International Institute Of Home Staging

furniture

3 Things NOT To Do When Styling Your Home To Sell

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Research into home buyer psychology tells us that we have just 30 seconds to make a first impression when selling our home.

So you need to nail the look and feel of your property if you want to sell faster and for more money!

If you want to get prepared before the property stylist comes to perfect your space, here are three things to avoid doing during the process:

Declutter

A lot of clients tell me that their homes feels comparatively empty when it goes to market. This is where the idea of cosy vs clutter comes in.

It’s often difficult to differentiate between the two when it’s your own home, however it’s essential not to get this one wrong.  The best rule is to try to avoid the “cosy” look when selling your home. Having too many accessories, personal photographs and other items in an attempt to create “cosy” will actually make the property seem cluttered and lose its appeal to the broader market.

Stick to stylish, understated and sophisticated accessories. There’s a fine line though, you don’t want your property to feel cold – but the property stylist can help you bring in warmth with great styling choices.

Living area styled by Naomi Findlay

Not being able to look past your own personal style

This is an area of great concern when you are styling a property for sale. You have to remember that your personal taste is not necessarily that of the market. When selling, you need to appeal to as many people as possible so remember – when you have your home styled for sale it is not about you (I know that hurts but it will help you when you sell, trust me).

This is why bringing a professional in can be the best thing you could do to increase your chances of selling for more.

Keep your styling neutral

Choosing furniture that is the wrong size for your space

The use of furniture that is too big or the wrong shape can drastically affect the way a potential buyer sees your home.  It’s all about scale and making the space feel light and airy. If your bedrooms are small, your choice of furniture could either emphasize the tiny space or completely transform the feeling for a potential buyer.

Your home stager can work with you to choose appropriate furniture if yours is the wrong fit.

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Must-Have Home Staging Stock

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When you reach a certain point in your home staging business, acquiring stock and inventory is an essential step up. At first purchasing this stock might seem like a bit of a leap, and depending on what stock you purchase it might be. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase and how much of it you purchase it could make all the difference to your home staging business.

When it comes to stock there is typically two types of stock, soft furnishings and hard furnishings. Soft furnishings include items such as pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. The way I like to think about soft furnishings is that, if I needed to, I could pack them in a box and put them in my car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, arm chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.

Depending on what level of your business you are in you could be thinking about acquiring one of these two types of stock. Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, and then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. However, as everyone is at different stages in their business, it is important to be able to look down the track and consider what sort of stock you should be acquiring.

 

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, these items can be purchased relatively cheaply and in bulk.

  1. Pillows: sure, pillows can be expensive, but purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environment is a great way to get the most out of your money, and add texture in a range of environments. Purchasing pillows in a few colours and designs is a great idea as they can be used on their own or grouped together.
  2. Faux flowers and plants: Faux flowers and plants are great as, when the right ones are purchased, they can look amazing, can be used in a range of spaces and styles, and can last a long time.
  3. Books: there doesn’t have to be a theme to this, and they can be purchased from a op shop, but books are a great way to add texture and a lived in feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, a bedroom to a lounge room or even an outdoor setting.
  4. Knick-knack accessories: by this I mean small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments, anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.
  5. Linen packs: this isn’t absolutely necessary, but having at least coverlets and toppers is necessary as it can transform a room from something dull to something amazing.
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Image via immyandindi.com.au

 

HARD FURNISHINGS

As for hard furnishings, these items are more expensive, and it is beneficial to go for quality over quantity.

  1. Mattresses: often times clients do not have enough beds for how a property can be staged to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.
  2. Dining chairs: not all dining chairs go with tables, or look good with them, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea so you can use the clients dining table and your businesses chairs.
  3. Bedside tables: bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and transform the space into something amazing. Having bedside tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.
  4. Lounges: when used everyday, lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour is a great idea as they can be used in a range of spaces in a range of different styled homes.
  5. Coffee tables: Coffee tables are great ways to show off the space in a lounge room and add an element of homeliness into the space. Not everyone has a coffee table, and if they do it might be old and worn, having new, amazing coffee tables as part of your stock can transform and fill a space amazingly.
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Image via southernliving.com

 

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Must Have Home Staging Stock and Accessories

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Acquiring a variety of stock and accessories is a must for your home staging business. At first, purchasing stock might seem like a bit of a leap. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase, you’ll find you can use it over and over again with great results.

When it comes to stock there is typically two categories, soft furnishings and hard furnishings.

Soft furnishings include pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. Soft furnishings are those items that,  if you needed to, you could pack them in a box and put them in your car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, armchairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.

Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, and then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. However, as everyone is at different stages in their business, it is important to be able to look down the track and consider what sort of stock you should be acquiring.

 

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, you can generally purchase these items cheap and in bulk. They should include:

Image Source: mcgee.com

 

Cushions: Purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environments is a great way to get the most out of your money. Try buying cushions in a few colours and designs as they can be used on their own or grouped together.

Faux flowers and plants: When the right ones are purchased, faux plants can look amazing and be used in a range of spaces and styles. The best part is how long they last!

Books:  Books are a great way to add texture and a create ‘lived-in’ feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, bedroom or a lounge room. Just purchase a few books from your local op shop or you might even have some hanging around the house.

Knick-knack accessories: By this I mean small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments – anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.

Linen packs: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but I like to at least have a few coverlets and toppers as it can really transform a room from something dull to something amazing.

Image Source: tessaneustadt.com

HARD FURNISHINGS

Hard furnishings are more expensive so it’s usually beneficial to go for quality over quantity. The stock I recommend purchasing includes:

Image Source: ventandcover.com

 

Mattresses:  Often clients do not have enough beds to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.

Dining chairs: Not all dining chairs go with all tables, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea.

Bedside tables: Bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and create a space for your soft furnishings. Tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.

Lounges: When used everyday, lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour is a great idea as they can be used in a range of spaces in a range of different styled homes.

Coffee tables: Not everyone has a coffee table and if they do, it’s often old and worn. Investing in a few coffee tables can help you to transform and fill a living space amazingly.

Image Source: fionalynch.com.au

 

Purchasing stock doesn’t have to be a huge expense at first, in fact it shouldn’t be a huge expense when you first start accumulating inventory. As your business beings to flourish with the large amount of stock you accumulate, you will be able to stage more properties and further grow your business.

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Staging Furniture: How to Arrange Your Furniture to Attract Buyers

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When a buyer views a property they need to connect with it, they need to view it in its best possible light.

Staging a home is about bringing the buyer to the best parts of the property first and making sure they spend as little time as possible in areas of the home that are not the feature.

Consequently, for staging to be most effective, it needs to direct the traffic flow of potential buyers during property inspections. Here are the top five things you must consider when placing your furniture for open home inspections:

Organising-your-kitchen-2

Tip 1 – Unless it is a dedicated media space, the TV does not have to be the focal point of the room.

Tip 2 – Try not to close living spaces off with a ‘square’ of lounges. Make sure that as you enter a room there is an open space visible, not just the backs of lounges.

Tip 3 – For nearly all occasions (there are some exceptions) when you enter a bedroom the bed should be the first thing you see.

Tip 4 – Allow a width of 80-to-120cm in traffic areas, so two people can pass one another without bumping into each other.

Tip 5 – Make sure the furniture in the living spaces is set up — where possible — to funnel people towards the highlight of the property. For example: the view, the kid-safe backyard, the garden and/or the chef’s kitchen.

 

 

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The Family Love Tree Spring/Summer collection

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These Beautiful Bed heads will add that “POP” of colour you are wanting for the spring and summer months.

The Family Love Tree

They range in many different colours and sizes and will make your home burst with colour.

What makes good home staging stock?

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For some professional home stagers, especially those in regional centres, home staging “stock” or hire furniture is an essential part of their business.  But what makes good home staging stock?  A few days ago I posted a picture on face book of an armchair and commented that this was a great piece of stock to use in a home staging business.

 

For more information on this item click here

 

Although there is a huge amount of things that you must consider when acquiring your stock here are some of my top tips that I consider every time I press “add to cart” when I am selecting my stock.

  1. Colour, where can this be used?
  2. Style, is it versatile?
  3. How much does it cost, will I get a return on it?
  4. Material, will it clean up well?
  5. How heavy is it?
  6. Will it be durable?
  7. Availability, how long will it take to get to me?

For me this chair ticks all those boxes for one category of my clientele and will certainly be added to my stock very soon.