Become a styling expert to staging a home for a quick sale

5 simple, cost-effective DIY home styling tips

Staging a home can not only help you secure a quicker sale, but also a better return. Through careful staging techniques, you can boost the ambience and liveability of your home to trigger an emotional connection with buyers.

There’s no shortage of professionals in the industry who will style up your home for a fee, but if you’re working to a tight budget, here are some of the best DIY tips for staging a home for a quick sale.

1. Draw attention to special features

Buyers love unique and special features that separate one property from another – and there are simple techniques you can do to draw attention to your home’s unique features. Furniture can be arranged around a fireplace, for instance. Add in a few throws and a coffee table book and you promote a calm space to relax in front of the fire. Or, if you have French doors looking out over a patio or garden, open them to draw buyers’ eyes outside, suggesting a sense of outdoor living. 

2. Stage each room to promote liveability

Every room within your house is used for a particular purpose. Your living room is used to relax, your dining room to entertain, and your bedroom, to sleep. You can use these ‘purposes’ as themes to enhance liveability. Place extra cushions and a soft throw on your bed so it looks so enticing, viewers want to curl on top for a sneaky nap. Add candles to your dining room table to create a sense of romance. Place a jar of lemons and limes in your kitchen for a fresh, creative touch. 

3. Remove ‘yourself’ from the picture

When buyers view a property, they like to imagine themselves living in it. This can be a difficult thing to do if your walls and shelves are cluttered with personal items and family photos. We suggest ‘de-personalising’ your home by removing these kinds of items and replacing them with tasteful artwork that compliments the ambience you’re intending to create.

4. Declutter

Too much furniture and clutter can make a space seem smaller than it is and distract buyers from your home’s best features. When we remove superfluous furniture and decorations, we not only maximise space, but create a sense of calm and organisation. Every item and piece of furniture you leave in your home should reflect the ambience and lifestyle you want to promote.

5. Style in a neutral colour scheme

If you’re a colour junky, it’s tempting to use vast washes of colour and dominant hues throughout your home, but these types of bold statements are not to everybody’s taste. It’s wise to keep your paints and major pieces neutral and add hints of colour through cushions, throws and artwork. If you’re having trouble selecting colours, stick to white. While this may seem bland, white creates light and space within a room, which are two of the biggest drawcards when selling a house.

Want more tips like staging a home for a quick sale? PropertyNow gives you all the support and information you need to sell your own home online saving tens of thousands in agent commissions. Find out more.