We’ve discussed previously the fact that buyers are becoming choosier as they view homes listed for sale. This is a function of the real estate market being over-stocked with available homes. Why settle for less than the ideal situation if there are so many other opportunities? Of all the reasons why sellers should enlist the help of the real estate stylist, this may be the best. The name of this game is providing as many items on the buyer’s shopping list as possible.

Of course, there are some facts about your house that cannot be improved on. The property’s location is one of those factors. It’s heartening to learn that today buyers are considering property in locations they might not have considered previously. yThis is simply because their money will go further in some areas over others. They may be able to get their wish filled in the Western Suburbs now, for example, whereas they were looking in higher-end areas previously.

The other things that may be less than ideal about your property – its size, its potential for eventual expansion, its lack of outdoor living spaces – can generally be addressed quite successfully by a gifted home stager.

Home stagers and real estate stylists spend their off-time studying the things that today’s buyers want. Then they study ways to upgrade ordinary property with extraordinary transformations. These ‘makeovers’ serve to fulfill the wish lists buyers all make. These professionals know precisely how to leverage your modest property into a sensational one through suggestion. It goes like this.

The buyer really wants a huge master bedroom but your house’s master suite is small and uninspiring. Enter the real estate stylist. With the use of colour, mirrors, lighting, and carefully calculated furnishings your bedroom can be stretched visually. The buyer gets all the benefit of a big ‘looking’ room at a more affordable price. You are pleased and so is the buyer.

Your buyer is looking for an outside living area but your backyard is totally undeveloped. With a few relatively inexpensive additions – some furnishings and a fire-pit – all the possibilities for a cosy get-together with friends and family reveal themselves.

The things you cannot imagine about your house are the specialty of a good home stylist. They have fresh eyes. They can see a home office in a bedroom closet. Need a bigger kitchen? They can envision a way to update and expand your kitchen by adding cabinetry panels to make the refrigerator and dishwasher blend in. They may see plenty of space for an island – a big wish list item – for a relatively small outlay. Such stylists don’t claim to be geniuses, but we think they come very close.

Bathrooms are another place where wish lists and reality don’t always mesh. He wants a stand-alone shower. She wants a bathtub. Your home staging professional may know how to find room for both in your bathroom. More importantly, your stylist will understand whether or not your house can bring enough money at auction to justify the renovation necessary to provide both of these amenities.

If that were not enough, your home stylist can also give you ballpark figures for not just the upgrades and changes, but also what such changes will be worth at sale. This will give you the means to make an educated decision. That kind of information almost always translates to more money in your hands at the end of the process.

Finding ways to ‘improve’ your property through clever design and implementation is what home stylists do best. Making your house the best it can be in terms of checking off “must have items” on your buyer’s list is something you must do if you want top dollar for your property. The smartest move you can make as you begin your home-selling adventure is bringing a professional pilot aboard to guide you successfully to your financial goal.

Selling your house is a big deal. It’s the biggest business deal most of us ever enter into. Treat the sale of your property as you would any business venture. Do what you must to maximise the value of your property; but before you decide on renovations, discover your other options. Call the real estate stylist first.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Ceramica Senio