23rd May 2019 / Prue Fletcher: Dressing Your Home For Sale

Selling a home can be stressful enough without the added headache of dressing it for sale.

As a reputable agency with a longstanding history of delivering results, it is our job to provide our clients with the tools and resources required to maximise the potential outcome of their property sale.

For many years, home stylists have been utilised as the industry's secret weapon, taking the most challenging spaces and transforming them into something truly inspiring.

This week, I caught up with Sales Manager and Home Stylist, Jenny Luxton, from Adelaide and Melbourne­ based property styling business, Dressed for Sale.

For an exclusive, inside scoop on this year 's trends, ideas and creative solutions, read my interview with Jenny below.

What is your individual style?

Sleek European.

What is your number one piece of styling advice when preparing a home for sale?

De-clutter and remove any personal artefacts, such as personal photos, as the vendor wants to imagine "their lives" in your property. Create that sense of a blank canvas for them to work from.

Does Dressed for Sale have a key feature or element which the homes you style would never be complete without?

Beautiful cushions and artwork are key staples which can lift a space and add that "pop" of colour for photos and also add a homely comfort factor.

What key pieces of advice were you given at the start of your career that you would love to pass on to aspiring stylists today?

Always remember less is more. Don't fill a space, create one.

When selling a 4-bedroom home, what advice do you give around styling the 4th room as either a study or bedroom?

Definitely a bedroom as this adds more value to your marketing campaign. When vendors think of a study, they think of small spaces and if you can fit a bed in a 4 th bedroom, that's not a small space, show it off with scale!

What design trends are you seeing take centre stage this year?

In 2019, we've moved towards more fresh, natural materials such as stone, copper, concrete, and granite finishes. With styling, velvet and florals continue to be strong fabric choices and hints of copper and brass accents through the use of accessories are key to add that sense of elegance and expense.

What's your biggest styling 'no-no'?

Angled cushions and throws! Keep lines simple so it feels balanced and clean in a photo and on the eye.

When adding colour, how best do you incorporate more bold use of tones?

Through cushions and statement piece accessories. Use these in key focal points to draw the eye against a simple soft backdrop. (i.e. a bold vase placed centrally on a dining table can add great dramatic impact without overpowering the area).

What's your favourite room to style and why?

Living and dining spaces are great as these are the key rooms we use to socialise and spend so much of our time in. They are often the hub of the house, so they need to feel engaging and have that 'wow' factor so vendors are emotionally drawn into the property.

Tell us about Dressed for Sale's biggest styling success story to date.

We styled a modest, 3-bedroom Fitzroy home just over a year ago which sold for $500,000 more than expected. The vendors had a $1.8 million asking price and were incredibly pleased to see the home sell for just over $2.3 million. In a challenging market, we don't believe in working harder, but styling smarter.

What are your 'Fast 5' recommendations on the below?

Colour or Neutral? Colour
Less or More? Less
Flowers or Foliage? Foliage
Mulch or fresh soil? Mulch
Candles or Essential oils? Candles

"As a stylist, our role is to focus on who the agents feel will be the target market and dress the home accordingly, making sure we create a space that the buyers can see themselves living in."