Although to some it may look like I'm just browsing the internet or plumping some cushions I am actually working, whether it be research or hands-on styling (not just a manifestation of my OCD, honest!).
Last Friday I spent the day with Zoe Brewer of My Interior Stylist at a property in Southfields which she was staging for the rental market. The 3-bed flat had been left in a pretty grim state by the previous tenants and so the landlord (who, I believe, is one of the founders of the Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotel website) needed Zoe to wave her magic styling wand and make it photo-ready for the agents.
It was a horrendous day weather-wise, but we succeeded in creating a bright and welcoming interior that should have prospective tenants queuing up.
It always amazes me when I look at properties online at just how many people don't make even the slightest effort to show their home at it's best. The number of times I've seen pictures where there is washing hanging around the living room and clutter all over the floor is painful. I know you should be able to see past all that but sometimes seeing someone's pants on the radiator is really off-putting - especially when said pants are still there if you do actually make it to a viewing!
Home staging (also called house doctoring or property styling) is big news in the US and Australia, no-one would dare put their property on the market without it, yet, as a nation of proud homeowners, it is surprising that the same can't be said here. Yes, admittedly, it is a sellers' and landlords' market at the moment and with so few properties out there it could be argued that just putting your property up for sale/rent guarantees you a buyer/tenant.
As I have argued extensively with Mr VKH, home staging is not a fanciful waste of money for the rich and/or lazy. The old saying 'speculate to accumulate' is particularly apt: for a small initial outlay (the recommended cost is approximately 1% of the value), having your home dressed by a stylist could mean the difference between accepting an offer and achieving the asking price, or even surpassing it. In this market the last thing one would want is for yours to be the one that even agents are embarrassed to show, languishing on their website while all the other shiny, sparkly places are being snapped up before you can say 'Phil and Kirstie'!
With all styling the aim is to create an aspirational lifestyle that makes someone think, 'yes, this is what I want!' You wouldn't sell your car without giving it a valet and a polish so why would you not do the equivalent when selling the most expensive thing you'll probably ever own?
Make your home work for you right up until the very last second and you could reap the benefits all the way up the property ladder.
If you have a property to let or sell and would like some help to maximise your gain, VeryKerryH offers a property styling service. Contact for more details.
