HONESTY BOX

SIMON GILL, DIRECTOR AND OWNER OF INTERIOR CONCEPTS HOMESTAGING

+ What styling mistakes do people make when preparing their home for sale? It ranges from not making enough effort to overdoing it. There are those that overdo colour so you need sunglasses to view their ad. Cluttered bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens just look messy.

+ What’s one thing every home-seller should do? Having a great set of photos is paramount. In order to achieve fabulous photos you need to do a bit of styling. Declutter your accessories and art and move furniture that is not to scale out of the way. Photos look best when there’s air around objects so even if you have to push items out of view, it’s well worth the effort.

+ Tips for styling a house to get the best results?

I recommend hiring a professional. But if you decide to do it yourself, look at updating your accessories to something more on trend. Gold or brass accents are warming and contemporary. House plants give a sense of nurturing (provided they are healthy) and, of course, add some fresh cut flowers. Rehang art in groups. Use different frames and sizes in a balanced way to make an impact. There’s nothing worse than seeing art hung too high or a small artwork placed on a large wall simply because there was a hook there when you moved in.

Consider every room in your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. Perhaps the study should be presented as a third bedroom to attract families, for example.

Make any outdoor space as liveable as possible to enable people to envisage spending time outside. Use outdoor sofas or lounge chairs to make it seem like another room; this feels much more sociable than a table setting and adds value to any home, no matter what the price bracket.