The value of a stylist - John McGrath

Stylists help vendors present their property in its best light to achieve the highest sale price possible.

You don’t need to hire a stylist when selling your home, but it’s a convenient and attractive option if you have the budget. The cost varies, depending on whether you hire furniture through them and so on. Investing a bit of money upfront to get the presentation of your home just right can result in tens of thousands of upside in most instances I’ve seen. And that’s the true value of a stylist. They can take your home’s presentation (and as a result, its sale price) from good to exceptional.

Presentation is a critical part of the selling process and a stylist can offer an objective view on how to present your home in the most appealing way to buyers. You need an objective opinion because you’re probably a bit biased about your home’s appearance. We all tend to exaggerate the good and ignore the bad. There are probably quite a few areas that need attention but you’re so used to them they slip under the radar.

Stylists think visually. They have a definite skill in being able to look at a room and immediately identify what can be done to enhance its appearance. They know what the trends are and how to apply them to your home to attract the buyer demographic relevant to your property. They are, in effect, visual artists. Their skills are unique and highly valuable to you.

Among a stylists’ recommendations might be the hiring of furniture – either to replace your own or to furnish a vacant property. Buyers fall in love with the overall impression of a great lifestyle, and furniture is a cost-effective way to lift the overall impression of your home. It’s harder for buyers to form an emotional connection with an empty space. In new developments, it’s often the display apartments that sell first. They’re often not the best apartments in the development, but they have the look and feel of a home and this enhances the buyers’ emotional desire for the property.

Many stylists do a lot more than inspect your home and make recommendations. They can also organise everything for you. The hire of furniture, setting up your house on the day the furniture arrives and organising cosmetic projects, such as themoglazing a bathroom or painting the interiors.

I know a lot of agents who offer an initial consultation with a stylist free of charge. They’ve built it into their own service offering to vendors. This is a great value-add as you’ve got nothing to lose if the stylist is willing to inspect your home and provide some advice for free. Alternatively, you might be asked to pay a small fee for their initial appraisal – but it’s worth it to get the information you need, especially if you want to organise whatever changes are required yourself.

If you do invite a stylist into your home, keep an open mind and don’t take any of the feedback too personally! If they recommend something that doesn’t suit your taste, remember it’s not about appealing to your taste, it’s about appealing to your buyers’ taste. A stylist’s recommendations are business, they’re not personal. Your goals are actually completely aligned, because at the end of the day you both want to achieve the best price possible for your home.