Before putting their house up for sale, many homeowners prefer to get their house styled and staged. The process is known as property styling, where an interior designer comes in and does their job. But what exactly do they do?
If you’re in the process of hiring a property stylist, you must learn what the process involves. In this article, learn what companies like Dressed for Sale do when styling your property.
Property Analysis
The first step of property styling is an analysis of what needs to be done. The interior designers have trained eyes to spot any underutilized spaces, cluttering, misappropriate coloring schemes, among other things. Generally, they’ll look for the following things in a house:
- Lighting condition of the house
- Cluttering
- Mish-mash of decor
- Underutilized spaces
- Breakages and leakages
All of these are psychological triggers that affect the property value.
Decluttering and Depersonalization
The next step in this process is to declutter and depersonalize. Over your period of stay, you may have stockpiled stuff, which others would view as clutter. Buyers devalue a cluttered house because it has a strong negative impact on perceived well-being. So they’ll be less likely to purchase the house at the same price.
Depersonalization helps the buyers view the house as theirs. But if they see pictures and photo frames that don’t match their worldview, they’ll have difficulty viewing the house as their future home.
Furniture and Homeware Rearrangement (Staging)
After the designers have removed the unnecessary and excessive furniture, they rearrange the remaining to make the spaces look more appealing. This process is known as staging.
Since they’re professional designers, they know best how to make a room appear unique and attractive. In this process, the designers also take care of the lighting arrangements.
If live flowers and artworks help any space look better, they may recommend the same.
The designers will also rearrange the homewares like electrical appliances, decorative items, utensils, and furniture. So be prepared for the same.
Odor Elimination
A smelly house will find it harder to sell than a regular house. Therefore, property styling also involves looking for potential stinky materials. This includes wet carpet, cigars, pet litter, etc.
These can emit an odor that’ll create a negative image for the buyer. Therefore, you must get rid of these materials before a potential buyer comes in.
At times, a pet can emit foul smells. If that’s the case, you may have to make the necessary arrangements.
Fixes and Repairs
Both minor and major repairs can significantly increase your property value. Buyers prefer houses that require little to no repairs.
Therefore, the designers spend a significant portion of their time inspecting the kitchen, bathroom, walls, ceilings, floorings, etc. They look for cracks and breakages that can be fixed.
If you’ve got HVAC, water heaters, and similar appliances installed, they’re checked for proper functioning as well.
Exterior Styling
Last but not least, the property stylists look at the house’s exterior and give it a makeover — especially the front section of your home. It’s the first thing a potential buyer will notice even before he or she walks into the house. Therefore, it will create a first impression, and it has to be a good one.
Depending on the particular cases, companies like Dressed For Sale may recommend additional steps. But the goal remains the same, which is to increase the property resale value.
