Why property styling helps sell ‘a lifestyle and a dream’

Edward explained: “We actually do bespoke styling. We style to suit the client's budget and also the type of market and the property itself.”

"If you sell an empty apartment and somebody walks in there, they walk out in a few minutes. If you sell something that's styled, they'll sit there and they connect with the property. You're not actually selling a property—you're ... selling a lifestyle … You've got to sell the dream,” he added.

While it could be challenging to consider different factors when styling a property, the duo makes sure to deliver the best output in order to have the asset sold quickly and ultimately increase the returns on the investment.

Tanya and Edward shares some of the most important reminders for investors looking to style their investment properties:

Set a budget and a timeline and stick to them

Having a clear idea of their client’s budget and timeline will help professional property stylists do a better job of making a home more beautiful, thereby, increasing its value.

Edward said: “We put the right furniture in that meets the target market that we're after and also the client's budget.”

“Logistically, [yes], it's quite challenging. Turning around on short lead times means that we do have to do things quite quickly … to ensure that the delivery occurs when the agent requires it and the house is finished so that they can photograph and get it on the market ASAP.”

Take great photos

A good marketing strategy is what gets people to check out a property for sale.

“The way to get somebody in the door is to have great photos online [and] ... great photos are not empty houses or houses with clutter, houses with perhaps mismatched furniture, a nice looking property makes great imagery on the website,” Edward advised property investors.

According to him, having great photos of the property is key to portraying the “lifestyle” that you want to sell to your potential buyers.

He said: “Once you've got that lifestyle thing in the … potential buyer's head, then that's when you see [that] price is not so important. People will go beyond what they may have originally wanted because they want that lifestyle that you're portraying.”

Seek the help of professionals

While you can definitely style your own property, it is advisable to get help from professionals in order to make the most out of your investment.

Smart Property Investment’s Phil Tarrant, who is an avid investor himself, has credited a huge portion of his success to a reliable team that has been with him throughout his property investment journey.

He said: “[Professionals] know the market, they know every single street within, they know individual properties sometimes, [and] they know what makes that particular market tick.”

“If you're using a professional to style your property versus someone who doesn't have a feel for design or hasn't got the ability to show that story ... you've got a competitive advantage,” the property investor added.

Remember the ‘fall in love’ factor

Make your property stand out to potential buyers by knowing your target market and catering to their needs—after all, you are selling a home, not just a mere structure.

Tanya explained: “For example, if I know that it's a family home … we will always set up a children’s room … It’s all about [the target market and] … the fall in love factor as well — just putting detail in so that it feels like someone's family home [or] … a beautiful home.”

Rather than have your property looking like it’s professionally styled, aim for having it feel like someone can actually enjoy living there.

“[Make] it feel a little bit eclectic so that there's lots of detail and lots of little fall in love factors that people can find as they walk through the house,” she added.

Edward said: “It has to look as if it's a well-presented home, not a well-styled home.”

Finding a good property stylist is simply all about looking for that person who is willing to understand his clients as much as he works hard to understand the different property markets across the country.

Tanya said: “We style across lots of different suburbs and we are able to create lots of different looks rather than just have that one signature look that you take around everywhere.”

“All the stylists have an understanding that there's a different look for a lot of the different areas that we go into ... It's [about] the individual architecture of the home, [as well as] who is going to be the buyer …? What look do we need to put together for this house to appeal to those buyers?” she concluded.

Tune in to Tanya Giuffre, Edward Giuffre, and William Chan’s episode on The Smart Property Investment Show to know more about the secrets to creating a connection between the property and potential buyers as well as the importance of logistics, demographics, and target markets.