These days, almost every Melbourne real estate agent tries their best to emphasize the importance of staging their home for sale to most of their clients. And many nod, smile, and agree, and do make some changes that they believe will be sufficient.  

They balk, however, at any suggestion they need help styling their home, in the form of a professional home stager, and insist that they can do it all themselves. They have an eye for design, they say, or think their home looks fine as it is. 

A Property Styling Directory for AustraliaSome people do indeed have an eye for design, and some people do a reasonably good job of staging their home themselves. However, there are some minute details – details that experienced real estate agents and home stagers have seen all too often – that can detract from the overall decor and can, dare we say it, cheapen the appearance of the home. 

Here are seven of the most common Melbourne home staging mistakes that can actually ruin its overall appeal and perhaps even reduce the chances of the quick, asking price sale you are hoping for. Mistakes that, if you avoid them by working with a professional home stager, make any home staging cost Melbourne worth every penny.  

Do Not Get Your Proportions Wrong When Staging Your Home for Sale  

In home staging, getting the proportions of every aspect of a room’s decor is far more important than many people realize. From hanging artwork too high, to clinging to what is really oversized – or tiny – furniture, if a potential buyer feels like they just walked into a scene from Alice in Wonderland they will only be disconcerted and confused and will not even have a chance to be impressed with the other elements of the room. 

Don’t Choose Cheap and Colorful When You Style Your Home 

If you choose to go with less expensive options on your finishes, furniture, or home decor – which is fine, no one wants to spend too much on a home they are trying to sell – ensure you make neutral choices. Bold colors on inexpensive items can easily be spotted and stand out as cheap. 

Don’t Balk at Clearing All the Clutter 

Most homeowners now understand the need for general decluttering, but then they insist on leaving out certain home decor pieces because they believe they add something to the room. However, even carefully curated collections of decor pieces can be overwhelming. If a prospective buyer cannot put their bag down for a second on a table withoutProperty Styling in Australia accidentally knocking something over — you have too much stuff. Less really is more. Put away those trinkets until it is time for you to head to your new home. 

Don’t Take DIY Risks 

Over the past several years, TV home improvement shows have led many people to believe they are home improvement experts themselves simply because they have watched a lot of them, and it does not look too hard!  But if you are not super handy, taking on a large project, like re-tiling your kitchen backsplash, can be overwhelming and can often end up looking horribly sloppy. 

Opt to hire a professional instead and save your DIY prowess for smaller projects like hand-sewn pillows or updating finishes, things that can actually add some real positives to your home staging that you can still take some pride in completing yourself. 

Home staging directory Australia FlowersDon’t Go for Fake Flowers, Fresh is Best 

Although there are such things as beautiful faux flowers that do look tasteful, finding them can be difficult, and often they require quite a hefty investment. Instead of choosing the cheap and not so cheerful option, – i.e.: those two for a dollar ‘roses’ from the craft store or 2 Dollar Shops – opt for fresh flowers instead. Choose something that is inexpensive by all means, but ensure the blooms are high impact. 

Don’t Kill the ‘Home Staging Flow’ 

Some people choose to call it Feng Shui, and home stagers call it ‘home staging flow’ but when it comes to your home, and home staging, making sure everything flows well is really just common sense.  

If a would-be homebuyer ends up scraping a knee trying to get by your couch, it is either too big or inappropriately placed. Play with your layout, or perhaps consider embodying the less is more philosophy by removing a few items. 

Listen to Your Real Estate Agent and Get Professional Help 

The number of statistics available that continue to prove the value of professional home staging are increasing all the time, as more and more people make use of it. For example, according to the Real Estate Staging Association in the US, homes which are professionally staged before going on the market sell 73% faster, on average, than their non-staged, or self-staged counterparts.  

Anecdotal stats for Melbourne, and Australia, are very similar. And the longer a home stays on the market, the more likely it is that you will have to make a price reduction to sell it all. And that price reduction is likely to be a bigger number than the cost of staging your home in the first place.  

Home Staging in Melbourne, AustraliaProfessional Melbourne home stagers are more than design and decor experts. They have unique insights into the psychology of home decor, and about just will, and will not, appeal to the largest cross-section of potential buyers possible. 

The investment in professional Melbourne home staging is not one that you will regret making – ever – but you may regret trying to go it alone, even if that seems to ‘save you a few bucks. The fact is that it really will not, and it may in fact cost you thousands if you have to drop your price. 

Australian Property Stylist Directory

If you would like to get a Property Stylist to chat with you about how they can style a house for sale, then take a look at the comprehensive Directory of the Property Stylists nearest you. 

Photography by Top Snap