[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":147},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-2026-06-22-the-case-for-professional-styling":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":129,"date":130,"description":13,"extension":131,"keywords":132,"meta":139,"navigation":140,"path":141,"seo":142,"source":143,"sourceUrl":143,"stem":144,"summary":145,"__hash__":146},"guides\u002Fguides\u002F2026-06-22-the-case-for-professional-styling.md","The case for professional property styling","helm",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":114},"minimark",[10,14,17,22,25,29,34,37,41,44,48,51,55,58,62,65,69,72,76,79,102,105],[11,12,13],"p",{},"Scroll through any major property portal and something quickly becomes obvious: some homes stop you in your tracks and others don't. The ones that do almost always have one thing in common. They've been professionally styled.",[11,15,16],{},"Property styling, or home staging as it's sometimes called, is the process of furnishing and presenting your home specifically for sale. It's not about making things look pretty for the sake of it. It's a deliberate strategy built around how buyers think, what they respond to emotionally and what gets them reaching for their phone to book an inspection.",[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"what-a-stylist-actually-does","What a stylist actually does",[11,23,24],{},"A good property stylist isn't just someone with nice taste. They're combining interior design skill with a working knowledge of real estate buyer psychology. They'll assess your home, identify what needs to be addressed and put together a tailored plan based on your property type, location and the kind of buyer most likely to come through the door. The whole installation is usually done in a single day, and the furniture and accessories are hired for the duration of your campaign.",[18,26,28],{"id":27},"why-its-worth-the-investment","Why it's worth the investment",[30,31,33],"h3",{"id":32},"_1-your-photos-will-actually-stand-out","1. Your photos will actually stand out",[11,35,36],{},"Almost everyone starts their property search online, which means your listing photos are doing an enormous amount of heavy lifting. A styled home photographs in a completely different league to an empty or lived-in one. More compelling photos mean more click-throughs, which means more people at your open home.",[30,38,40],{"id":39},"_2-buyers-start-imagining-themselves-there","2. Buyers start imagining themselves there",[11,42,43],{},"This is the real magic of styling. When someone walks into a bedroom that feels like a retreat, or a living room that feels genuinely inviting, they start placing themselves in it. That emotional connection is what separates a curious visitor from a motivated buyer making a serious offer.",[30,45,47],{"id":46},"_3-empty-rooms-actually-look-smaller","3. Empty rooms actually look smaller",[11,49,50],{},"It sounds counterintuitive but it's true. Furniture gives a room context and scale. Without it, buyers struggle to understand how a space works and often underestimate how much will actually fit. The right furniture in the right proportions makes rooms feel more usable and more generous.",[30,52,54],{"id":53},"_4-the-return-can-be-real","4. The return can be real",[11,56,57],{},"Estimates of the uplift from styling vary, but they consistently point the same way. One LJ Hooker study put the potential boost to a final sale price at between 7.5% and 12.5%. Even at the conservative end, that return typically exceeds what you pay for it. On a $900,000 property, a 7.5% uplift would be $67,500.",[30,59,61],{"id":60},"_5-especially-important-for-vacant-properties","5. Especially important for vacant properties",[11,63,64],{},"If your property is empty, styling isn't really optional. An unfurnished home is cold, hard to visualise and easy for buyers to undervalue. A well-staged vacant property can actually outperform occupied homes because the presentation is consistent and curated without the distraction of someone else's belongings.",[30,66,68],{"id":67},"_6-its-targeted-not-generic","6. It's targeted, not generic",[11,70,71],{},"The best stylists aren't just making things look nice. They're making strategic decisions based on who's going to buy your property. A beachside apartment and a suburban family home require completely different approaches, and a quality stylist knows the difference.",[18,73,75],{"id":74},"what-does-it-cost","What does it cost?",[11,77,78],{},"Styling costs vary depending on property size, location and how much of the home needs to be staged. As a rough guide:",[80,81,82,90,96],"ul",{},[83,84,85,89],"li",{},[86,87,88],"strong",{},"Two-bedroom home:"," around $2,500 to $4,000",[83,91,92,95],{},[86,93,94],{},"Three-bedroom home:"," around $3,500 to $6,500",[83,97,98,101],{},[86,99,100],{},"Four bedrooms and above:"," generally $6,500 upwards",[11,103,104],{},"Fees in Sydney and Melbourne tend to be higher than in Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth. If budget is a concern, partial styling focused on the living room, master bedroom and kitchen can still make a significant difference without requiring the full investment.",[11,106,107,108,113],{},"Styling works best on top of the fundamentals. If you haven't covered those yet, start with ",[109,110,112],"a",{"href":111},"\u002Fguides\u002F2026-06-22-getting-your-home-ready-for-sale","getting your home ready for sale",".",{"title":115,"searchDepth":116,"depth":116,"links":117},"",2,[118,119,128],{"id":20,"depth":116,"text":21},{"id":27,"depth":116,"text":28,"children":120},[121,123,124,125,126,127],{"id":32,"depth":122,"text":33},3,{"id":39,"depth":122,"text":40},{"id":46,"depth":122,"text":47},{"id":53,"depth":122,"text":54},{"id":60,"depth":122,"text":61},{"id":67,"depth":122,"text":68},{"id":74,"depth":116,"text":75},"Guide","2026-06-22","md",[133,134,135,136,137,138],"property styling","home staging Australia","does home staging add value","property styling cost","vacant property styling","styling before selling",{},true,"\u002Fguides\u002F2026-06-22-the-case-for-professional-styling",{"title":5,"description":13},null,"guides\u002F2026-06-22-the-case-for-professional-styling","Styling, or home staging, is the difference between a listing that stops the scroll and one that gets skipped. Here is what a stylist actually does, why it works and what it costs.","en5ATeY1i_0yoFCmmyh_Ck33DQW9UE04RDUTUIoPBZ8",1782222779597]