How to prepare your home for sale with Shelley Ferguson

Are you looking to get your property on the market? Interior designer Shelley Ferguson shares her industry knowledge to help you get your home ready for sale.

Stage your own open home

Pretend you’re a visitor to your own property and walk around like you would during an open home. While your home is a very personal and meaningful space, try to see it from an unbiased, unemotional point of view for the purpose of this exercise. Be critical and make a list of things that look out of place, cluttered or unfinished. 

Street appeal

The exterior of your home is like an advertisement promoting your business. As the first thing people see when visiting an open home, it’s a powerful opportunity to make a good impression. Stand back and take a long hard look at the exterior of your home from the street. Try to make a clear path to the door, even if it means adding a line of pavers. Ensure you have a manicured lawn and garden, the roof and gutters are clean and clear, and the exterior paint job looks fresh. This doesn’t have to be an expensive or time consuming exercise – the results you can achieve after a day’s work with gardening tools and a water blaster can be amazing. 

Tackle that to-do list

When it comes to our home, most of us have a constant to-do list that never actually gets done. Schedule time aside to tick off that list as quickly as you can. Replace those blown light bulbs, sand back that chipped skirting board, touch up those holes in the walls from picture hooks and paint over discoloured wall marks.

De-clutter & clean

Shelley recommends getting rid of up to 30% of your home’s contents when preparing your home for sale. If you’re struggling to be decisive when decluttering, choose a charity to donate your goods to. Clearing out your wardrobe is much easier if you can imagine the thankful, smiling lady who is the proud new owner of that patterned dress.

Layer on a style

Cohesive homes often look the most stylish because there is a considered theme throughout. While there is nothing wrong with an eclectic interior mix, a good edit of pieces that look out of place can simplify and unify spaces. If you’re stuck for inspiration, some of the most popular interior styles in the world are coastal, modern, industrial, Scandinavian and traditional, so choose one that you identify with and add hints of it throughout your home.

Hero your beds

If you’re keen on selling but lack the time, money or style sense to invest in your interior, style your beds like a pro to add a focal point to each room. Layering is the easiest way to achieve this, using a coverlet first with a duvet or large throw that can be folded back. Invest in Euro pillows, sleeping pillows and scatter pillows, and stack these to create vertical interest (against a headboard for maximum impact). 

Market to the five senses

While they may not realise it, people’s five senses are hard at work while viewing open homes and if you can get them firing all at once the result is a memorable and positive one. For example ‘sight’ is a lovely organised home; ‘touch’ can be addressed by adding texture to spaces in the form of cushions, rugs and plants that evoke a feeling of softness and comfort; while fresh coffee, baking or elegant diffusers and candles can address ‘smell’.

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