{"id":5515,"date":"2017-11-25T14:41:40","date_gmt":"2017-11-25T03:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catebakos.com.au\/?p=5515"},"modified":"2017-11-26T11:47:22","modified_gmt":"2017-11-26T00:47:22","slug":"seeing-past-styling-decorating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catebakos.com.au\/staging\/seeing-past-styling-decorating\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing past the styling and decorating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gone are the days of vendors brewing coffee, baking cookies and buying a posie of flowers in preparation for opens. These days we have professional stylists, furniture hire companies, TV shows featuring property ‘flipping’, colour consultants, and agencies to make it all happen in a short stint of just a few days.<\/p>\n

Engaging these services can cost a few thousand and when done well, can provide a very<\/em> impressive return on investment.<\/p>\n

Returns in excess of 1000% are not uncommon. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s hard to quantify the additional incremental sales result from a $3,000-4,000 spend but comparable property sales results of un-styled <\/em>properties often suggest that the investment return is well over $40,000.<\/p>\n

\"Styled3\"While buyers like to think that they can see past the interior decorating and the on trend pieces, most people actually can’t. Aesthetic appeal is a huge driver for buyers, and while many like to envisage their own style is reflected by the stylist’s efforts, they often overlook practical elements while they are swept up by the presentation of the property.<\/p>\n

There is nothing wrong with selecting a property adored by beautiful style and bespoke prints but there is<\/em> something wrong with overpaying for a property based on the aesthetic appeal of the stylist’s selections. It’s a disappointment indeed for a buyer to return to the property for their final pre-settlement inspection only to find that the house they fell in love with is not as desireable as it was with all of the hire furniture set up.<\/p>\n

In our travels we often find that a superbly styled and dressed property is the work of the Vendor too, not neccesarily a paid stylist.<\/p>\n

 \"1outhwaite2\" \"1outhwaite1\"<\/p>\n

Yesterday’s auction in Heidelberg Heights offered just this. The red brick 1960’s house had been tastefully renovated and the owner’s selected furnishings and pieces enhanced every single room. From handcrafted timber mirrors to well chosen indoor plants, their decorative style caught the attention of many buyers and placed their property into a high-demand category. We knew that we had competition and our clients who had identified the property themselves as a potential long term home braced themselves for the big day.<\/p>\n

Quoted with a range in the nines our comparable sales suggested a price of around one million dollars was deserving, but we knew that the popularity of the property could take the bidding over the million dollar mark. <\/p>\n

Three emotional buyers fought it out above $1M and the hammer fell at $1,190,000.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The real questions we apply in situations like this where properties are dressed and presented so well are:<\/p>\n