Naomi

5 Ways to Connect with Real Estate Agents

June 11, 2021 by Naomi

Stylists versus real estate agents—it’s not a boxing match but a partnership, so why the adversarial relationship?

Many of the students here at the International Institute of Home Staging are unsure and even a little scared about connecting with real estate agents. This can be for a number of reasons, primarily because they can be intimidating, but also because agents have a lot of power when it comes to engaging a home stager or property stylist. If the agent is hard to catch or simply not interested in pre-sale styling, it can be an uphill battle for stylists to get a foothold in the property industry.

There are a couple of simple reasons why an agent may reject your services: either you’re not approaching the agent in the right way, or you’ve not done the research to find the agents in the right places. Having just one agent on board can change your business in a very small time frame!

Here are five ways you can successfully connect with agents.

Be proactive and responsive

Do your homework and select agents that you believe will be open to having their portfolio of properties styled. If you’re particular about who you work with, try to get to know how they interact with colleagues, contractors and clients before you make your approach. Take the initiative when it comes to the stager-agent relationship and always be open to the agent’s needs when they do decide they want styling, including integrating their feedback into your work.

Be the ultimate communicator

Polish your communication skills and you’ll be able to identify and match the communication style of the agent you are dealing with. Some agents are direct and you may need to be clear and straightforward in your dealings with them; for others who communicate in a less direct manner you may need to coax out what they really want from your correspondence or conversations with them. People like it when they are being heard and understood—be that person.

Show them the benefits

Agents may not know the value of a stager, so make sure when you approach them to be clear on what you do, how you do it and what’s in it for them and their clients, the property sellers. If you have a portfolio of past work, a visual example may be the best way to demonstrate the value you bring. Support your pitch with data regarding return on investment (ROI).

Stave off concerns

Whether through false assumptions or bad experiences, some agents have misconceptions about the staging process and what it entails. Combine your communication skills with your value proposition to explain the staging process, to demonstrate that it won’t slow down the timelines greatly and to emphasise that it will yield a better result.

Be professional

Professionalism goes a long way to create a good impression. Dazzle them with your confidence, styling skills and property knowledge. Always be polite and gracious, even when handling a rejection or feedback; the real estate industry is a close-knit community and word will get around about how you are to work with, so make sure the right message is sent.

Have you tried other successful ways of working with agents? Leave a comment and let us know your tips!

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Want to start your own home staging business? Our flagship course, The Art of Home Staging is open for enrolment this week! Grab your spot here!

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How to transition from your corporate job to running a home staging business

June 4, 2021 by Naomi

If you have a passion for styling homes, building your own home staging business can be one of the most rewarding careers out there. There’s the creative freedom, working your own hours and dealing with the clients of your choice. In theory, it’s an easy decision to change your career overnight, but I know that the transition from full time work in a corporate setting to running your own business is a little more complicated than that.

To help make it a little easier, follow these 4 steps to ensure your transition from working a 9 – 5 to running a home staging business is a smooth and successful one:

Set your work hours

I’ve heard people say that the main reason that they want to run their own business from home is because they can work only when they want to work. It IS true that you can set your own work hours when you work at home but it does NOT mean that you don’t have to have set work hours.

When you have a job that you go to outside your home, you are required to be at that job at a specified time on specified days of the week. When you have a work at home job or business, you need that same kind of structure. You need to set regular working hours. The freedom that a work at home job provides is that you can choose the hours…but you do have to choose!

A ‘hit or miss’ work schedule…or rather, the lack of any work schedule at all, simply will not work. Time is of the Essence! YOUR time!

Let your friends and family know your work schedule

The benefits of running your own business means you can be at home to see the kids off to school and be at home when they get home. You can put a load of laundry in and it can run through the cycles while you are working. But you must enforce a work schedule for yourself and insist that your family and friends also adhere to it.

A job out in the brick and mortar world tells your family and friends that your time is spoken for during your working hours. When you work from home, expect your spouse to see you as being free to run errands. Your friends will see you as being available for long telephone conversations, lunch or for a coffee klatch.

You can see the problem. The best way to accomplish using your time to your own best advantage with your business is to make a schedule and tell your family and friends what that schedule is.

You don’t have to be rude but you do have to be firm. Make it clear to all. “I will be working between 9 AM and 3 PM Monday through Friday. On those days and during those hours, I am NOT available to run errands or take personal phone calls or entertain company.” Then stick to it!

Create your own brand

When running your own business, you need to work on creating your brand. A brand is more than a name or a physical feature, it is the perception that customers have about your product or service. It’s your promise to your audience. In general terms, it’s an idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with.

Whilst in the order of things a logo usually comes first, the trick is to then grow your brand from there.

When establishing your brand first work out what the vision, values and personality of your company are. Consider your audience and define them. What’s their age, gender, occupation, location and personality traits? When doing these exercises, also remember that this is not about defining you or describing what you like, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your potential buyers to see what they desire.

Figure out your competition

In the age of technology, you can do a million and one things to switch up your business and create a unique element of interest that set you above other home stagers in your area. All that you have to decide is what ideas you are going to pursue!

This could be creating your own Youtube channel where you share advice or film the home staging process of a property. It could be starting a blog to engage your audience and direct traffic to your website. There’s even options like offering warehouse tours and creating an online op-shop for old furniture stock – get creative!

Are you ready to start your career in home staging? Click on the image below to claim your spot in our flagship course now!

How to Find Your First Client

May 28, 2021 by Naomi

You’ve decided to branch out and start your own home staging business but where are you going to find your first customer? It can be hard to get that first catch even if you’re great at what you do! No one wants to be the guinea pig for your business. Luckily, there are ways to legitimize your home staging skills so you can start building your clientele list.

Complete a course in home staging

The industry in Australia is currently unregulated and so there are no specific requirements in becoming a home stager. However, there are courses available like the IIHS course in Advanced Home Staging that are specifically developed for people wanting to start their career. A home stager must have a good grasp of core design principles, solid property knowledge, renovation and maintenance knowledge and be an extremely good communicator. If you are looking for a course make sure all these aspects are covered.

Create a portfolio

Once you’ve got your qualifications it’s time to develop an authentic portfolio that showcases your styling and also your ability to maximise ROI. You might need to offer some favours to friends and family that are selling to get this portfolio started. Never use internet images that are not your own, it makes your business look fake!

Build relationships

Staged a friend of a friend’s property for free? Know someone in the property industry? Use these contacts to build relationships rand make sure you always over deliver. This reputation will see your business get out there with a constant and steady flow of good clients that want to work with you.

Alongside this it is also important to remember some big dos and don’ts when being a home stager.

Get social

Creating a social media account for your business, even in the early stages, is one of the best ways to spread the word about your services. Work on getting your logo and branding looking professional, upload examples of your work and even your own home to showcase your skills. Then start reaching out to businesses in your area or in your industry to start networking and driving traffic to your page!

Believe in yourself!

While you may have a vision for your business, it can often be forgotten when you’re struggling to hook your first customer. So make sure you have a great support networks or even an objective business coach who can help keep you on track and make sure you have the best possible chance of kicking your goals!

Do you want to start building your network and learn how to connect with real estate agents to make getting your first customer so much easier? Click on the picture below for your FREE blueprint!

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What Home Staging Actually Is

May 21, 2021 by Naomi

If you had of asked someone five years ago if they knew what home staging are chances are they would just shake their head. Unfortunately, that is generally still the case despite the amount of home staging businesses in Australia, not to mention America. The fact of the matter is that most people have no idea what home staging actually is, even if they think they do. While the home staging boom occurred years ago overseas it is only just starting to erupt now in Australia. This is due to the lack of Australian owned and created home staging educational facilities. Sure, you can do an online course overseas but the facts and figures you learn aren’t relevant to Australia. So, in an Australian context, this is what home staging is.

Home staging is more than an interior designer and they are more than a stylist. They typically don’t come from a design or real estate background, although there is nothing wrong if they do. Home stagers have undergone study to receive their accredited title, typically on an international level and more rarely a national level. Home stagers have expert knowledge on both design trends and the real estate industry. This means that they must understand the real estate industry inside out and they must understand the interior design industry inside out. Without both of these sets of knowledge the home stager will stage a property in a way that won’t set in the set market.

Home stagers work with a wide variety of industries and companies such as electricians, plumbers, removalists, retailers, wholesalers, delivery men, builders, carpenters, carpet layers, truck drivers and everything in between. From this, home stagers must learn to understand how each of these industries work independently and collaboratively. Without thorough knowledge of each of these industries home stagers will not be able to schedule a timeline for their clients.

Home stagers must know how to repair broken items, paint scratched items and lift heavy items. They must be able to know what trends work well together what ones don’t. They have to dress professionally even when they are installing projects and they have to collaborate with real estate agents. Forming relationships with real estate agents is key in creating a successful home staging business as a large number of projects come from real estate agents.

When you combine all the key elements of what it takes to be a successful home stager it comes clear that the job is extremely unique and unlike any other job.

What To Look for in a Real Estate Agent

May 14, 2021 by Naomi

As a home stager, creating and maintaining a strong relationship with real estate agents is an essential part of generating referred business.

When you have a strong relationship with a real estate agent you will constantly have business flowing and you will always have a direct line of call if something goes wrong in a property.

Selecting the right real estate agents for your business can be difficult though. You may have a great relationship with one agent in the beginning but as your business grows that agent may not fit with your business anymore.

When choosing a real estate agent to maintain a strong relationship with, always look for someone who is:

An established real estate agent. Agents who are not new to selling properties are more likely to develop a relationship with a home stager as they are always looking to expand their connections
You want to be able to trust your real estate! As a home stager you want to know if the agent has any relationships with other home stagers and if they are referring their clients to you or to other home stagers
A people person. A real estate agent won’t get very far if they aren’t a people person. They must be approachable, friendly and great at negotiating
As a home stager it makes sense that you would want to have strong relationships with multiple real estate agents but a real estate agent doesn’t need a relationship with more than one home stager.
At the same level as you. There is no point forming a relationship with a real estate agent whose clients would not be able to afford your service. Make sure your agent has the same client demographic as you do to ensure maximum results

Once you have established a relationship with a real estate agent it is important to maintain that relationship. This can be achieved through a variety of ways such as:

Referring business. If a client gets their property staged but they aren’t sure what agent to go with yet, encourage them to go with the agent you are affiliated with
Buying ‘Thank You’ gifts. If your affiliate has a big win, sells a great property or smashes a record, giving them a small gift is a great way to maintain a relationship and show the agent that you are about their successes
Providing statistics. At a milestone during the year, be it yearly, half-yearly or quarterly, providing your affiliate with statistics about how your business is benefiting real estate is a great idea and a push to ensure that the agent will want to keep working with you

Having a strong relationship with a real estate agent is a great way ensure that you are constantly getting business and referring business. Having grounded relationships and affiliations with real estate agents is the best relationship that a home stager can have as it means that you are the first point of call to help that agent with a property.

Want to help grow your Home Staging Business further? Have you seen our Professional Membership? Membership with IIHS™ gives you 24/7 access to a group of amazing likeminded home staging professionals with a vast level of experience, monthly group calls, discounts, member only content and much much more. Check it out below.

How To: Increase your Efficiency As a Work-At-Home Entrepreneur

May 7, 2021 by Naomi

For an entrepreneur, time is an extremely valuable asset.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but it is how you use those 24 hours that is the most important thing in the world for entrepreneurs. As humans, we can’t spend all of those 24 hours working, we have to eat, sleep, relax and spend time with our families. By the time all of that is done, we are only left with a limited amount of time to complete our mountains of work. We can’t waste time on unimportant details or on tasks that we can outsource.

As an entrepreneur, you understand the value of what a few minutes are, especially if you are working at home where it is very easy to become distracted. So, how do you become more productive as a work-at-home entrepreneur?

Have one email account

Sure, we all multiple email accounts for a variety of different things, but there are ways you can combine these accounts. It can be extremely time consuming to constantly be logging in and out of different email accounts. Using a single email account outlet such as Gmail allows you

to input all of your email accounts into the one account, and all you have to do is flick through a single screen to change what account you are looking at.

This way, you are able to filter through your business emails, personal emails and junk mail in a quick time frame.

Have a schedule

Having a timetable might make you feel like you are back in high school but it is one of the most effective ways to be productive at home. If you know that at 1pm you are meeting someone for lunch, having a list, or schedule, of what you want to complete before lunch will dramatically increase your efficiency.

Outsource

As an entrepreneur, chances are you have a mountain of things you need to get done, and, most of the time, these things you need to complete won’t lead anywhere. Don’t waste your time completing tedious tasks that someone else can do. The only way your business will thrive is if you spend your time focusing on what you need to focus on, not on the things you don’t.

Outsourcing can be done in countless ways such as hiring an assistant, outsourcing online or outsourcing overseas. You can outsource a single task or recurring tasks, it is completely up to you and the needs of your business.

Be productive

If you are spending 2pm-3pm everyday watching television, it is time to consider if you are really being as productive as you should be. Everyone needs to relax and to have down time, but as an entrepreneur it is important to try to keep as ‘normal’ a routine as possible. Working from around 9am-5pm is a great way to achieve this. Opt for spending your leisure time at night or on the weekends when everyone else is doing the same.

Entrepreneurs need time on their side to make their dream a reality. It is important to use the time you have, especially if you are working at home, to be the most productive and efficient as humanly possible to ensure your business is doing the best it can.

How to Better Yourself by Questioning Yourself

April 30, 2021 by Naomi

In life we constantly question ourselves and if the decisions we make are the right decisions. Depending on your family and friend situation, the decisions we may can also influence their lives. We question everything from if we really had the best dinner we could have, if we exercised for as long as we could have, if we were as productive at work as we could have been. All these things are questions we ask ourselves all the time. Depending on our answers, we might try harder the next time, or we could have pushed ourselves to the end limit. Regardless, when we keep questioning ourselves over the same thing, at some stage, we will begin to see change.

When it comes to running a business, you question yourself and the decisions you make all that much more. Not only does the decisions you make influence yourself, but it also influences your family, your finances, your career and those you employ. Discovering an effective strategy and way of questioning yourself which always results in successful decision making and successful results is of utmost importance. So, what should you be asking yourself to better yourself as a business owner?

“What am I doing?” I know, this is a big question, but it needs to be asked. What is your business, what is its motto and what is it achieving? If these questions and answers aren’t what you want to hear then it is time to make some changes.
“What are my goals?” This is a great one as we enter the new financial year! What do you want your business to achieve in the next year, 5 years and 10 years? Where do you see your business going and what changes do you have to make to achieve your goals?
“Who are my competitors and what are they doing?” Knowing your competitor’s business inside out is just as important as knowing your own business. What do they do that is highly successful? Is this successful because of who they are or because of their demographic? How can you incorporate this into your business?
“Who is working for me?” Finding your A-team doesn’t happen over night! Don’t be afraid to reevaluate jobs and those you employ, if someone isn’t doing their job properly then find someone who can.
“What can I outsource?” As the business owner you don’t need to be doing tedious tasks that someone else can do! You can outsource locally or you can look for someone to outsource tasks to from elsewhere, this all depends on what you are comfortable with.

While it is important to constantly be asking yourself these questions, it is also important to sit down every three to six months and have a long think about these questions and what the answers actually are. Doing this regularly to ensure that your business will stay on top of its game and in front of all its competitors.

Clutter and Your Mindset

April 23, 2021 by Naomi

I wanted to share something with you today that I was reading on my phone earlier, so you’ll see me looking at it a little bit. It’s about clutter and money.

There’s an amazing, good friend of mine, as well as an amazing business woman, called Denise Duffield-Thomas from DeniseDT.com. Go over and check her out. You’ll find the stuff that she does absolutely amazing.

I was reading the morning about this really great piece she wrote about decluttering. I see a lot of home stagers doing some of the things that she talks about in her blog.

You’ll see in here that she talks about clutter and decluttering is great for money manifesting. She goes on to talk about all the different things that maybe we are doing with our clutter.

For example, in our office spaces, are we holding onto a desk someone gave us when we first started our businesses because we feel that we need to have more money or be a bigger business before we then give ourselves another desk?

A little like – and this is a phrase that Denise talks about, as interesting as it sounds – beggars can’t be choosers. “Someone gave me this when I first started business, so I’m going to keep using it.”

I really want you to head over and read this blog because this is absolutely amazing. It speaks about if we’re holding on to some of the things that we were gifted and we feel we have to be grateful for in our businesses, we aren’t opening up opportunities for new energy, new money and new abundance to come in.

I see this a fair bit in home staging. I see it with people’s stock. When I first started and I was getting stock in and I was like, “Wow! My business is growing!”

Then, as I got more and more stock and I wanted to turn it over, there was this ridiculous attachment to the stock that I had first because, “Oh, gosh. I need that. I need to be grateful. That’s where I can from.”

It wasn’t until I had the most epic garage sale that suddenly my business started to flourish. I got rid of all that old stock that was tying me down and that I wasn’t even really using. I was getting a warehouse full of clutter.

This is something that’s really important in home staging.

Look at your stock, look at your inventory and avoid it becoming clutter. It is the main commodity for many home stagers who have higher for making money.

Why do we allow a money making item to become a cluttered item?
Why don’t we cut it loose and allow more space in our warehouse, more space in our energy, more space in our business for abundant stock, customers, clients and agents coming in.

This is one way that I find a lot of the home stagers that I mentor and that are on our memberships are a bit attached to clutter. But I want to share with you from my phone here. I love reading Denise’s stuff.

She had some other great top tips and I wanted to read you some of my favorites about decluttering in the business because it’s so important; just as it’s important in life, it’s essential in business.

The first one is a really great one about unsubscribing to emails that you don’t want anymore. Deleting old contacts out of your phone.
Backing up and cleaning off your computer. If your desktop looks like a mad woman’s breakfast, clean that up. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels.
Shred old documents. Old documents that you don’t’ need, get rid of them. There is no need to have that clutter and store them.
This is a really interesting one: clean up your Facebook feed. It doesn’t mean you have to defriend people or unlike people, but if there’s someone that’s on your feed and you just don’t want to see their stuff anymore, make sure you remove that from your feed.
The other one that I love, which is really interesting is deleting websites and getting rid of the histories in your browsers. That can be really interesting.
Then, one of the last ones that I want to read to you – and this is a great one – is say no to networking groups that have become an obligation and not a joy.

I believe massively, guys, in the five people that we surround ourselves in are the people that we’re going to become and the people that we’re going to be the biggest reflection upon us.

That could also be said for networking groups. Many of us got involved in networking groups, which can become clutter in our calendar and clutter in our life.

Take Denise’s massive inspiration. Head over to LuckyBitch.com. I want you to get on and read this because it’s a really amazing blog.

I want you then to have a look in your warehouses for cluttered stock; I want you to look in your offices for all those things that you feel you should be entitled and that you’re really gifted to have and you need to keep and I want you to look in your computers and in your phones.

Rid yourself of that clutter and that will open up the energy for abundance and more business, more wealth and more opportunity to come your way.

Thanks so much for listening, guys. I’ll be back again soon.

How to Hang Art in a Home for Sale

April 16, 2021 by Naomi

Art is one of the greatest ways to give homebuyers a vision when they walk into a property!

They may visualise their existing home decorations, be inspired by new colours and consider how to improve their own style and ideas.

But the way you present your wall art can make or break the impact it has on the buyer – and as many of you know, attention to detail is super important when staging your house to be sold.

So what are the 4 key things to remember when you are hanging wall art?

Image credit: Staging Designs

1. Keep artwork in scale with the space

The biggest mistake most people make is hanging a picture that’s too small for the space. If you put a page-sized portrait on an expansive wall, it will be totally lost and ignored. To figure out how large a picture to hang on your wall, measure the width of the space (say, the area between two windows) and multiply that number by .57. The result is the ideal width of the painting you should centre in that space. This bit of arithmetic is based on decorators’ tried-and-true proportions, but you of course have a little leeway. You can also group smaller photos together to reach this number — just be sure to account for additional spacing between each.

2. Hang artwork at eye level

Many people hang their pictures too high on the wall, thinking that there’s a lot of space to fill toward the ceiling. Not so! The centre of your artwork should be at eye level of the average person — (roughly 175cm). The one exception is with lettered signs, which are typically designed to be seen from a distance and can therefore be hung higher than eye level if you like.

3. Make sure your art is lit correctly

Be conscious of the lighting around your artwork. Some art will only shine when light dances onto its surface in the correct way so ensure you investigate the light from windows and any artificial sources. Also be wary the beauty or detail of your favourite piece doesn’t get lost if it’s catching some rays.

Image credit: Styleness

4. Use art to accentuate the room

If you have beautiful tall ceilings, use art to draw your eyes upwards by hanging one piece on top of the other, rather than the more traditional way of side by side. Use ornate detail to embellish or highlight art pieces, and vice versa. Choose art that brings out the best of the room, and can help mask the less inspiring elements of a room.

If you stick to these four simple rules, you’re sure to be pleased with how your works of art transform the walls and ‘wow’ potential homebuyers.

Want to boost your career in home staging and network with like minded people in your industry? Join our Professional Membership. Find out more here

How to Create a Gorgeous Vignette

April 9, 2021 by Naomi

When you work in property styling, knowing how to create gorgeous vignettes is essential!

But what are vignettes? And how can you make them amazing?!

Vignettes are small arrangements of bits and pieces usually placed on coffee tables, book shelves, benches and anywhere that can hold specific items to bring texture and warmth to a space.

The ways in which vignettes are arranged is not random, even though it can look that way. In order to have a successful and aesthetically pleasing vignette, it is necessary for the items used to be specifically picked for a particular reason.

A vignette can be as simple as a small house plant next to a book on a coffee table. These items are commonly used in vignettes because plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but they can also create a positive and calming atmosphere in the area.

Coffee table books are often used in vignettes as they are intriguing and can make guests interested in the overall arrangement of the vignette.

Small artworks, candles and magazines are all used in vignettes to create interest and pleasing aesthetics in an area such as a coffee table.

The idea behind vignettes is that you are able to create your own small artwork that you can change whenever you please.

When styling vignettes it is of utmost importance to ensure that all items used are of different textures, shapes and sizes. While vignettes may seem easy to style, it can be difficult to create an arrangement that makes you and everyone who sees the vignette say “WOW!”.

Using different colours, textures, shapes and sizes that all work together is the most effective way to create an amazing vignette, but it is all about trial and error.

Where you put your vignette can also determine if your vignette works or not as well. A vignette may look awesome on a coffee table, but it may look a little too much on a book shelf. It’s all about figuring out what works best in the space.

If you’ve created a gorgeous vignette, tag @NaomiFindlayOfficial on Instagram and we’ll share it with our audience!

The Pros of Open Plan Spaces

April 2, 2021 by Naomi

Open plan living spaces are a phenomenon in the architecture industry, and so they should be!

They bring people together and can be used as a space for everyone instead of leaving set activities in set rooms like the kitchen.

Here are our Top 5 Pros of open plan living spaces in the home.

1. They create flow

Unlike in older houses where the dining and living rooms are clearly separated, open plan living spaces allow you to flow more easily through the home.

This is due to the lack of walls between the kitchen, living and dining rooms and also your ability to implement your design choices with more purpose to ensure that each space flows by connecting to each other.

2. They feel bigger

Open plan living spaces can make the whole house seem bigger! They open up the space and bring light in, giving the illusion of a bigger space.

3. Perfect for entertaining

Open plan living spaces are also great for entertaining purposes. Instead of being locked away in the kitchen while all your friends are chatting in the lounge room, open plan living spaces allow you to be part of the conversation as well. These spaces often open out onto a deck or outdoor area. This allows for optimum entertaining, regardless of rain or shine.

4. Perfect for a family

On a more personal note, open plan living spaces can bring the family together, both physically and metaphorically, as it allows space for kids to play and do homework as well as space for the parents to do work, cook dinner and entertain.

5. You can create better design

Because open plan living blurs the lines between living room and dining room, it allows for a much wider variety of furnishings, accessories and overall design theme in the home. Some designs can look crowded and overdone if they are shoved into a small room. Open plan living allows for continuity of design and theme throughout the majority of the house and allow you to fully invest in a style that you love!

Want to boost your career in home staging and build relationships with other business owners in our industry? Join our Professional Membership for regular home staging specific business content and access to our A-Team of consultants! Click here to find out more!

How to Style a Master Bedroom

March 26, 2021 by Naomi

Styling a master bedroom in a home for sale can be tricky. The majority of time spent here is for sleeping and for this reason, many people have a complacent attitude when it comes to styling the master bedroom.

But the key is the create a space that oozes comfort, tranquility and space. So how do you create a space that attracts buyers?

Read on for my top style tips…

Having a pleasing master bedroom is more than just the mattress. When it comes to putting your house on the market, it’s all about practicality and aesthetics so choose gorgeous pillows, play with different colours and textures, and use light to your advantage.

The bed is the major part of a master bedroom, and is usually the focal point of the room. Simple bedding such as a white cover is best. This can be dressed up with a throw and pillows of a variety of colours.

Not all master bedrooms have a lot of wardrobe space, and buyers will wonder if there is enough room for clothing so consider adding stylish clothes rails and a chest of draws to showcase alternative storage solutions. As long as the furniture is scaled to suit the size of the room, it shouldn’t look crowded and can in fact make the space feel complete.

Lighting is another key feature that is of utmost importance in the master bedroom. Natural light is always a plus, but it is understandable that this is not always available.

Downlights, side table lamps, tall feature lamps and candles are all great ways to make the room feel more comforting and, most importantly, makes sure the room is well light.

Accessories and art are also great ways to make the room shine and add interest without deterring buyers.

Image via Huntley & Co

We have scattered some of our favourite master bedrooms below! As you can see, there is no strict formula when it comes to decorating the master bedroom but all designs contain the features mentioned above.

What is your favourite master bedroom?

Want to make your own gorgeous homewares, learn about foraging for foliage in your local area or learn my top style tips? Check out my workshops below.