If you’re looking to stage your home for sale on the market, you should already be considering what needs to be done to have it real estate ready. And part of those considerations should be identifying and addressing risk factors that may deter potential buyers from purchasing the home. We’ve put together 5 main issues that could potentially bring down the value of your home on the market.
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Clutter
The epiphany of a ‘turn off’ in the real estate world, clutter can quite literally deter potential buyer’s away from an otherwise beautifully structured home. If a client is staging their home for sale on the market whilst continuing to live on the property, it is best practice to ensure the home has been decluttered and depersonalised (personal belongings removed) to an appropriate extent to ensure the home is presented in the most appealing way possible to potential buyers. At Sell in Style Property Styling, we do offer the option of an integrated install, where we work with the client’s existing furniture to revive the space, however we still encourage that the homeowner does their best to minimise mess and remove unnecessary belongings within the home.
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Poor Maintenance
When it comes to staging a house for sale, only so much can be done to improve a property’s overall aesthetic and feel. However, serious deterrents like poor maintenance could be a real threat to the marketability and appeal of the home. Factors including bad paint jobs, electrical/plumbing faults, layout issues and unruly backyards all fall under the premise of poor maintenance and can all contribute discouraging potential homeowners from purchasing a home, even despite styling capacities. At Sell in Style Property Styling, we offer free consultation walk-throughs where our stylists will take a physical look at the home and make the relevant suggestions and observations to benefit both the client (and the marketability of their home) and to inform their own styling selections.
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Lighting
Believe it or not, lighting is a huge factor in the overall marketability and appeal of a property and is often underestimated by homeowners when placing their homes for sale on the market. Poor or ‘dim’ lighting can make the home feel dark, moody and claustrophobic – all themes that aren’t going to work in the property’s favour when it comes to selling fast and for a high market price. Warm lighting can also work as a deterrent to potential buyers because of its ability to make a space look dated and darker than it is. Bright white lighting is highly recommended when it comes to staging a home for sale, and that’s why our property stylists at Sell in Style Property Styling use solely this kind of lighting in most of our installs.
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Odour
You wouldn’t think it, but a lot of homes, particularly older or poorly maintained ones can carry all sorts of unappealing odours. Things like old, dirty carpets can carry a mouldy smell that carries throughout the house which could work to turn off potential buyers in a big way. Built-up aircons can also cause a wet, stuffy odour that works to make the home feel dirty and suffocating which will likely cause a decreased interest in the home and jeopardise its market appeal.
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Poor Layout
It is true that a property stylist is equipped with the skills required to work with a home’s existing layout and flow, however as with anything, there’s always a limit to how much styling can benefit a compromised home. Poor interior layouts can make the home and relevant furniture feel ‘awkward’ and ‘overbearing’ and can make the home appear ‘un-welcoming’ and ‘un-livable’. Before placing a home for sale on the market, it might be worth evaluating what could be improved on within the home so it can be best showcased to potential buyers when it hits the property market. Changes might be removing a poorly placed wall within the home, replacing dated tile/flooring or renovating an old-fashioned kitchen. Small or big, these changes might be all the home needs to double its appeal and increase its ability to sell quicker and for a higher sale price.
