Justine Wilson: Six golden styling rules to prompt buyers to pay more for property

There’s no doubt styling a home for sale can work wonders, not just in attracting potential buyers, but in getting them to pay more for the property.

Over the years I’ve worked with agents who have had unstyled properties, that were initially overlooked by potential buyers, achieve remarkable outcomes after undergoing professional property styling.

In some cases, we’ve witnessed homes achieve up to a 10 per cent increase in the final sale price thanks to the power of effective styling.

Here are my six golden rules for effective property styling.

1. Declutter and depersonalise: Have your vendors start by decluttering and depersonalising their space. Remove personal items and excess clutter to create a clean, neutral canvas that allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in the home.
2. Maximise space and light: Emphasise space and light to enhance the perceived size and brightness of each room. Use strategic furniture placement and mirrors to maximise natural light and create an open, airy atmosphere.
3. Create a cohesive style: Establish a cohesive design style throughout the home to create a sense of flow and harmony. Choose a neutral colour palette and select furniture and decor that complement each other to create a unified look and feel.
4. Highlight key features: Showcase the unique features and selling points of the home to captivate potential buyers. Whether it’s a stunning fireplace, panoramic views, or architectural details, emphasise these elements to create a memorable impression.
5. Add finishing touches: Elevate the home’s appeal with carefully curated finishing touches. Incorporate tasteful accessories, such as artwork, cushions, and plants, to add warmth, personality, and visual interest to each space.
6. Style to highlight your surrounding area: If the property is by the coast, enhance the home with coastal touches. If your vendors live in a leafy suburb, greens work really well as accents colours. If they live in a nestling city suburb, you can add some fun edgy colours like orange, red or pink and play up the eclectic or industrial style of the area.

It’s all about making a nod to the kind of lifestyle buyers can expect if they purchase that property, and
reinforcing this in a subtle way through styling and creating an emotional response to the property and
lifestyle.