Million-dollar makeover: Where designer homes fetch top dollar

Cayley Scrooby, of Sovereign Interiors, knows the value of professional design

A designer’s touch could add close to $1 million to the sale price of your home, with new research revealing just how much Queensland buyers will pay for scroll-stopping visual appeal.

An analysis of more than 115,000 listings across the country on realestate.com.au showed homes that had been professionally styled or architecturally designed were selling for more than double the price in some areas.

The premium was more modest in the Sunshine State, topping out at 53 per cent in Eight Mile Plains, the study by Sovereign Interiors found.

There was a big difference in the price of designer and ordinary homes sold in Eight Mile Plains

A statewide breakdown shows three-bedroom designer homes across Queensland attracted an average mark-up of 14.73 per cent, while those with four bedrooms sold for 10 per cent more.

Interestingly, the price of two-bedders was virtually the same, whether they were architecturally designed or not.

But buyers in some suburbs were paying significantly more to claim the keys to a showstopper home.

In Camp Hill, an architect or interior designer added $951,713 to the price of a four-bedroom house, while the return on investment was $718,000 in Highgate Hill (three bedrooms).

Designer buyers paid more than $500,000 extra in Eatons Hill (four bedrooms), Wavell Heights (four bedrooms), and South Brisbane (three bedrooms).

Camp Hill was another hotspot for designer buyers in Brisbane

Bespoke three-bedroom properties in Eight Mile Plains sold for $425,758 more, while owners in Yeronga, Carina, Holland Park West and Auchenflower were all collecting a premium of $400,000-plus.

The data also showed suburbs with more designer listings tended to achieve a higher premium for those properties.

Interior stylist Cayley Scrooby, of Sovereign Interiors, said the study analysed listings with tags such as custom, bespoke or interior design or styling to identify involvement by an architect or interior designer.

Cayley Scrooby, of Sovereign Interiors, said buyers were drawn to homes with a sense of flow, quality and functionality.. Picture: Jerad Williams

“The findings reveal that professional design not only enhances aesthetics but also substantially increases property value,” Ms Scrooby said.

“In Australia’s competitive real estate landscape, design quality is no longer just a luxury, it’s a clear and measurable investment in a property’s future worth.”

Brisbane interior designer Peace Lehman, who styled her own Hendra Queenslander for sale, highlighted the strategic approach required.

“When styling a home for sale the goal is to create a strong emotional connection between the buyer and the home,” Ms Lehman said.

“One popular strategy is to appeal to as many buyers as possible, but in a very active market you may become lost in the crowd.

Peace Lehman and her Steve Gosarevski at their Hendra home. Picture: Richard Walker

“I’ve had agents tell me buyers say to them, ‘please don’t show me another white box’.”

She recommended investing in a few key pieces to either “help [the buyer] envisage living there themselves, or tell the story of the home”.

“I’ve seen Hamptons-style homes staged with ultra contemporary furniture and it doesn’t feel authentic.”

Ms Lehman’s home at 33 Chermside St is marketed by Jill Wright-Wooton, of Place Estate Agents Ascot, and goes under the hammer on September 13.

Ms Wright-Wooton said a professionally styled or designed home not only worked to ensure the listing stood out, but also “plays to the dream of the new property” for buyers.

“I don’t think you can actually put a value on the impact that styling can create in terms of that initial desire to inspect,” Ms Wright-Wooton said.

Yeronga buyers also paid a premium for professional design

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“There are going to be more homes coming to market with the traditional spring selling season now here, and that is great for buyers. For sellers, it means you do need to create something that is a showstopper to really get the [inquiry] numbers and the final high-end price.”

Where once buyers chased location and land size, soaring construction costs and long wait times had swayed many to consider a move-in ready home, rather than take on a fixer-upper, she said.

“People are trying to decide between doing it themselves or having the ease of purchasing a property where all the work is done, and when a home is beautifully presented it really does emphasise how much time they will save.”

Ms Scrooby said buyers were drawn to homes with a sense of flow, quality and functionality.

Design can tell the story of a home, Ms Lehman said

Beautiful design should complement daily life with an emphasis on smart storage, generous bench space in the kitchen, and smooth transitions between rooms.

“A professionally designed space isn’t just about luxury finishes, it’s about how a home feels to live in. That emotional response is what often pushes a buyer to pay more,” Ms Scrooby said.

“It’s the practical stuff people fall in love with, even if they don’t realise it at first.

“When a layout flows and a home supports your day-to-day life, that’s what creates real value.”

The post Million-dollar makeover: Where designer homes fetch top dollar appeared first on realestate.com.au.