When styling your home for sale you must learn how to get the best out of the space that you already have!

When styling your home for sale you must learn how to get the best out of the space that you already have!

 For some inspiration buy some magazines and check out some of the interior design and styling shows on television such as "The Block". Personally,  I love pinterest check it out for some great home decor ideas and trendy and cool items for your home.

Remember when selling your home " Presentation" is a must!

Big, colourful and comfy

Big, colourful and comfy is the choice when selecting cushions to brighten up a home. You will be amazed at what a difference a cushion can make.

                                         

Open house

We all would like open home day to be perfect,with the sun shinning, blue skies and perhaps those whales playing out to sea and of course the birds singing
Unfortunately that's not always possible.If you wake up to a dull overcast day you need to make your home as appealing as possible.

• Turn on all the lights and lamps 
• Open all of the curtains and blinds
• Light some candles and burn some oils
• Warm the house, leave the heating on for open home
• Play some soft music

Cool Lighting

Create a mood

Create a mood with lighting. By leaving your mood-lights on before the open house you create a nice ambiance for the property, you obviously don't want every light in your house turned on but  a few here and there to set the tone. And if you have a fireplace get it burning it creates a very comfy mood. Just make sure you are close by so when the real estate agent leaves you can get home quickly... we don't want any fire mishaps.

Images: Print screens from here.

First open home

The furnishing the accessories and all the little finishing touches really help give your property that wow factor.You want buyers to walk in and feel right at home! Have some scented candles burning, some soft music playing, some of my clients even bake cookies or cakes and have them on the bench for the potential buyers to try! 

Remember first impressions really count.

Ask yourself, who do you want your property to appeal to, what do you need to do to make your property more attractive for sale. Change the ambience of your property to reflect the homes best features and think about the type of buyer you are trying to attract. For instance if you own an inner city apartment, you need to change the ambience of the property to reflect a stylish comfortable inner city apartment, and on the other hand if have a Victorian style home, select furnishings and accessories that compliment the period of the property.

Three tips for the perfect open home

When your real estate agent holds an open for inspection, it’s your opportunity to let your home shine. Of course the marketing materials, photographs and advertisement copy all do their job, but once someone’s on your property, you want them to fall in love with what they see. Here are our top three tips for making sure your open for inspection is the best it can be.

1. HIGHLIGHT THE BEST BITS

Every home has that special something that makes it unique. If you’re highlighting a view, make sure the curtains are open and that the furniture is positioned in such a way as to draw the eye outwards.

For making note of local attractions, you could leave brochures with the estate agent to show prospective purchasers, or compile a menu book filled with the choices on offer from local restaurants – it’s the little things that count!

2. PLAY TO THE CONDITIONS

Is it winter outside? Yes. So, it wouldn’t be the best idea to leave all the windows open before you leave the house. Of course, in summer, that would be the ideal move. People want to feel comfortable when they walk into what could be their ‘forever home’, so try and emphasise how warm and welcoming your house or apartment is in the winter selling period.

Putting out thick rugs in the lounge and fluffy towels in the bathroom will help those rooms appear to be warmer. Heating helps too! Air conditioners and under-floor heating should be left on to welcome guests, but be careful if you use a gas or space heater at home – don’t leave these unattended!

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT REAL ESTATE AGENT

When you interview agents prior to listing your property, make sure to ask them about how they would present your home to buyers. Some realtors are stronger than others when it comes to presentation ideas, so make sure to find out their thoughts.

Ask for examples of marketing materials or internal photographs from previous open for inspections they’ve held – this will give you a very realistic picture of what your agent can do for you and your home.

Art creates focal points

Does the perfect home exist? Perhaps, but then it probably wouldn’t be up for sale! “Using art in a home that has a few unexciting elements can help bring out the best in a space, and draw attention away from its grey areas by turning them into vignettes,” Bluethumb’s interior specialist Alex suggests. Using several pieces in a cluster to create a gallery wall is another option bringing the buyer to focus on a particular feature while diverting them away from others. ​Online curations​ centring on themes or styles can boost inspiration when installing art at home in preparation for a sale. Whether one piece is displayed or several, the important thing is that the art selected flatters the room while downplaying the undesirables.


Tropical prints are big this Summer! This piece by Donna Maloney energises a room by mixing bold leafy greens with house plants.

Suitable arrangements
Create a styled vignette on an otherwise empty sideboard or coffee table by grouping ceramics, glassware, geometric shapes or ornaments in threes or fives. Be sure each grouping of objects has similar or complementary colours and different heights and shapes for the most aesthetically pleasing result.

Photo by Park and Oak Design – Look for contemporary living room inspiration

Make an entrance
The first thing a person sees when they visit your home is the front door. Make a bold statement by attaching a wonderful door knocker to your front entrance. From lion’s heads and mermaids to gothic shapes and shackles, there are myriad options to choose from.

Photo by CM Glover – Look for entryway pictures

Play with scale

Play with scale
Play with scale in your home by contrasting low-line furniture with tall indoor plants or lamps, as seen in both of these rooms, or using a rug to make a small space feel larger. Really looking at the scale of your furniture (is it all the same height? Are there any standout pieces?) is a great way to add drama or interest to a room. Another way of doing this is using a statement artwork to draw the eye to the centre of a room. Try Artfinder for affordable original artworks that can be shipped direct to your door.

Look luxe without the huge price tag

Whether you’re looking to update your home according to the season, or want the space to feel a little more polished, there are a few simple changes you can make to your interior to achieve a luxe look without a big outlay.

Elevating your interior style isn’t about spending a lot of money on decor or buying large pieces of furniture. It’s about thoughtfully editing your personal collection of treasures and memories into a curated display that speaks to who you are, your personality and your style.

Bathroom review
One of the hardest (and most expensive) rooms to update can be the bathroom. However, sprucing up this space needn’t be costly. Take note of what vanity top, windowsill and shelving space you might have spare in the room, and think about what items you own that might fit into the space and make it feel a little more ‘done’ and more your style. This can be anything from a few fab plants to a carefully considered selection of candles, ornaments and shells that the kids may have collected from the beach.

By Laura Barry in association with 

Pretty details

Sometimes it is the small details that make you feel at home. Here is an example from decor8 blog, how easy it can be to add some simple but so pretty details to your home. Make it interesting for the visitor  when they look around finding something quirky around every corner.

Rummage through your cupboards and I'm sure you'll find some old jars! Fill with water to prevent them from cracking from the heat of the candle and light with a tea light. A group of them gives a nice effect either on the kitchen table or a living room space. Cheap and quick!

A plain bottle can be dressed up with some ribbons, it's all in the accessories ladies.

The beautiful images and styling are by Leslie Shewring, you can find her blog here.

Images: print screens from here.

Renovating to sell?

If you are renovating to sell, know your budget. How much you can comfortably spend on the renovations. Will the renovations increase the final sales price of your property? If in doubt call in your local agent and ask their professional advice. Nothing worse when the new owner wants to pull up the new carpet that you have just laid, so they can polish up the floorboards underneath. Be careful and make sure you do your research before you spend any money.

For more ideas click

How cool does this kitchen look, you could easily add a blackboard,paint an old cupboard,or why not add some shelving. These great ideas will not cost a fortune but will add a real WOW to your kitchen.

A few key pieces

When styling the poolside for sale, think outside the box. I love this yellow surfboard really adds a pop of colour. 

Along with a few key pieces  and accessories, greenery never fails to inject life, colour and texture into a poolside area. 

Ask your local nursery which plants work best near your swimming pool, but as a general rule of thumb, Banksias, Agaves, Native Fuschias and Palms are popular picks for Australian pool areas.

An auction can be highly competitive

An auction can be highly competitive if there are multiple buyers interested in buying the property. The competitive bidding can cause the price to exceed the expected value of the property as people tend to bid higher than they originally expected to spend due to the high pace atmosphere of the auction.

Tips for getting your property ready to sell!

Soak Up a Sale - Bathroom

•     Your bathroom must be spotless and tiles clean
•     Fix or replace cracked basins, toilets or tubs
•     Air your bathroom before inspections - bad smells are a buyer turn off!
•     Add a little luxury with plump towels, handmade soaps, a plant or flowers
•     Add some boutique bath products
•     If your bathroom is small maximise space by putting the towel rail behind the door

Sleeping In Style

•     Reduce the amount of furniture in small bedrooms to give the impression of space
•     Storage is important - consider adding built-in wardrobes
•     Add a little luxury with fresh linen, puffed pillows and extra cushions
•     Dimmer switches create atmosphere in a bedroom
•     De-personalise your bedroom but
•     Add little touches like candles and perfume bottles

Step Outside - Backyard

•     Trim your lawns and weed your garden beds
•     Defining your garden bed borders
•     Add a focal point
•     Give the illusion of space in a courtyard by using large pavers
•     Introduce colour with pots of whatever is in flower

Decorative touches

  

Placing statues, sculptures and urns between trees or in the centre of the lawn adds a charming decorative touch to your outdoor area. For a formal garden, look for classical Greek or Roman figures, or for a Victorian feel, pretty statues of cherubs or angels should do the trick. In addition, wooden signs and wrought-iron artworks are right at home in an outdoor setting. Why not hang some wind chimes from tree branches to create a calming ambiance, or put a sundial among the flowers to conjure up the image of a traditional English garden?

A beautifully designed planter or small water feature can add an elegant look to an outdoor area and bring some colour and greenery to an empty corner. And, if you’re keen to attract native wildlife to your garden, include a bird bath or feeder – these come in a variety of styles ranging from traditional to modern and are often quite inexpensive.

Don’t forget that less is more – avoid crowding your yard too much. Add just a few attractive accessories for an easy and inexpensive way to turn your outdoor area into a warm and welcoming space that everyone can enjoy.

Source: Country Home ideas, click here for more information

Cool indeed

How awesome does this bed linen look. I  love the colour combination against the iron bed. Brighten up your bedroom this Summer with some of these great colours! Sure to impress your buyers.

Preparing your yard for sale

Are you selling your home this Spring and worried that you've let your yard go a bit wild and unattended this winter? The yard is usually the first thing that the prospective buyers will see when the arrive at an open for inspection or private viewing. An over grown garden is not a great first  impression.

Click on the link below
for some tips on preparing your yard for sale

Love candles

 I am a big fan of candles and your buyers will be to. Light your candles to make your home smell gorgeous before and during buyer inspections. Candles not only smell great but create a great ambiance.

Inject some Winter colours

Winter time is a great time for hibernation that's for sure. I love snuggling up on the couch with a blankie and a nice glass of red wine. Lets create a warm and welcoming environment for your buyers.

You're probably over the aqua cushions that have seen you through the summer months. Invest in some new colorful cushions and throw rugs to liven up your home. Be daring, why not introduce some warm tones like orange or red.

To compliment the new look add a bunch of seasonal flowers to further enhance the look. Presto instant transformation.

                                                        Great colours