Styling your property to sell has many benefits. In today’s real estate market, competition is high, so how do you make your property stand out from the crowd, attract more buyers, and sell fast? It’s probably no surprise that a lot of top agents say, ‘style your property to sell.’
Styling involves organising, tidying, decluttering and decorating your property and garden to make it look great at open houses.
Design and presentation techniques are used to create a visual marketing tool to market your home. Excellent presentation maximises the number of buyers and ultimately leads to a quicker and more lucrative sale.
According to 98% of agents, styling your property well can increase its sale price. The majority of top agents believe that styling can increase a property’s value by over 2.5%.
So if your property is worth $600,000, that’s an additional $15,000!
28% of agents said it helped influence a quicker sale, and 88% said it triggered multiple offers through private sales and more bidders at auction.
It’s possible to hire an expert to help you style your property, but not everyone has the budget to do so.
You can style these three key areas of your property with these practical tips.
The first thing people see is your entrance. Ensure that you make a great first impression from the street. Potential buyers will get excited to come inside and take a closer look.
A few hours spent improving the entrance and front garden will help you make a great first impression and can add real value to your sale price.
If you want to transform the front of your home, here are some easy ideas – but be warned, you’ll have to get your hands dirty.
Pro tip: Painting your garage door can significantly enhance your curb appeal – it occupies a lot of space visually, so making it look great can make a huge difference.
Remember, you’re creating a feeling of excitement in potential buyers by having a neat and maintained front garden. This excitement gets them curious about finding out more.
Also, keep garbage bins out of sight and clean out your letterbox each day. Buyers driving by will see that this home is well taken care of and loved.
If you don’t have one already, consider creating one to help guide your buyers to your front door. While plain white pavers look great against a green lawn, there are many great options you can choose that will suit your budget. It will significantly enhance your entrance.
Make sure your exterior lights are bright enough and are working if buyers drive by at night.
Check to make sure that the street or unit number is visible and that the doorbell works.
Kitchens can make or break a sale. It’s typically the most expensive room in any house, so prospective buyers don’t want to see a kitchen that needs a complete makeover.
You don’t need to redo your kitchen completely, but you can do some small things to make it more appealing.
It needs to be cleared away if you have more on your kitchen benches than in the cupboards.
Buyers are well aware of how expensive a new oven or dishwasher can be. If they think they will have to spend a lot on replacements, they may shy away from your home.
Consider replacing out-of-date devices. Investing in it may be worthwhile.
Yes, colour can do wonders for a drab kitchen, especially if cooking splatters are a feature. Primer and paint can make a big difference.
Also, don’t forget to replace worn tiles.
Changing cabinet doors can give your kitchen a whole new look. But, suppose you can’t afford entirely new cabinetry. By simply upgrading the handles on draws and cupboards, you will make a big difference.
Buyers will pay close attention to the lighting in a kitchen. Installing fluorescent lights or spotlights under the top cabinet can provide light for benchtop work areas.
You can also add a pendant light above your benchtop to create some visual interest.
Some people think replacing a scratched and stained benchtop is too expensive, but not all benchtop materials are so costly.
Consider laminate or slightly more expensive options like Corian. You might be able to save your sale with this small investment!
If your kitchen floor is looking a little worn, lift the lino. Polish the floorboards underneath – if they are good enough – otherwise lay vinyl flooring, which is easy to clean. You may also use tiles for an excellent contemporary feel.
Add vases of cut flowers, a bowl of fresh fruit, or lemons on the bench to give it some personality.
Little things like this will add a special touch to the room.
Today’s buyers want beautiful bathrooms – they want to relax and pamper themselves, no matter the bathroom’s size or condition.
Presenting your bathroom in the best light requires some time and money. Start by cleaning your tiles and grout, as well as your windows, mirrors, and shower screens.
Nothing turns a buyer off faster than a bad smell.
Air out your bathrooms well, open the windows, use the extractor fan, and add some potpourri or air freshener if necessary.
Don’t go overboard, as buyers may think you are trying to hide something.
Cracked basins, toilets and tubs give the impression that the room is dirty, so consider replacing these.
As long as you don’t change the plumbing, it shouldn’t be too expensive.
Pro tip: To make an excellent impression on your buyers, replace your vanity or mirror and add new lighting fixtures.
Luxury spa bathrooms are trendy today, but even if you don’t go for this type of look, you can add a little extra to any bathroom. Your bathroom will feel luxurious with fresh, plump towels, handmade soaps, fresh flowers and boutique bath products.
When you have a small bathroom, don’t clutter the wall with towel rails – put them on the back of the door instead.
Consider wall-mounted sinks and toilets when renovating a small bathroom.
Mirrors can also make a room appear twice as large. Not only do they enhance the feeling of spaciousness, but they are also efficient.
Need a new sink? Replace your cabinet sink with a pedestal sink – it will make the room seem much more spacious.
In addition to keeping the colour scheme light and straightforward, ensure you have plenty of storage for hiding those little bits and pieces.
Enamelling can give stained or chipped bathtubs and basins a whole new look with a fresh coat of enamel. And, of course, adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls makes the bathroom look brand new.
This simple, inexpensive process could save your sale if your bathroom’s colour scheme is straight out of the 1970s.
Check off these tasks before each inspection, after you have given your home a thorough clean:
Lastly, have a rest – it’s well deserved!
Now it’s your turn. Would you like to add any other tricks to our guide?
