Home Styling: An Affordable Refresh

When a million dollar + property goes on the market, chances are it has been staged to make it more appealing to affluent buyers, and command top dollar. The best stagers have a warehouse full of furniture and accessories that they can bring into an empty property to make it look like you just walked into a magazine shoot. They also charge a pretty penny for it, which is why "less expensive" properties don't opt for staging, since it's harder to get a return on investment.

Image: thedesignchaser.com

Enter styling: an inexpensive but equally effective alternative. Styling starts with decluttering a home, re-arranging articles that you already have, and adding some details and accessories to pull it all together. Styling also allows the home to appeal to a wide range of buyers, increasing the potential sale price of the property, without the hefty price tag. ​ Styling is also a great option if you are looking to refresh a room, or your home, but don't want to spend a lot of money on new furniture. I recently worked on a 4 bedroom 3 bath home in the Rio Vista neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. This home that had been lived in by the same family for over 20 years, and needed a lot of decluttering, and a little love. The result: the home sold in 3 days, at a record-breaking price per square foot and an ROI of over 3 to 1 of what the seller would otherwise have gotten vs. the styling costs.

Styling is also a great option if you are looking to refresh a room, or your home, but don't want to spend a lot of money on new furnishings.