issue most probably was that I treated it in a far less structured way that I would a project for a client, with some things being done on the fly and some things being changed as circumstances changed. Needless to say it cost more and took more time than I planned.” But isn’t that the case with almost every reno?!

The busy interior designer, TV personality and family man, loves the end result though. “I think it turned out beautifully and it’s a really massive improvement. The previous owner came through on the weekend during the open for inspections and was blown away. She gave it a big tick, thankfully! I think the best thing about the house is that the interior suits the exterior and works perfectly in the quiet little family street. It feels fresh and quaint and elegant which is just what I wanted.”

Darren, who has since moved closer to the beach and bought in Bondi, loved the convenience of living here. “I love the area and I loved being in a completely freestanding house in a row of freestanding houses. There’s a real community, family vibe in the street and events like Halloween or Christmas get celebrated together. It also has a kids’ play park at the end of the street, a big park and sports field right next to it and it’s two blocks from Rushcutters Bay Park. It’s literally got everything you’d want within five minutes. Edgecliff Station and shopping centre is a quick walk away through bushland and the cross city tunnel entrance is right nextdoor too so you can drive anywhere in town swiftly. If it wasn’t for Bondi calling us to the beach, we’d happily stay.”

Darren sees the next owners as a young family who have the occasional visitor to stay. “Two small kids could easily share the front room, the parents’ retreat upstairs has everything you want and the third bedroom gets closed off from the rest of the home when guests come. You can also see by what the neighbours on both sides have done that there’s still development potential in the house with the easy addition of two more bedrooms and a bathroom being possible. I had much bigger plans for the house and have them all sorted in my head but decided to keep some value in the house for the next people to realise.”

Unable to resist the lure of another reno, Darren will have plenty to keep him busy in the new house, but is happy to take his time: “We work hard and we don’t do much else except hang out as a family so we decided that the beach was where we wanted to be on our down time.We found a great house in Bondi and we love it and have more space to live in and another project to focus on – eventually.”

21 Walker Avenue, Edgecliff is due to go for auction on 1 December and is open for inspection on Thursdays and Saturdays from 2-2.45pm.

See full property details

If you love real reno before and afters, check out our sister site Reno Addict. Our chat with Darren about living with kids and pets is one of our most popular posts ever!

Categories
House Tours Styling

Sibella Court’s former Society Inc. in Paddington up for sale

Anyone with even a vague interest in styling will have heard of Sibella Court and The Society Inc. so there is bound to me much excitement at the news that her former shop in Sydney’s exclusive Paddington has been listed for sale this week. Always thought you’d love to live inside the pages of one her books? Well, now you kinda can… if you have a spare $1.6million.

bw_photo_11889_2731027

The terrace at 27 Alexander Street was the part-time home and former shop of the celebrity stylist, known the world over for her eclectic style. Having recently moved to a much larger warehouse space for her work in St Peters, listing the Paddington property on Air BnB for a short while, it is now up for sale.

bw_photo_11889_6857854

bw_photo_11889_3427882

The space is Sibella through and through and personally I would love to see it bought by someone who embraces that rather than renovates it into something slick and new-looking! But as I’m not in a position to buy the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home set over two floors, I’ll have to let the lucky buyer decide!

bw_photo_11889_4911122

It’s in a lovely, leafy, quiet corner of sought after Paddington (on a block that straddles the address of 18 Stewart) and open inspections take place tomorrow (Saturday 12 September) from 11.30am-to-12 noon. It is being shown to buyers decked out in quintessential Sibella vintage finds and collectibles from her travels and will appeal to those who love her quirky look. Frankly, it would have been criminal to clear out this magical space and stage it for sale in the mainstream way.

bw_photo_11889_1074447

The Victorian high ceilings are strung with old naval rope and ladders, while the floors and staircase are painted to brilliant effect (no doubt with colours from her own range for Murobond). Those who relish found pebbles and driftwood will adore the designer bathroom, which feels ‘live’ from the pages of one of Sibella’s many design books.

bw_photo_11889_2248611

bw_photo_11889_9970430

Outside there’s private a courtyard, laundry terrace and on the street, garden beds planted with strawberries, geraniums, nasturtiums, and blossom.

I am full of envy for whoever snaps up this enviable, unique pad in a wonderful Sydney location!

bw_photo_11889_3273298

As well as being an interior stylist and author, Sibella, who became a mum last year, is also a product designer, historian and creative director. Her hospitality spaces include Hotel Palisade, Old Joe’s, The Pines, Mr Wong, Palmer & Co, El Loco, MsG’s & The Fish Shop. Last week, her new television show, Restoration Australia, aired on ABC.

Sibella has spent much of her life exploring the globe for inspiration. Formerly a homewares stylist in New York, she has a knack for discovering new artists, designers and products for her much loved shop, The Society Inc. (now in St Peters). Her wanderlust can be seen in all the personal spaces she inhabits and in her many things accumulated over 20 years of shopping!

27 Alexander Street is being sold by Shannan Whitney and Darren Pearce of BresicWhitney, a lifestyle property group that responds to the energy and emotion of inner Sydney. Over the last five years, it has sought to break the mold as a residential property group, by welcoming a new conversation about inner-city living.

View the property listing.

All photos by Aimee Crouch for BresicWhitney

Categories
Expert Tips

Five ways to spruce your home up before it goes on the market

Many people selling their home underestimate the importance of making necessary improvements and adjustments before listing it on the market. However, what may seem like minor aesthetics can make a real difference to the number of people that read or click on your listing and attend the inspections. Many sellers write this process off as too expensive or too time consuming, but making a few repairs and improvements is sure to boost the selling price on your home.

Back to basics

Below are five simple and inexpensive ways to spruce your home up before it goes on the market:

  1. Back to basics

When buyers look at your home, they will instinctively imagine what their own furniture and items would look like in it. Bold colours and styles can be off putting and have the power to quickly eliminate potential buyers. Make it easy for buyers to picture themselves living in your home by sticking with neutral colours and styles. Consider repainting the walls a tone of magnolia/white, or having bright patterned couches or cushions recovered with a plain fabric. If spending this money or effort doesn’t seem worth your while, there are a number of adjustments you can make that won’t cost a thing. For example, remove table cloths to showcase plain surfaces, replace personal ornaments with a vase full of flowers or a fruit bowl, or swap family photos for a simple artwork.

  1. Cull the clutter

Clutter or an overload of personal bits and pieces can also make it tricky for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. Go through the items on display and only leave out the ones that complement the look and feel of your home. Pack away overly personal items or those that take attention away from the room itself. Do the same with your furniture — clutter is off putting and taking out excess pieces will make rooms look more spacious and inviting. Pack the items away in a storage area or hire storage space if necessary. Avoid packing them away in the cupboard or drawer of a room that buyers will be passing through, as they are bound to want to look at the storage space available.

  1. Focus on the front

Sellers often get caught up on fixing up the rooms or the backyard of their home and neglect the front of the house. However, the front section should be your priority. Potential buyers, particularly those driving past the ‘for sale’ sign, will inevitably judge your home by what it looks like from street view. A good way of testing first impressions of your home is to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer and to see what needs to be improved or removed. It’s easy to get attached to your home and look beyond its flaws, so ask a friend or your agent for a second opinion. While it may seem pricey at the time, consider having the outside repainted, particularly if you think the colour has the potential to put people off. Make sure the lawn is mowed at all times and any weeds are removed. In the same way as the rooms, clear the front entrance of unnecessary items and invest in decor that will make it look more inviting, such as pot plants or a new front door mat.

  1. Clean and repair

Failing to do a proper clean of your home before holding inspections will jeopardise your chances of a quick sale. The property market is far too competitive to skimp on this part of the process, so make sure you spend the necessary time to give it a thorough clean top to toe and pay extra attention to the kitchen and bathroom. Consider hiring a professional cleaner before you take people through your home to ensure it will look its best and touch up on it daily so that you’re prepared for any last minute inspections.

In the same way, failing to get around to repairs before the inspections will decrease your chances of selling your home. The last thing that buyers want to worry about is costly repairs and while the jobs may seem avoidable, they only give buyers another reason to walk away. Make sure you take care of all obvious repairs — a broken doorbell or loose floorboard — and look out for any you’re not aware of — door handles, light fittings, cracks in the walls or ceiling, dripping taps and leaks, or broken fly screens/ windows.

  1. Go green

Making the most of your home’s outdoor areas will work wonders for your home and will make it far more inviting for buyers. Along with mowing the lawn and eliminating weeds, consider rearranging any outdoor furniture or items to make the garden look as spacious as possible. If you don’t have any outdoor furniture, it may be worth investing in a small table and chairs or a hammock, to make it look more enticing. If your home doesn’t have a garden, consider investing in pot plants or hanging plants for the entrance or balcony and buy flowers on inspection days to place in vases in the main living areas. This will give your home a natural and airy feel and will inject some colour into the space.

Go green

 

Consider taking these five tips on board to spruce your home up and make it look its best for buyers. Make your efforts worthwhile by spending the necessary cost to hire a good photographer for your property listings. This stage of the selling process is not worth skimping on;  it’s key to drawing a crowd to your inspections. Any investment in time or money you make here is certain to pay off in the long run.

–Zoe Pointon is the co-founder of real estate ranking and review startup OpenAgent.