Sleek and chic: why style matters

Property styling can add value to your home and reduce the time it takes to sell your property. Find out why we highly recommend this approach. 

People sometimes hesitate before committing to property styling prior to listing their home because they don’t know if it’s worth it. From our experience, it definitely is, for a few different reasons. 

Here’s why we tell our clients to style their home before it goes on the market.

Create the wow factor

People will remember the home and may place an offer, sooner, if they are impressed from the moment they walk in, to the point where they start to feel a sense of panic about missing out on making the place their own. 

If negative details draw their attention, it will distract from the good points about the property. You need your buyers to turn every corner in the home and notice the lovely look and feel. 

Buyers expect perfection

Jess Kolb from Blok Design Co in Brisbane has been working with interiors for close to 10 years. As she explains, “The fundamental reason for property styling is people have become so accustomed to seeing beautiful things. There is a difference between living in a house vs presenting it for sale. Because we live in a world of Instagram-style images, people want to see things looking pristine.”

Jess says, “If you don’t style your home, people will see it as a fixer upper, even if it’s not. They will come in and pick the place apart, saying the rooms look poky and the kitchen is tired. When you invest in styling to get your layouts right, have good furniture and get some beautiful photos, you will get that ‘emotional’ buyer.” 

What’s an emotional buyer? Someone who will spend more money to get what they want. The more of these you have, the more your home will sell for. 

Make your listing stand out

It’s not only the home which needs to leave people wanting more; it’s the online listing. 

Buyers need reason to stop their online browsing and click. A drab looking living room in a photo will see them scroll past, especially if they have money to spend. 

Homes are now listed on social media and attract the attention of people who may not even have it on their mind to buy a place. The photos have to be show-stoppers to get them to take action. 

Highlight the potential of your property

Styling a home can also help you highlight the potential of your property. By adding some carefully chosen furnishings and accessories, you can show potential buyers how they could make the most of the space. A smaller space, for example, can be furnished with a desk to show how it can double as a study nook. 

Believe it or not, people aren’t particularly imaginative. A styled home lets them see what’s possible and build on it in their minds. 

Increase perceived value

By adding expensive furniture (you can hire it from your property stylist), you create the sense of luxury which buyers are more motivated to pay for. 

Picture your buyers viewing three or four similar homes in a day. If yours is styled to look like something out of a magazine, it will stand out in their minds for the right reason.  

Final tip: be original

Jess reminds home sellers to avoid trends. 

“We are in an era where people should do what they love rather than because something is cool. It’s not working to see the same thing over and over again. My team and I match the styling to the property as we help prepare for photos and home opens.” 

Property styling can take away the stress of repeated open homes and it has the potential to deliver a sales result which can be 10% greater, or even more. Don’t skip this essential step… it’s always worth it. 

Hope you enjoy the read.

Matt Lancashire