VALUE judgement
HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT’S HOME ART OR FINE ART
Your elderly mum passed away and left you three paintings that she always told you were “quite valuable”. You neither like nor know the value of the paintings. What should you do?
I would take the paintings to a reputable auctioneer who specialises in art – I can think of two, Dunbar Sloane and Webb’s. Ask them to informally assess the value of the paintings and what they consider would be an appropriate reserve at auction. If they suggest a reserve of $200 or less for either painting, take them back and put them up on Trade Me. If you can’t be bothered with Trade Me, put them up for auction but know you might get very little after commission. Any painting they recommend a reserve of between $200 and $3000, then put it up for auction. If they suggest a reserve of more than $3000, I’d advise you to have the paintings formally valued by a qualified art dealer. You’ll then know what the works are worth and what to sell them for. Bear in mind it’s often difficult to sell artworks for their valuation figures. You may have to accept less.
You’re about to sell your house and don’t know whether to hire more modern furniture through a staging company. How much does this cost and is it worth it? Most staging companies seem to charge between $2000 to $ 4000 for a month, though this depends on the size of your home, whether you want the entire house ‘staged’ and where you live. As usual, Auckland seems more expensive than other places. The cost will also depend on how long it takes to sell your home. The amount companies charge may depend on the quality of the furniture they supply too. Don’t go for the cheapest. You need to provide a winning impact. Hire a staging company that offers furniture, paintings etc with ‘the wow factor’. Even the best furniture won’t look great if the general interior of the house looks tired. So first, attend to basic repairs and painting. Is staging worth it? There doesn’t appear to be any independent evidence one way or the other. But if you’re embarrassed by the state of your current decor, give it a shot.