Styling your home and hiring a professional photographer
Styling Your Home
I had the pleasure of meeting Frances O’Duffy, she’s like the fairy god mother of home styling, she waves her wand and transforms your home into a palace sort of like Cinderellas fairy god mother…Frances O’Duffy is a professional home staging/styling consultant and the owner of Stage it Yourself. We met on the North Shore at a beautiful home she had just finished waving her magic wand over.
I had a few questions for Frances….
How will home staging/styling help to sell my home? Frances says that a well styled and presented home will sell quicker and can overall achieve a higher sale price. Styling will help your property stand out from your competition and get buyers through the door and promotional photos are the potential buyer's first insight into your property, therefore, they must create a lasting impression.
You offer a 1 hour consultation, what does this involve? I offer an initial consultation for just $50 + GST. The consultation involves a walk through your home. I offer advice on colours, furniture placement with discussion around removing or utilising your own furniture and accessories. I may suggest soft furnishings and accessories you can hire from me.
Are different levels of home staging available? I offer partial styling services which includes lamps, cushions, throws, rugs, some artwork, small tables, bed linen, bathroom towels and decor items.
How long can I hire the staging items for? Generally home styling works around the marketing campaign for your home. 1 week prior to photography and video and 4 weeks marketing. This can be extended for a negotiated fee.
Do you come before each open home to re-stage the house? No but I’m open to discussion if you are
What type of styling items do you have available to hire? I offer a variety of lamps, cushions, throws, rugs, some artwork, small tables, bed linen, bathroom towels and decor items.
What if our furniture is old and worn and outdated? I’m a whizz at making spaces and furniture look amazing within reason but if your furniture has really seen better days then you might want to consider full home styling.
How much will it cost to stage my home? To give you an idea styling for a 1 bedroom home will cost $300 + gst and a 4-5 bedroom home will be around $650 + gst. No loan package is too small and I’m happy to discuss you individual needs. I was curious to know if she had taken photos before she did her magic. Here’s what she showed me, pre staging on the left are Frances’s photos taken on her phone. On the right, photos after the magic styling and with professional photography…..hard to believe this is the same property!It’s easy to see how combining home styling and professional real estate photography is a win win marketing combination!
You can contact Frances at Stage It Yourself by clicking this link
Hiring a Professional Photographer
DIY? Professional?
Should you take your own photos or should you hire a professional real estate photographer?
I have come across a few private sellers who have taken their own photos and started marketing on various sites such as trade me. After a few weeks of little or no response to their ads they call me realising that their photos are not doing justice to their beautiful home. It is worth paying the minimal cost for professional real estate photos…hit the market running with a set of beautifully crafted images of your property and win the hearts and minds of your buyers before they step through the door. Your buyers first impression of your home is created by photos….Great Photos!Here are a few examples:On the left are examples of images shot using only ambient light (room/window light) so no artificial lighting, exposure bracketing settings (changing F stops) or editing - similar to using your cell phone but without a wide angle lens. On the right are images that have been shot using professional DSLR camera, ambient and artificial lighting, exposure bracketing and final processing using photoshop editing techniques.
