Australian Home Stager Increases Property Value by $30,000

Colette Smith has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. This former owner and operator of a picture framing and gallery shop is now using her business acumen and talent for decorating to help homeowners in the Perth Metropolitan area of Australia sell their homes fast.

Colette is a Staging Diva® Graduate and the owner of Perth home staging business, Staged with Finesse. Her company recently helped a real estate investor increase the value of a property by $30,000.

This real estate investor was preparing to sell her unit in a 200 unit complex. The 2-bedroom unit was in a great location with river views but because it had been a long-standing rental, it needed to be updated before going to market.

Colette determined that the home’s target market was a professional couple or a small family and the home staging was done with that demographic in mind.

First, though, maintenance issues were attended to with non-working exhaust fans being replaced, new carpets installed and old cupboards removed. Walls were then painted in soft shades of grey and doors and trim were done in dark charcoal to give the unit a smart, crisp and modern look.

The unit was staged with rental furniture, lamps, art, draperies and accessories all expertly chosen by Colette.

Colette’s client was a real estate agent in addition to being an investor and quickly determined that the asking price would have to go up after the transformation. There were two other units in the building for sale at the same time – one for $250,000 and another for $265,000.

The unit “Staged with Finesse” went on the market for $295,000 and sold to the first person to view it. Clear proof that home staging works!

Colette recently wrote to say, “Training with Debra Gould gave me the confidence to take what I knew I had and put it into practice. What I did for free before I now do for money and love what I am doing. The gleaming smiles of satisfaction on clients’ faces when they view the transformation is more important than the financial rewards at the end of the day. What a difference a day makes!”