How to Style Your Home for Sale Like a Pro

So, you’ve decided to sell your home? We hope congratulations are in order. Typically, property styling significantly increases your chances of reaping the highest-possible sale price and, with a little planning, you can style your place yourself like a professional. To get your property picture-perfect, read and save our room-by-room styling guide and go over it before each open-home inspection.

A Room-by-Room Guide to Styling Your Home for Sale

How do I style my living area
Allocate a good portion of your budget to your entrance, living, dining and entertainment areas. Compose coffee table books on decluttered shelves, decorate a side table with flowers, drape a throw over that scuff mark on your sofa and team it with some fresh cushions in your chosen colour scheme. If you have lots of room, style your coffee table, or if floorspace is tight, put it in storage.

If your floor is in bad nick you can buy rugs for less than AU$100. Roll them up after each open home and they’ll remain as good as new for every inspection. See the woven basket and vintage chest pictured here? Styling props like these are great for concealing clutter.

Tip: Speaking from experience, top-loading washing machines are a handy place to hide mess at the last minute. Just remember to empty it before you turn it on…

How do I style my dining area?
Your dining space and/or kitchen is often where the majority of conversations between your real estate agent and potential buyers will take place. Real estate agents need ample space to display property brochures and marketing material, which will add visual clutter, so less is more.

Take inspiration from this dining area. Instead of complex table settings, the chairs denote the number of people who can comfortably eat at the space. Aside from one statement artwork, light fitting, greenery and a single bowl on the table, it’s free from embellishment.

How do I style my kitchen?
Keep the bench as clear as possible, particularly if you have a combined kitchen/dining/living area. Luxury appliances such as coffee machines evoke an upscale ambience, so use these to style your kitchen instead of bringing in extra props.

A bowl of apples or pears can add greenery, or for a pop of colour use oranges or other fruit. Strip your cabinets and pantry of everything except the bare essentials too – you’ll be surprised at how little you can live with.

How do I style my bedrooms?
To arrange your bedroom like a professional property stylist, scatter cushions at the head of your bed and cast a textured throw, like this chunky knit, at the foot of your bed. Choose textiles that tie in with your chosen colour palette or style. 

Play around with decorating your bedside tables with two or three books, a vase of flowers or greenery, a scented candle or collectables. For the finishing touch, switch on your bedside table lamps and hang an artwork or two above your bed if the space is unadorned.

How do I style my bathrooms?
Resist the urge to splurge on a space that people don’t spend much time in or prioritise during inspections. Instead, limit your styling to new white towels, a fresh bar of soap, a potted plant and a scented candle or aroma diffuser. 

You can purchase plain fluffy bath linen for just a few dollars each from large department stores, and if you roll up face washers hotel-style, no-one will ever know how little it cost to create a look of luxury.

Empty bathroom vanities of everything you don’t use daily, hide toothbrushes and toiletries, and neatly corral any remaining essentials in small baskets inside your cupboards or drawers.

Source: https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/property-styling-for-sale-stsetivw-vs~89450592