Buying and selling property is stressful, particularly when it’s your family home. There are so many things that need to be done, both big and small. If you’re trying to buy and sell at the same time, you’ll almost certainly be feeling torn. You’ll be excited about your future home and all the plans you have for it, but must be simultaneously focussed on the here and now. You know you need to get your current property looking great to get the best possible price, but where do you start?
Jade McKenzie at The Property Styling Co has been staging and styling homes for more than five years.
“A lot of people find the idea of staging their homes extremely stressful, so we work with sellers and their agents to create emotional connections between potential buyers and houses that maximise returns,” Jade said.
Jade studied at the Interior Design Institute and started out making cushions. She worked as a property stylist in Darwin, before relocating to Bundaberg to start her own business. “I started out by lending out my own furniture for styling and we built it from there,” Jade said.
Today The Property Styling Co has a large warehouse of furniture and décor to draw from.
“We can help sellers as much or as little as they like. From simply providing staging advice at a consultation, right through to furnishing and decorating an entirely empty house. We do partial staging, where we utilise the sellers’ furniture and bring in décor, soft furnishings, and art to elevate it. We stage display homes for builders and developers. Everyone’s circumstances are different and we work with each client to help them achieve their goals.”
To ensure she stays up-to-date with all the latest trends and techniques, Jade is a professional member of the International Institute of Home Staging. “Right now, coastal neutral vibe is in and we want to make your home as attractive to as many people as possible,” she said. We make it as light and bright as possible with lots of greenery. It’s all about little accents, and helping conceal cosmetic flaws like stained carpets by using rugs.”
If you aren’t looking to sell, The Property Styling Co can help you love the home you’re in, by completely styling your new address or refreshing your existing abode.
Jade has also recently launched an online boutique, Endless Weekend, offering quality furniture, homewares, décor and artwork to shoppers Australia-wide, with regular deliveries to Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gladstone and Rockhampton.
“Endless Weekend is very much in line with what we do at The Property Styling Co,” she said. “Very coastal. Lots of cane, raw timbers. Plenty of greenery. We had so many staging clients who then wanted to buy the furniture, so it seemed a natural step to evolve into a homewares store.
“With the transport fees what they are now and lack of inventory in the country, we have found some fantastic local and Queensland suppliers, and a few in Sydney and Melbourne. But we also source from local artists.”
Jade’s top tips for staging your home
Remove personal items like photographs and replace them with artwork. You want potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.
Keep it neutral. Bold colour palettes can be polarising. If your home is colourful, it might be time to tone it down to ensure your home appeals to the masses.
Add greenery. Faux indoor plants have come a long way, and give a luxe coastal holiday effect.
Make it minimal. Get rid of any clutter so potential buyers can actually see the home. This may include pulling furniture away from walls and facing it away from the television to make the living room more social.
Give everything a good clean. Enough said.
Give spare rooms a purpose. Most of us accumulate junk in our spare rooms, or use them for storage. By investing in a fold out sofa, desk and chair, you’ll be showing potential buyers the house is versatile.
First impressions count. Make sure the front entry to the home is inviting, both inside and out.
Make it homely. Simple things like a bouquet of flowers, bowl of fruit (read more on page 11), pot of coffee, or having cookies in the oven, will immediately put people at ease.
PHOTO CREDIT: Real Estate Pro Pix/Paul Beutel/supplied