Secrets of a property stylist: How to add value and attract buyers

There’s an art to selling a home and it doesn’t just involve finding the right real estate agent. A lust-worthy interior can have buyers lining up at the front door potentially adding tens-of-thousands of dollars to the sale price.

“We’re not just creating a look, we’re illustrating a lifestyle,” says property stylist Melissa Rice who launched The Hired Home after 14 years in the real estate industry. “More often than not, the first introduction a buyer has to the property is through the internet and if the photos are bland, with no furniture and no emotion, you will have less buyers there. People want to see colour and personality in a home because that’s how they want to live. Buyers don’t want to live in a white box.”

Having an on-trend, snap-worthy interior can add up to 30% to the value of the property and according to Melissa, it starts with a good declutter and refresh. “I think the biggest turn off is if the property doesn’t present well; the furniture is tired, the home is messy and dark. People want light and airy and bright,” she said.

“It’s so important to present the home to its full potential, not only in the look but the floor plan. If it’s a small bedroom apartment we will try to fit in a study nook and things like that, so everything is addressed.”

Melissa recommends sellers update light fittings, install new carpet and apply a fresh coat of paint before the home is listed. “When someone is living in a property it doesn’t matter how clean and tidy they are, it just gets tired. Even light switch covers; over time they start to discolour.”

The same rule applies when styling. “Once you start using a product it doesn’t look fresh and clean anymore,” said Melissa who recommends investing in new towels, curtains, white linen and accent cushions to really lift the home.

“In bedrooms I tell people they must pull the furniture off the walls. A lot of times people believe pushing beds to the corner of a room is going to make it feel bigger, it’s not. For shelving, we would probably style about 60% of the shelf, leaving space for the eye to rest. Not every space has to have something on it.”