Domain Article

"A Sale for All Seasons" - Domain Article

The following interview with Kym Smirnoff appeared in The Age on June 21.

House stylist Kym Smirnoff, of Regroup Enterprises, says presentation makes a huge difference no matter what the season. She can make small changes such as de-cluttering and rearranging furniture to give a house a makeover. She says: "I work with the character of the house - give it some soul. In winter, styling the house can make it warm and inviting; in summer, when there's a lot of properties on the market, it gives you the edge."

A carefully tended garden and imaginatively furnished rooms make all the difference if a house has been languishing on the market, Ms Smirnoff says.

She was called in to make over a Sorrento property that had been on sale for nine months. "We re-did the whole house and garden and it sold within two weeks."

Her business is based in Dromana and she says that showing a house at its best during winter can be something of a challenge - particularly a beach house. She makes the house as inviting and relaxing as possible and even checks the long-range weather forecasts. "You can't sell a beach house on a cold, rainy day," she says, "so, in consultation with the real-estate agent, open for inspections are held on pleasant days when possible."