Located in a highly prized pocket of inner-Melbourne, this rundown Victorian terrace was styled for sale with a difference recently by Jordanka Kuzmanov of Reworke. Originally taken to market empty, the agent felt it looked a bit harsh and so Jordanka’s services were enlisted to generate interest. And she did so by making it look more art gallery than show home.
The front of the historic inner-city terrace
“Originally they wanted the home staged like a normal house, but I didn’t think that would work,” says Jordanka. Tight and dark spaces, outdated fixtures, confusing floor plans and rooms cluttered with impractical furniture were just some of the challenges faced. So, given the house needed a lot of love (it didn’t even have a kitchen!) Jordanka came at the project with a novel approach.
Dining room
“Rather than use traditional furniture staging to style the rooms and fade the flaws, I convinced the selling agent that the best approach, to generate interest in the property, was to completely reimagine the space,” says Jordanka. She styled the property with vintage finds, DIY pieces, hired items, art and her own styling inventory to create a unique result that saw the terrace reborn as an artful, gallery-like space that highlights the bones of the historic building.
Study
Bedroom
To make the project even more challenging, the work had to be done while Melbourne was in stage-four COVID-19 lockdown; styling pieces were sourced online and over the phone. “The dining room chairs were vintage – I purchased them online and then painted and distressed them,” says Jordanka.
“I wanted it to be a bit eclectic and unexpected. A lot of the selections simply came down to what I could find and then I just had to figure out how I could piece it together. I wanted to warm it up with colour, but I couldn’t over style it either.”
Kitchen
A highlight of the home, Jordanka’s strong artwork choices were comprised of some DIY pieces and a couple of statement photographic prints hired from Studio Gallery. In one of the rooms, a piece of pink linen was stretched to create a sizeable pop of colour and Jordanka paired it with a gorgeous original mid-century Dutch chaise that had been restored and reupholstered.
Bedroom
Bathroom
“Ultimately we were certain that the interest generated by a unique styling approach would unearth a buyer that would appreciate the incredible potential of the home.”
And it did, with the home selling last week for more than $2.1m, $206k over the reserve! “Everyone was extremely happy with the result,” Jordana said.
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 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.
There’s no doubt that property staging has come a long way in terms of credibility and popularity. The concept wasn’t even that widely accepted a decade ago and now, I don’t think many people could imagine selling a home without it! And whether you’re a property stylist, run your own home staging business or just love property and real estate, Sydney’s upcoming National Home Staging Symposium could be just thing for you. And if you needed another reason to attend, our very own Jen will be presenting!
“If you really want to take your home staging career to another level, then this is the ideal next step. Remember, not only will it get you access to brand new content and speakers and an awesome network of likeminded people, but it will also give you the momentum you need to achieve significant progress in your home staging career,” says its organiser, our resident expert Naomi Finday. The event presents an opportunity to learn from some of Australia’s most successful property stylists alongside business and marketing experts.
Naomi Findlay
“You can learn from online businesses, marketing and finance people, interior designers, mindset experts and take action in our interactive workshops and connect with our likeminded tribe. It’s an experience you just can’t get anywhere else!” says Naomi.
And while there’s plenty on the weekend’s agenda, here’s just a taste of the things you can expect to learn:
How to stage for the Australian real estate market as well as how to develop relationships with real estate agents.
How to successfully run an online business as part of a bricks and mortar one, as well as how to expand your client base.
How to establish your target market.
How to build your own team of stylists, labourers, real estate agents and trades.
Social media: Which sites you should be using to directly reach your audience.
Styling trends: Which ones to use and which ones to avoid.
National Home Staging Symposium
15 and 16 June 2019
Rydges World Square
Sydney
VIP event tickets have already sold out but it’s not too late to secure an early bird price (before April 20,2019). Find out all about it and get your tickets here.
Located in the well-heeled Sydney suburb of Rose Bay, this home was sold recently with help from the Coco Republic property styling team. While it obviously has beautiful features, it needed the finishing touches that home staging provides, to present it in its best light.
Kitchen & dining
“The client’s home combined classic architectural features of a grand scale, with contemporary design and layout. The styling was inspired by the clients’ dynamic style, love of colour and unique art pieces from their personal collection and our styling art range,” says Charmain Coombes, Coco Republic senior property stylist.
And while Charmain has many clever tricks up her sleeve, she let us in on the three key ingredients that went into polishing up this gem for sale.
Colour pop A tried and tested formula, a splash of bold colour will lift even the most lacklustre space. “In the formal living room, we utilised a bright pop of citrus with the upholstered occasional chairs and gold metallic accents to complement the wood grain and marble finishes of the built-in accent joinery, satin gold wall pendants and pansy artwork,” says Charmain.
Formal living room
“A bright pop of colour creates interest and gives the room personality and the metallic styling elements create a luxurious feel. The citrus yellow colour elements are a common thread throughout the entire styling scheme,” says Charmain.
I love that graphic print!
Nature Bringing the outside in is another trusted home styling technique. Providing colour, movement and texture, natural elements inject the much-needed warmth that is often lacking in modern homes. “It’s important to always try and bring in some natural elements into a space, so we utilised a large potted fig, timber trunk side table and the casual timber framed armchairs,” says Charmain of the natural accents that punctuate the open plan living room.
Living room: This otherwise neutral space benefits greatly from the addition of wood and greenery
The power of white From furniture to bed linen, white will always freshen up a space – just be careful not to rely on it too much or the effect can be a little clinical. “The bedrooms were styled to showcase the individuality of their owners. A luxurious master suite was created in the large parents’ retreat, with statement bedside lamps enhancing the elegant room and the other pieces chosen were simple and classic. The best styling investment in a bedroom is crisp white linen,” says Charmain.
Master suite: The white linen and bedhead pop against the charcoal wall behind
“We utilised crisp white furniture and blue tones in the scatter cushions to contrast and complement the terracotta tiles and large swimming pool,” says Charmain of the home’s beautiful outdoor space.
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.
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
With almost 1,000 square metres of living space, and plenty of soaring ceilings, this historic 1907 Sydney home was made much more inviting before it went to market recently, when BOWERBIRD staged it for sale. “The property, when empty, was quite vast and cold and our styling added a lot of warmth,” says BOWERBIRD’s managing director Geoff Lewis who created an elegant, classic look with a focus on layers to bring in warmth.
“Elegant layering was used to help soften and complement the architectural features of the property. The team worked to create harmony of tone throughout the main living area, while each of the six bedrooms and two additional lounge rooms showcased a variety of muted hues and layered textures, which created a sense of calming unity throughout the entire property.”
Ultimately, the owner’s staging investment was more than worth it when the property sold for well above its price guide within a week of going to market. “The property was guided by the agent as priced somewhere between 9 and 10 million dollars and sold for $10.4 million. While it has since been surpassed, it was a record at the time. The other really important fact is that it sold in only seven days which is phenomenal for a property of this scale. The return on investment from our service was 73 times!” says Geoff.
“Styling for sale is so important. Our business is all about return on investment and overwhelmingly, our clients experience massive returns on their money,” says Geoff who says it’s very important that you consider who the likely buyer is, and what will appeal to them, when staging a property for sale.
“We help to build an emotional attachment to the space. People find it difficult to connect to an empty space or to a space that is cluttered or poorly furnished. The emotional connection in real estate is everything. It makes no sense to take a property to market that is not presented to its full potential and this is what our styling achieves.”
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.
