Prestigious property styling expert and owner of Canberra business, Magenta Home Staging, Wendy Osborne shares her leading tips and tricks to whip your home into shape to be inspection-ready for sale.
According to Wendy, there are three essential tips that must be done across your whole home to maximise buyer interest in your property: declutter, deep clean, and maximise natural light.
- Declutter
“For the overall feel of your home, it’s really important to declutter from top to bottom. We’re so used to living in our own home, so we don’t tend to see all the clutter!” she says.
“It’s about taking away personal photographs, removing things like fridge magnets and de-cramming your bookshelf – it’s best if they’re only half full to make them more visually appealing.”
- Deep clean
Wendy affirms that first impressions are really important, so making sure your entry and front garden is clean and tidy is absolutely vital.
“The second thing that’s essential is you must have your house cleaned or do a deep clean yourself,” she says.
“People can get distracted by mess and things like pet odours and smells, so a deep clean needs to be done.”
It doesn’t have to cost a lot, but you must take the time and care to ensure everything is spotless and maintained the whole time your property is on the market.
- Maximise natural light
“A house with lots of light is really inviting, so open your curtains and allow as much natural light to come in as possible,” Wendy says.
“If your house doesn’t have a lot of natural light, buy a lamp so when people walk in your room it’s nice and bright.”
ROOM BY ROOM
For every room in your home, Wendy reveals her most important tips that will optimise and enhance your selling prospects.
Kitchen and dining room
BEFORE 
AFTER
“Clear your benches as much as possible – that means removing all your appliances and having as little as possible on your bench,” Wendy says.
“Obviously, the kitchen needs to be really, really clean and maybe add a little bit of greenery around the space.”
And remember to hide away your tea towels!
“There’s nothing worse than a tea towel on an oven … no one needs to see that!” she laughs.
Bedrooms
BEFORE 
AFTER 
BEFORE 
AFTER
“We often have lots of furniture and stuff that isn’t essential scattered around our bedrooms,” Wendy says.
“A bed bedside table and maybe a small desk can stay but all the other stuff needs to come out. It looks bigger that way.”
The little touches are what make this space sellable, she says.
“Make sure your bed linen is clean and your bed is made, and little touches like a cushion or a throw at the end is great. It doesn’t have to be super styled, just clean, tidy and open.”
Living room
BEFORE 
AFTER
The living room is one of the most important rooms in your house when staging to sell, according to Wendy.
“You really need to look at where the furniture placement is, because you don’t want someone walking into the back of a couch while entering the room. You want the space to have an open aspect,” she says.
“Another thing is to make sure the furniture you have isn’t overwhelming for the space. A floor rug is great for this as it softens the room. Cushions on the lounge are excellent and throw in a little bit of greenery or freshly cut flowers.”
It doesn’t have to be expensive, and things from Kmart and TK Max will work just fine.
“If you can’t afford flowers, just walk out into your garden and cut some lovely leaves, put them in a vase and there’s nothing better,” Wendy says.
“In most places I style, I’ll go out into their garden, pick out some greenery and put them in a vase and it’s lovely and fresh.”
Bathroom
“Your bathroom, just like your kitchen, needs to be clean with fresh towels and your benchtops as clear as possible,” Wendy advises.
“No one needs to see your toothbrush, your lady shaver or your toothpaste out on the bench!”
Wendy reveals your bathroom should remain minimalist and simple to achieve the greatest selling result.
“All you need is maybe a plant or a candle with some fresh, clean towels and that’s about it.”
The garden
“Gardens are hard in Canberra, but it’s really just the same principles as inside the house – keep it tidy, sweep your paths, keep your grass short and don’t leave your clothes on the line,” Wendy says.
“Oh, and no dog poo in your yard! You’d be surprised how many people forget to pick that up!”
She says you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show people you’re proud of your home, and if you follow these tips and tricks, you’ll be inviting buyers in by the dozens.
For more information, head to magentahomestaging.com.au
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