From cleaning until every surface sparkles to lighting, decluttering and even creating optical illusions, making your property visually appealing is one of the most important things you can do as a seller because first impressions are everything. So, as a buyer, your first impression of a property is the last thing you should rely on!
It’s easy to laugh about having a batch of freshly baked goods at an open home, but sellers go to extraordinary lengths to entice buyers. Good styling has become a very profitable industry for experts (and is a worthy investment for sellers in our opinion). They can strike the perfect balance between making a room look spacious yet cosy, unique enough to be memorable yet easy for any buyer to imagine living there.
Michelle May, principal of Michelle May Buyers Agents and host of Buy Your Side is someone who’s gone to thousands of open homes and is privy to all the tricks vendors use to make a great first impression, she still feels the emotional pull created by impeccable styling.
But all that styling disappears the moment you get the keys, so it’s essential to look beyond the sumptuous soft furnishings at any open home. Michelle has shared her tips on some of the most common tricks to look out for.
Removing the curtains
This makes a room look brighter, bigger and a lot cleaner but is often an impractical way to live, especially in bedrooms where light is an important factor.
Turning the lights on
Ensuring every switch is flicked on is an easy way to hide a lack of natural light, so don’t be afraid to switch the lights off to get a more accurate representation of lighting.
Swapping out furniture for smaller pieces
A bedroom looks bigger with a double bed over a king; the same goes for couches in living areas. You need to think practically about the size of your existing furniture in relation to the space and whether you’d be happy to downsize to a double bed if required.
Playing music
A curated playlist is an easy way to create a homely vibe in a property and also a great way to distract from unwanted noises such as arguing neighbours, traffic, barking dogs and screeching pipes.
Sending belongings to storage
The price of a storage unit for a few weeks is insignificant compared to many thousands on a sale price, which is what good styling can bring to a sale. Many sellers pack up their non-essentials while their home is on the market, so ask yourself, ‘what’s missing here?’ and ‘what do I need to fit in this space?’
Once you’ve looked past all of the creative ways sellers make their home more appealing, it’s time to get practical about the space and one major factor is often forgotten in the excitement of open homes: storage.
From appliances like air fryers and rice cookers in the kitchen to the ironing board, vacuum cleaner, tools, lawnmower, excess linen, suitcases, and even shoes. No matter how minimally you live, you’ll undoubtedly always have a few bulky items that need a home. Keep a checklist of things you own on your phone as you wander around open homes to avoid any rude shocks come move-in day.
With the economy officially in recession, the real estate market looks set to get even tougher which makes styling before selling more important than ever. And while we do talk about this topic a fair bit, it’s for good reason; research consistently shows that a styled home will fetch a higher price than one that hasn’t been.
An expert in the real estate space, we caught up with Domain’s Alice Stolz who gave us some advice on what styling features buyers typically look for, and how you can achieve them on a budget. “First impressions are everything and it can take only a few seconds for potential buyers to fall in or out of love with your property. There are a few suggestions that I recommend thinking about prior to hosting an open house to ensure you get the best price,” says Alice.
Domain managing editor and guest judge on The Block, Alice Stolz
Presentation/cleaning Your homes’ presentation is key; simply cleaning and tidying your home shows buyers that you care about it. “Make your home presentable. It shouldn’t be left to the agent to be cleaning up any obvious mess,” says Alice. On this note, a professional window clean is a great idea too. “Not only will your house look sparkling, but clean glass allows even more natural light to flow in,” says Alice.
Decluttering Marie Kondo’s favourite pastime, decluttering is an absolute must before your first home open. “Clutter is a big turn off as it shows neglect and can also give an impression that the place has a lack of storage,” says Alice. Also, having minimal furniture and homewares will make your home look spacious, while giving the impression that you have adequate storage.
Pests Make sure to exterminate any creepy crawlies before any home opens as buyers are easily put off by obvious signs of insects and animals invading the home.
Aromas “Try and remove obvious smells from the house like the smell of pets,” says Alice. And while it’s a great idea to air the house, don’t be tempted to overwhelm it with trite scents. “Don’t fill the house with brewed coffee and bread-making aromas, or offend the senses with too many scented candles,” says Alice.
Paint Painting is the most effective, inexpensive DIY job you can do to make your property appeal to the most buyers. “Many prospective buyers cannot see past dated colour schemes or feature walls,” says Alice who is a big fan of paint for a relatively cheap overhaul that provides good bang for buck.
Fresh flowers An oldie but a goodie, fresh flowers won’t break the bank and are a wonderful way to bring the outside in. “If you are trying hard to be thrifty, pick them from the garden. Adding elements of nature inside can really add interest to a property,” says Alice.
Engage a property staging service Not exactly a budget option but if you can afford it, property staging can really pay off; particularly if your furniture is a little old-fashioned.
“Staging furniture can also turn an extra bedroom into a home office which is something we, at Domain, are seeing a huge surge in activity for at the moment. Staging can also make a home look more complete and ready for a new owner,” says Alice.
A clean, blank canvas allows a prospective buyer to be able to see themselves living in your home, rather than struggling to see the home for what it is, beyond the furniture.
DIY styling If you can’t afford to hire a designer, pick up some magazines (or consult this blog!), and look for different ways to style a part of your home. “Magazines are often speaking to interior designers so you can always pull from their ideas,” says Alice.
If you are not using rental furniture during the marketing of your home, have a go at moving furniture around to ensure the rooms are set up as best they can be. “Create space and easy flow within a sitting and dining room, even if it means taking some pieces away. Play with your house and try to view it through the eyes of someone who has never seen it before.”
Should you invest in home staging? The bigger question here is why wouldn’t you? Amy Smith, CEO and founder of Huntley + Co, says: “In today’s marketplace, I believe property…
Styling for sale: 9 expert staging tips
Styling a home for sale is a lot different to how you style it for yourself. The following tips and photos are taken from the new coffee table book, Property…
Styling a home for sale is a lot different to how you style it for yourself. The following tips and photos are taken from the new coffee table book, Property Stylists of Australia 2020, produced by the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS).
Image: Styleness
Don’t style to the latest trends Trends come and go and so it is important to style with items that are as timeless as possible. Select furniture that is neutral and classic with simple lines and then mix it with décor that is on trend, without polarising buying groups.
Ensure the house has a ‘soul’ It’s not only vacant properties that are presented with no furniture and accessories that have a lack of ‘soul’. Sometimes, the way we live means that we think our home is perfectly fine but it lacks ‘soul’, particularly in the eyes of buyers. By a ‘soul’, I mean that feeling you get when you walk into a home and get that comforting, warm all over feeling – the feeling that you would really like to live right here.
Buyers are not just looking for ‘pretty’ when they inspect a property. To ensure a buyer develops an emotional connection, three of the major senses need to be involved. Lovely, but appropriate furniture and accessories are just part of the experience. Creating the right environment with scent, touch and sight are all important to us. Try lighting a scented candle to begin the staging and styling.
Image: Staging Designs
Maximise the space Less is more when styling to sell. Too much furniture or large oversized furniture can reduce the size of a room and too many accessories can make a space feel cluttered. Appropriately sized furniture needs to be placed so the traffic can flow within the property. Buyers need to feel that there is plenty of room and the traffic flows smoothly. Similarly, it’s great to have beautiful items such as books, vases, flowers, plants and cushions for the buyer to connect to but keep it simple and stylish with beautiful textures, so as not to overcrowd the area.
Stay true to the architectural design and location When staging a property for sale, it is so important to style it in a way that is sympathetic to the original design of the property. A heritage house in the Hunter Valley will be styled differently to a modern new build beachfront property. The property is different along with the target market, and it needs to be styled accordingly.
This does not mean of course that we only use antique or dark furniture in heritage houses, it simply means we pay a ‘nod’ to the period by using a more classic style that will still appeal to a more modern buyer.
Pay attention to symmetry, proportion and balance It is quite difficult to cultivate that homely feeling when proportions of furniture and symmetry are out of whack, or if there are too many furniture pieces in the one small room. Symmetry and proportion are important rules to follow so the space doesn’t feel cluttered – or for larger areas, to avoid the space feeling completely empty!
Image: Tweak Home Staging
Style using layers, textures and organic elements Start with a base and build the layers from there. Layers can be created with flooring, furniture and drapery or a rug, sofa and cushions or coffee table, tray and greenery. Layers are just as important in the lighting options used in a room. They consist of task lighting, ambient lighting and general lighting. These layers help easily explain the function and set up the desired ambience of the room.
Including textures within the layers provides a visual diversity, giving the eye many exciting places to settle. Textures help create the exact feeling you are wanting in each space and are perfect when styling for particular seasons. Light cotton and linens with smooth silks for the summer and chunky knits and plush cosy velvets for the winter.
The final touch is to add elements, and the first one is always greenery. Plants play an essential part of styling. They bring life, colour and texture to the room. By combining organic elements such as wood or shells and adding a metal element, you achieve layers and a diversity of textures in the styling.
Image: Right at Home Staging
Colour Integrate the colours of a space as central source of inspiration for the colour palette applied throughout the room or the story/personality that you are trying to create. A related colour palette partnered with techniques such as layering, or complementing accessories that use textures, shape, colour and visual interest, create a flow-on effect from room to room, and keep all spaces working cohesively together.
Good return on investment The word ‘investment’ is a very accurate descriptor of how staging and styling to sell should be assessed. That is exactly what it is, not a cost or a price – it is an investment in realising the highest sale price that would be paid by a potential buyer for the property. Spend those staging dollars in the areas that are the primary focus of the potential buyer pool. There are however absolute ‘must do’ areas, in my opinion. These include the master bedroom, living areas, any room or area directly off the front entry (including the entry and home office), dining spaces, patios and decks (especially in the nicer weather months).
Make an emotional connection This final golden rule is one that can truly make the difference between buyers wanting to buy your home or looking elsewhere. Everyone leads busy lives and more and more buyers want a home to feel like a sanctuary, so the little details matter and are key to making that connection with a buyer.
Think of it like decorations on a cake. The cake may taste delicious but without any decorations the cake will look bare and not as enticing. The decorations for your home are all the little things, like the decorative cushions on the bed that provide a luxurious, relaxed feeling, reminding people of hotels and holidays. It is the touch of greenery and plants through the home that help to add life into a space. It is the textures and patterns in the soft furnishings and decorative accessories that can provide that homely feel.
It’s the combination of these small details that creates a cohesive and inviting space that showcase the aspirational aspects of the property and the lifestyle buyers can emotionally connect with. Remember, first impressions are everything, so make their first impression a lasting one!
IIHS is Australia’s premier home staging and property styling education and membership provider.
Should you invest in home staging? The bigger question here is why wouldn’t you? Amy Smith, CEO and founder of Huntley + Co, says: “In today’s marketplace, I believe property styling is no longer optional, it is simply essential.”
If you’re in the market to sell your home, it is extremely likely that you have considered styling your property, be that yourself or by engaging a professional. If you haven’t thought about it, no doubt your real estate agent has.
Property inspections, whether online or in person, are like first dates. You only have one chance to make that all important first impression — so why not make the absolute most of that opportunity? Property styling is without doubt the best way to do this and there are loads of other benefits.
Stand out
From impressive campaign photos to immaculate home viewings, professional styling lets your property stand out in the market. It is very much standard practice these days to engage a property stylist. In fact, buyers are becoming so used to seeing homes styled that if yours isn’t staged, it can really stand out – and for all the wrong reasons.
Connect
A beautifully curated space can be incredibly powerful. Interiors can be completely transformed through purposeful styling. Property stylists are skilled in not only selecting the right furniture and accessories for a space, but for tying it all together to tell a story and craft an aspirational lifestyle beyond our dreams.
“The way we live versus the way we style a home for sale can be quite different” says Amy. “When living in a home, decisions are often based on personal tastes, functionality and comfort. But when styling a home for sale, the focus should be on tailoring the furnishings to appeal to the likely demographic of the buyer and ensuring that the spaces flow seamlessly for open homes.”
Buyers often struggle to envisage how certain furniture will work in a space. “We need to remove any questions they have, such as if a bed will fit in a room, or how to best place the sofa, so that when they leave the property, buyers feel confident and inspired that the home will work for them,” says Amy.
A styled property has a greater potential to elicit an emotional response from a buyer and as any real estate agent will tell you, an emotional buyer is always your best type of buyer as they are going to be more willing to pay a premium. Which leads me to the next benefit of property styling.
Add Value
Statistics show that property styling can add a further five-to-10 percent to your sale price within the Sydney market. Styled properties simply appear more polished and can therefore attract higher prices. They also tend to have shorter days on market and stronger auction clearance rates versus their un styled counterparts. With these kinds of returns, investing in property styling should be a no brainer!
“So, if you happen to be sitting on the fence, wondering whether to style your property or not, my advice would be absolutely yes, without any hesitation,” says Amy. When it comes time to sell, having your home styled can be daunting. But if you are able to stand back and see the property through a new set of eyes – the buyer’s eyes – what wonders it could lead to!
–Amy Smith is the CEO of Huntley + Co, a bespoke hire company offering an extensive range of beautiful, on-trend, designer furniture and accessories, with both short and long term rental options. Servicing the needs of the property styling industry throughout Sydney and with no minimum orders, hire as much or as little as you like, and their team will deliver and collect. Property styling made easy!
Stylist Angela Reynolds from Harmonia at Home | Photo by Helen Lamont Photography
DE-CLUTTER – With zero waste in mind, think about donating or organising a garage sale. A road side pick-up, hiring a skip, going to the tip, or simply chucking, should be your last resorts. Some items you opt to keep will be best packed away; like personal photos and trinkets to de-personalise your property, excess furniture to ensure your property looks spacious, and valuables that could grow legs.
⠀ CLEAN – Cleaning your property inside and out, top to bottom, is an absolute must. Consider a cleaner specialising in end of lease and/or specialising in specific areas such as the garden, carpet, blinds, curtains, windows, gutters, driveway, etc. ⠀
⠀ REPAIR – You may have made do for the last 12 months (or more, just saying) with that leaky tap, blown light globe, loose door lever, worn and tired paint, broken fence/gate, etc, but now is the time to get on top of all these repairs. Anything that might be a nuisance to a potential buyer should be eliminated now. ⠀
⠀ REPOSITION – Enhancing the layout of each space with the items you have not packed away, can make the world of difference to the flow of your property. ⠀
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I love working with what my clients already have on hand; addressing all of the above well. However, if they have some budget, I can further enhance their property by helping them make some mindful purchases, with their next home in mind. ⠀
⠀ My top 10 ways to enhance a property for sale, without breaking the bank:⠀
⠀
1. Top up garden mulch ⠀
2. Update bathroom towels⠀
3. Display stylish hair, body and cleaning products ⠀
4. Incorporate indoor plants throughout ⠀
5. Introduce fragrant candles and/or diffusers ⠀
6. Invest in new bedlinen (including cushions and throws) – nothing polarising!
7. Style sofas with new cushions and throws⠀
8. Define spaces with rugs⠀
9. Add warmth with lighting⠀
10. Install some wall art ⠀
⠀ BONUS tip: do not over stage or over de-clutter.
–Angela Reynolds is the owner of Sydney-based Harmonia at Home, styling properties for sale and homes for living.
Do you have a creative energy you just don’t get to use in your current job? How about a love for property and real estate that you need to nurture? If you have a passion for styling homes, building your own home staging business can be one of the most rewarding careers out there.
There’s the creative freedom, working your own hours and dealing with the clients of your choice. In theory, it’s an easy decision to change your career overnight, but I know that the transition from full-time work in a corporate setting to running your own business is a little more complicated than that.
Here are four steps to ensure your transition from working a 9-to-5 to running a home staging business is a smooth and successful one:
Set your work hours
I’ve heard people say that the main reason that they want to run their own business from home is because they can work only when they want to work. It IS true that you can set your own work hours when you work at home but it does NOT mean that you don’t have to have set work hours.
When you have a job that you go to outside your home, you are required to be at that job at a specified time on specified days of the week. When you have a work at home job or business, you need that same kind of structure. You need to set regular working hours. The freedom that a work at home job provides is that you can choose the hours…but you do have to choose!
A ‘hit or miss’ work schedule…or rather, the lack of any work schedule at all, simply will not work. Time is of the essence! YOUR time!
Let your friends and family know your work schedule
The benefits of running your own business mean you can be at home to see the kids off to school and be at home when they get home. You can put a load of laundry in and it can run through the cycles while you are working. But you must enforce a work schedule for yourself and insist that your family and friends also adhere to it.
A job out in the bricks and mortar world tells your family and friends that your time is spoken for during your working hours. When you work from home, expect your spouse to see you as being free to run errands. Your friends will see you as being available for long telephone conversations, lunch or for a coffee catchup. You can see the problem.
The best way to accomplish using your time to your own best advantage with your business is to make a schedule and tell your family and friends what that schedule is. You don’t have to be rude but you do have to be firm. Make it clear to all. “I will be working between 9am and 3pm Monday through Friday. On those days and during those hours, I am NOT available to run errands or take personal phone calls or entertain company.” Then stick to it!
Create your own brand
When running your own business, you need to work on creating your brand. A brand is more than a name or a physical feature, it is the perception that customers have about your product or service. It’s your promise to your audience. In general terms, it’s an idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with.
Whilst in the order of things a logo usually comes first, the trick is to then grow your brand from there. When establishing your brand, first work out what the vision, values and personality of your company are. Consider your audience and define them. What’s their age, gender, occupation, location and personality traits? When doing these exercises, also remember that this is not about defining you or describing what you like, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your potential buyers to see what they desire.
Figure out your competition
In the age of technology, you can do a million and one things to switch up your business and create a unique element of interest that sets you above other home stagers in your area. All that you have to decide is what ideas you are going to pursue!
This could be creating your own YouTube channel where you share advice or film the home staging process of a property. It could be starting a blog to engage your audience and direct traffic to your website. There’s even options like offering warehouse tours and creating an online op-shop for old furniture stock – get creative!
–Naomi Findlay is Australia’s rapid renovation expert, an internationally renowned renovator, award-winning property stylist and speaker.She’s an industry leader in creating healthy wealthy spaces and creating wealth and profit from renovating property. Naomi is CEO of staging company Silk Home and founder and principal of education provider, the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS).
Next week sees the launch of a fantastic book for anyone looking to sell their home for more, from renovation guru Naomi Findlay, one of our Reno Addict resident experts. What’s more, all profits from the book will go towards building a school in Cambodia. We have 20 books to give away too, but more on that later.
People pay thousands for Naomi’s renovating and home staging courses but you can grab all the best bits for yourself for just $29.99! Sell Your Property for More Money reveals top secrets to staging your home for sale. With Australian property prices generally rising this year, successful home staging opens up opportunity for owner occupiers or investors to increase their sale price substantially with small amounts of effort.
Just quietly, Naomi shared all her tips with me when we sold our apartment last year, for a block record no less! And I was proud to write the foreword for this book.
With the Australian property market in such good health and the RBA expected to keep interest rates on hold for the foreseeable future, more Australian families are considering selling their home for a variety of reasons. But getting the most for your property isn’t just down to the agent you pick. Popular TV shows such as Selling Houses Australia and The Block give a graphic illustration of just how much proper home staging can add to the value of a home.
It’s essential that vendors put time and effort into presenting their property in the best light, but many don’t know where to start or think it’s too hard and expensive. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier than they might think and some of the smallest changes can go a very long way. And Naomi is well qualified to tell them. Not only does she own successful staging company Silk Home, she also runs the International Institute of Home Staging. She’s renovated over 100 properties and staged more than 1,000 through her businesses.
“There is one thing in common that all vendors have—they want to get top dollar for their property. Achieving that is what is perceived to be the hard part,” explains Naomi. “Sell Your Property for More Money reveals the tips and tricks that will turn your property from average to amazing. The advice is relatively simple to follow. A successfully styled home will have buyers emotionally connecting before they start to consider the home from a functional or structural perspective. It could add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of your home.”
Naomi, who is the creator of the Rapid Renovation Formula, says real estate agents and property stylists will also find the book useful.
It includes tips on decluttering, the rooms that need to be accentuated during sale, understanding which areas need to be upgraded or renovated, styling tips including what to do with furniture and artwork, and opening up space. There is also has a handy section on commonly asked questions, gathered from Naomi’s numerous stage appearances and client staging projects.
All profits from the sale of Sell Your Property for More Money will go towards a Rapid Renovation Formula-sponsored school in Cambodia that is set to break ground in 2018 in conjunction with United World Schools.
For your chance to win one of 20 copies, enter your details below and tell us in 100 words or less why you need this book! Entries close at midnight on Friday 18 August 2017.
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 Stagingshowed 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 Homeand International Institute of Home Staging
Hosted by property expert Naomi Findlay, the upcoming 2017 National Home Staging Symposium hits Melbourne on July 8 and 9 with a wealth of information on offer for aspiring home stagers. And this year, two attendees will be eligible to win scholarships to advance their home staging careers too.
“The aim of the event is to explore, indulge and educate you about the world of home staging as it evolves and grows in Australia,” says Naomi. Attendees can expect to get the inside scoop on the Australian home staging scene and they’ll learn how to run an online business alongside a bricks and mortar one as well as how to build relationships with real estate agents and how to build a team of stylists and trades.
Naomi Findlay
“We’ll also teach you how to make money through establishing a large client base, how to create a work/life balance and how to implement insurance strategies to protect your career and business too,” says Naomi. Other practical considerations covered include knowing what trends to use and which to avoid, social media (which sites should you be using?) and how to establish your target market.
Last year’s event
And while the event is open to anybody, Naomi has a few specific people in mind that could benefit. “Property stylists or those with a passion to enter the industry should attend as you will have the opportunity to meet and network with new people who are on a similar journey. I think real estate agents and renovators would benefit also, especially if they’re looking to increase their knowledge of the home staging scene.”
And as if that wasn’t enough enticement, there’s also two scholarships up for grabs: “One lucky attendee will be given the opportunity to study the Art of Home Staging and Advanced Home Staging Courses with the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS) as well as a six-month Shine membership with IIHS. The total prize is valued at over $2,400,” says Naomi. The other scholarship is a mentoring one and is worth $3,300. “The mentoring scholarship will provide the winner with the IIHS mentoring program for three months and a six-month Shine membership too,” says Naomi.
An Art Deco block in iconic North Bondi has sold well above price expectations after the apartments were impeccably styled by the team at Bowerbird Interiors.
“We had hundreds of people through the property,” said developer Scott Lockwood from Platinum Strata Consultants who purchased the federation apartments for around $4 million and completed cosmetic renovations before listing the apartments. “We thought we’d make somewhere in the vicinity of $500,000-to-$1 million on it. It got a little bit over $6.3 million and we are ecstatic.”
Bowerbird is part of a new generation of property stylists offering a more personalised service and contemporary, on-trend interiors that are tailored to the individual property. “I’ve used other companies previously, unfortunately with their stylists they were set in the way they wanted to do things and also their furnishings were probably from three to 10 years old. I wanted someone fresh.”
The Bowerbird team drew inspiration from both the period features and the beachside surroundings to create a relaxed and eclectic sanctuary. “We needed to make sure that we demonstrated the property in the best possible way, which included a relaxed, beachside feel and some statement pieces like the large statement artwork in the kitchen,” said Geoff Lewis, managing director who runs the home staging business with wife Lauren.
They also dressed the sunroom as an additional living space and created an eat-in kitchen to increase the properties’ appeal. “Styling creates warmth in a space that will connect with your potential buyers. Our goal is to help clients achieve a massive return through creating beautifully styled spaces,” said Geoff.
This case study is far from a standalone – since starting the business three years ago, Geoff says Bowerbird has styled close to 1,000 properties, with 95% achieving a successful return on investment. “We understand the target market – the potential buyers. This results in a quick sale for a higher price.”
When you think of home staging, or property styling, bland, uninteresting interiors are often evoked. Designed to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers, staged properties can lack personality, but it needn’t be the case says Natalie Lysaught of Sydney’s Advantage Property Styling. “Simply because you are styling a home for sale, it doesn’t need to be bland to appeal to a broad buyer audience. We steer away from the ‘cookie-cutter’ styling approach and lean towards a more personalised and bespoke look for each of our projects, hence creating a unique point of interest for prospective buyers,” says Natalie who says selling a lifestyle is key.
Home staged by Advantage Property Styling
“Clients tend to opt for a more personalised look so that as potential buyers wander through the property, they can visualise themselves living a beautiful life in the home, spending lazy Sunday mornings in the bedroom, or cosy winter nights in the lounge room. It’s all about evoking a feeling and connection with buyers as they walk through that front door. The aim is no longer just to sell an architectural structure, but sell a lifestyle.”
In this digital age, great styling and photography are non-negotiable. “The key to styling a home for sale is that the property must stand out, not only at open homes, but initially online and in print to increase the number of potential buyers that will then decide to go to the open house,” says Natalie.
Advantage Property Styling recently staged the property pictured and created a casual, bohemian, tropical feel – it’s definitely not dull and Natalie says artwork, texture and plants were key.
“We changed up our art hanging approach with this property and it’s something I’d recommend. Some good options are to layer the artwork on shelves or window sills where possible, choose a large focus piece of art to ground the room, consider using clusters of art as opposed to matching pairs if the room calls for it and look for other alternatives to frames for wall hangings such as tribal necklaces, macramé, Turkish towels, baskets and mirrors,” says Natalie.
“Using lots of textures including timber, linen, feathers and concrete to appeal to the senses leaves your buyer with not only a visual memory of the property, but a tangible feeling,” says Natalie who favours handmade local pieces where possible. “Purchase statement handmade pieces from local suppliers – not only is this a great idea for creating a point of difference, it’s also a great feeling to know you are supporting small local artisans rather than mass production,” says Natalie.
Ultimately, you want the home to feel inviting, like a sanctuary. “Our stylists spend hours creating this relaxed look, but the feel is as though it’s just been casually put together using lots of layers – a range of cushions and a throw on the sofa plus floor accessories such as baskets also help achieve this look really well. Avoid too much symmetry, for example, in the lounge use one side table lamp and have accessories on the other,” says Natalie.
Photography: Natalie Lysaught | Styling: Monica Bean, Harriet Parsons & Maddy Kortt from Advantage Property Styling
Ready to put your home on the market? Pierce Cody, Owner and CEO of Cody Live, shares his top tips for hosting a successful open house.
1. Set the stage: Create a neutral environment, clean the house and keep it well maintained. Clear counters, ditch clutter (remove anything the least bit controversial) and maximise natural light. It may also be worth employing a bit of staging to set the mood. When it comes to pulling in the serious buyers it pays to have a stylist who knows a few tricks of the real estate trade.
2. Take advantage of technology: make sure your agent uses the latest technology to market your house. You need a professional presentation online including a map, directions, and unique selling features. Don’t forget to make the most of social media to keep people updated too. Having people register their interest on the day by providing an email address also means that you can contact interested buyers in real time on the day.
3. Keep potential buyers updated: there’s nothing worse than waiting around at an open house with no information. Buyers become frustrated and can often lose interest. A good way to keep buyers updated is via digital signage. Cody Live StoryBoards (see below) can be updated remotely and instantaneously. If an agent is running late, they are able to simply send a message to the StoryBoard to update all attendees. Simple.
4. Enlist the neighbours: Neighbours can be some of the most important salespeople for the house. They want their friends to move into the neighbourhood therefore acting as potential scouts for the property, have your real estate agent drop off notification pamphlets about the open house and also welcome them to come in for a browse themselves.
5. Work closely with your agent: Have any relevant paperwork ready, the less buyers have to ask the more at ease they’ll feel in the property and the more time they’ll be able to spend imagining themselves in it.
Nowadays in Australia, property does not come cheap and there are so many people out there who have a great strategy of buying property that needs some work. They imagine they can complete small or large renovations to increase the value of their investment and either hold or pull out their equity to continue on with their property portfolio.
This is a great strategy in the right circumstances and many people do it so well, but there is a large proportion of people that get caught in the overcapitalisation trap. Even when they purchased the property at a great price, they have overcapitalised during the renovation process and hence minimised their chance of leveraging their investment as much as they had hoped.
First of all, let’s all get on the same page with what overcapitalising is… it means, in short, to improve a property beyond its resale value. So here are my top tips to make sure you avoid this pitfall when renovating.
Tip 1 –
Get an independent valuation. The value of a property can vary from when you bought the property and it is also very important to get a completely independent value before you look at how much you are going to be investing into the renovation. Potential buyers and valuers will also be looking at these types of figures so it is essential that you start your planning from a good baseline.
Tip 2 –
Consider your market, what are they willing to pay? Whether you are looking to have the property re-valued, leased or on sold, you need to look at what the market is willing to pay in your area and for your property type. Many properties have a ceiling on prices of sorts and it is essential that you consider this when planning your renovations. For example, if you spend $4-to-5k on amazing stone benchtops, are you in the market or area that is willing to pay for that? What will this inclusion do to your budget and hence the bottom line of what the property owes you at the end of the project? If this pushes you over your resale value, forget about it.
Tip 3 –
Ensure you include in your budget a healthy buffer for “unexpected” items. This being said, it is essential to have a detailed and live document that contains your budget. It can be very easy during the renovation process to say “yes” to small increases in the budget — $250 here and $500 there — so make sure that your budget stays live and is updated daily to allow you to look at how you are tracking and if necessary, try and identify areas that you can pull back on.
It is important to mention that avoiding overcapitalising on a property is not just about sticking to budget, it also about planning well, being realistic and removing any rose-coloured romantic glasses you might (or might not) be wearing in regard to the property value at each stage of the project.
Starting with these three things is a great way to give yourself the best chance at not only staying on track but also avoiding spending more that the market will pay, leaving you with some tough choices.
We’re excited to tell you about an event we are part of this year, for aspiring and existing home stagers. There’s no doubt about it, home staging is growing in size and credibility as a profession in Australia and it’s no longer seen as just faffing about with cushions! These days vendors, and real estate agents, are realising they can add thousands to their sale price by employing the professionals at making homes more stylish, appealing and saleable.
Naomi Findlay of the Institute of Home Staging, one of our resident experts on sister site Reno Addict, is the brains and enthusiasm behind this major event in Sydney in June. The owner of successful business Silk Home in the Newcastle and Hunter Region of NSW, she is passionate about educating people who want to learn how to sell their home, or other people’s homes, for more, and professionalising staging in this country.
There’s a whole host of great speakers planned and I’m excited to be one of them! I hope to see you there!
Find out all about it and get your early bird ticket pricing here.
Each week we shine the spotlight on some of Australia’s best designers, artists and stylists and have them share with us what’s making them tick; anything from the best gift they’ve ever received to their favourite holiday destination. Today we chat to Naomi Findlay, owner of design business Silk Home and the International Institute of Home Staging, and resident expert on our sister site Reno Addict.
1. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
My first travel journal before I took off around the world for four years. It helped me find the joy in story and travel, creating memories that now, as a mum of four, I cherish reading.
2. What’s your favourite book?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch are my faves. They are full of simple and grounding reminders on the key things that are important: trust, respect and love.
3. What’s your go-to recipe?
San Choy Bow. It is so simple to make, so fresh and bursting with flavours. But the best part is, it is super quick and the whole family gets to get messy eating it with our hands.
4. What’s your favourite shop?
Surprisingly I am not a shopper at all. I am generally forced to buy clothes, shoes and jewellery by those close to me (Jen included!). But I do have a small weakness driven by necessity for good boots from Wittner.
5. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Nothing is unachievable if your really want it, so just believe and you will thrive! This has and still does apply to anything I do in life. It is generally ourselves that get in our own way, so once you believe you can then you can!
Fancy becoming a home stager? Or do you want to improve your skills as a professional property stylist? If you answered yes, we have the event for you!
Naomi Findlay
Running 10 and 11 July, the first ever Sydney Home Staging Success Summit will teach both new and professional home stagers how to run a successful business. Organised by Naomi Findlay, principal of the Australia-based International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS) and our very own Reno Addict expert, and Jana Uselton, founder of America’s Home Staging & ReDesign Association (HSRA), the summit will feature a session to introduce new property stylists to the field, as well as host seminars to advance the knowledge of those already in work.
“There has been such a high demand for property styling that it was time for the industry to make a push to bring more people in,” says Naomi. “Whether you’re a beginner who wants to find out whether home staging is for you, or a professional looking to sharpen your skills, this summit is a great way to gain business knowledge and meet like-minded people.”
The two-day event will start with a half-day introductory session to home staging, followed by a full day of workshops that will cover everything from working with real estate agents and running a home staging business to specialist sessions on luxury property styling and capturing the home builder’s market. Attendees can choose to attend one or both days, with places selling for $39 for the introductory session (including a gift valued at $39), $149 for the full-day summit and $168 for the whole event.
More information, including the summit agenda, can be found here.
The winner of this month’s 7 Vignettes is Angela Steyn for this beautiful collection of images. She wins a selection of goodies from Interiors Addict Shop.
Guest judge Naomi Findlay, who runs Silk Home and the International Institute of Home Staging and is my partner in the online store, loved Angela’s images and how they included the gorgeous little hands of her sons! They also worked so well together as a seven.
Angela previously won 7 Vignettes in July last year and is one of four people who have won twice over the 29 challenges so far.
Angela, please contact us with your address so we can send you your prizes!
If you’re new to 7 Vignettes, find out how to take part next month here. If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.
Naomi’s International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS) and the American Home Staging and Redesign Association (HSRA) are teaming up to host a home staging summit in Sydney in July. If this is a career which interests you, find out more and book your ticket here.
In the penultimate episode in our series, Naomi Findlay gives us a sneak peek of the almost-finished house and explains how she has reconfigured the floor plan to make better use of space and add value.
In the fifth and final episode, coming soon, we reveal the profit made when the renovated house is sold and talk to the real estate agent.
