Home Staging - What is it?

Home Staging is all about setting up a home with furniture and homeware so that you show the place off in it's best light and offer potential buyers a look at what is possible in the space.

Frequently asked questions:

1. What is home staging? 

To put it simply, home staging is all about improving the aesthetics of the home in preparation to sell the property. This is usually done by bringing in homeware, art and furniture in the short-term and to set up the home for the selling process, from photos through to the open house and sale.

Home staging is usually done by an expert who will go through a consultation process with the seller, visit the home and get a feel for the space and make recommendations. They might even recommend painting or some small repair tasks.

Home staging is about making a property look as appealing as possible to potential buyers so that it sells quickly and for the best price.

2. How much does home staging cost in Australia? 

While price will depend on where you are and what you need and for how long, you can expect to spend about $5,000 on home staging. Depending on your budget, however, you don’t need to spend much. For instance, you could restyle the house with furniture you have. Or to keep costs down, you could also do home staging yourself and not go through the consultation period with an expert.

Home staging can simply be a matter of cleaning your carpets, painting your walls and hanging some rented artwork to spruce the space up. Don’t discount it as an option only for high-end houses or as being too expensive. There are many levels of staging and many options that could work for you.

Furniture can be hired for just one room or for a whole house. Just need artwork or a bunch of accessories? That can be hired too. Weigh the investment against your first potential price reduction if you don’t sell. Staging will always be more cost effective, and you can customise it to suit your needs (you might not need the full furnish).

3. Can home staging increase my sale value?

In short, yes, home staging can definitely increase the sale value of your home. Hipages.com.au says, “For every dollar you spend on property styling, you make $3 in return when you sell. “On average, a styled home sells within 33 days of being put on the market. In contrast, it takes around 90 days to sell an unstyled property. In Australia, styled homes sell for three to six percent more than un-styled homes.”

4. Do homestagers own the furniture?

This depends on the stager, some stagers hire their own items whereas others use furniture hire companies.

5. DIY home staging tips:

- Keep it neutral and minimal 

Neutral hues are sophisticated enough that they will appeal to many but also not offensive so you’re unlikely to put people off. In other words, they’re a safe option. So when it doubt, keep home staging neutral. And while we’re on this, keep things minimal too. By this we mean clutter has to be out of sight and if you have a lot of stuff, you might want to consider editing it back and going for less is more so potential buyers can see what’s possible to do with the space.

- Clean, clean and clean some more

It sounds obvious, but if you’re thinking about home staging via the DIY route, ensure your home is sparkling clean and clear of clutter and you’re halfway there. Think shiny surfaces, sparkling floors, crystal-clear glass and windows. As first impressions last, you might even want to think about ridding the home of any smells by shampooing the carpet and sourcing some fresh candles to set the scene.

- Create a homely space that is still a little lived in 

Although we’ve mentioned to keep it minimal and clear the clutter, you’ll still want to ensure the space feels a little lived in so potential buyers can imagine themselves feeling at home and cosy in the space. Think a few layers of textural fabrics – such as cushions and throws in luxe fabrications. You might even want to have the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through the out and open times. Fresh flowers also do wonders.

6. Is property styling worth it? 

As anyone who has sold a property will tell you, selling a place takes work. So you’re going to want to get it right. With this in mind, some level of property styling is most definitely worth it.

Whether you do it yourself, or engage the services of an expert, you will most likely ensure a sale at the end of your efforts, showcase the property in its best light and therefore get the best price possible.

Source: Realestate.com.au - Presented by Imogen Brown, Home Staging Consultant