What? What’s wrong with the old way of selling your home, Michele? This is one question I’m asked a lot, along with, what exactly is property styling? It’s a question I usually answer by turning up three months after a house has languished on the market and remained unsold.
Calling the doctor to take the temperature of your home
Why use an Interior Property Stylist, a.k.a. a House Doctor, prior to selling your home? Well, here’s why it’s a good investment
It makes good financial sense
Selling your property for the best price can be achieved if it is “dressed to look its best”; it is not the time to save pennies on presentation if one wants to sell it faster.
Utilising a Property Stylist can make this happen. They can offer guidance via “Home Style Reports”, assist you to declutter, style/dress your property or devise new schemes and project co-ordinate such works on your behalf, saving you time.
This is where I believe the term “speculate to accumulate” really does apply.
Purchaser expectations have become more sophisticated
A few years ago no-one in England hired a professional stager; it was just an American idea. Trends in the UK clearly now show that owners employ Home Stylists prior to selling, no matter the property price. Plus the advent of TV programmes such as Amanda Lamb and Phil Spencer are endorsing and raising awareness of this trend. So to avoid finding your property languishing why not re-evaluate with a “Home Style Report”, prior to placing your home on the market?
The Internet enables sellers to sell independently
Another new trend is to sell online and save estate agency fees. BUT you need fantastic photography to drive those important viewings. A Property Stylist can arrange for a professional photographer to take photos for you and assist to style it on the day, ensuring the photographs are tip top to get those important viewings.
Home styled properties sell faster and for more money
Only 10% of purchasers can visualise a home differently from the way they see it when viewing. By styling the property, you entice the purchaser with a prospective lifestyle. If your stylist is an Interior Designer, then they can help with Spatial Planning too, which is invaluable.
Return on investment
Styling, fixes the negatives and shows off of your property’s best assets, so that you can see a return on your investment of between 5% or 15%. The question to ask is, why wouldn’t you try to gain that profit?
Stylists are objective and provide solutions to help you move forward
Owners often due to sentimentality or habit, find it difficult to notice flaws or see their property through the eyes of a prospective purchaser. A Stylist can be objective about a property’s flaws, and spot hidden assets.
Styling highlights the good features and minimises flaws
Those initial impressions are vital! Viewers will form a view about the property almost instantly. So your property needs to appeal from the moment they view it, from the kerb. Styling helps draw attention from any weaknesses. If your stylist is an interior designer then they can also consider Spatial Planning, to make sure any unusual spaces are utilised and shown off to add value.
Unless you were a dressmaker, you wouldn’t make your own wedding dress, you would hire an expert to ensure it looks fantastic on this special occasion. So why treat your home differently? An expert Property Stylist can stage your property, to guarantee it stands out for the right reasons.
Stylists can assist with Spring Cleaning & De-cluttering
This is something that should be done from the outset. Many people don’t realise how de-cluttering has a huge impact and once done can enable you to re-assess the space you own. A cluttered home stops buyers from seeing a home’s full potential. Clutter also makes life more stressful for those living in it and if excessive hoarding happens, this can lead to illness.
Not many people live minimally like John Pawson, most of us collect things, but this is the time to clear out as many of your personal items as possible, to show how large the areas are, how they can be utilised, but beware – avoid the areas becoming bland.
So you’ve decided to hire a stylist – what’s it going to cost?
Costs will vary. Every project is unique and there are many variables. You may have an unfurnished property and it needs to be dressed throughout, or have a pied a terre apartment not renovated for years, requiring numerous DIY works such as painting, decorating, new carpets, kitchen tweaking and finally staging. You have a Victorian home and don’t know where to start, but maybe you also have a builder in the family, and all you need is a styling report. All properties have different needs, and this is where the negotiation starts and where you can find out about services such as:
An initial “Home Style Report” for a fixed Fee – This is a great way to get an objective view. The Report outlines the strengths and weaknesses of your property and gives solutions, enabling you to progress and implement the works yourself OR utilise their expertise to project co-ordinate works for you.
Project Co-ordinating DIY Works are charged on a Day/Hourly rate – If you haven’t the time to do the work yourself, then a good Stylist can project co-ordinate tradesmen and works on your behalf to save you the time and hasstle.
Styling charged at a day rate, with fixed hiring costs – Finally, there is the actual staging element. A Stylist could work with some of your own items or purchase new items for you to utilise now, but also enjoy taking to your new home. Perhaps you have an empty property then hiring may be required. Hiring is never usually for less than 3 months and can be rolled on if necessary.
Photography at fixed rates – Once styled, it’s ready to be photographed to entice those viewers.
So to answer the question at the beginning of the post, there’s nothing wrong with an un-styled property, but if there are problems, it’s unlikely they will be addressed as quickly without a stylist. A stylist will also help you to not just sell, but likely to make you a profit.
*Haynes Interiors can provide a “Home Style Report” and handle all Project Co-ordination, Spatial Planning, Hiring or Purchasing of additional items plus Photography.
Haynes Interiors 