Property Styling Costs in Australia: What Agents Should Know
A breakdown of property styling costs across Australian cities, plus tips on when styling is worth the investment.
Property styling has become standard in Australian real estate, particularly in the competitive markets of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. With the national median dwelling price at $922,838 and prices up 9.9% year-on-year, the stakes for every campaign are higher than ever. Understanding market rates helps you set realistic vendor expectations during the VPA discussion and ensures the styling spend is proportionate to the expected result.
Average costs by property type
- 1-bed apartment (partial style): $2,000-$3,500, common for inner-city units in suburbs like Surry Hills, South Yarra, and Fortitude Valley.
- 2-bed apartment (full style): $3,500-$5,500, standard for downsizer and investor stock.
- 3-bed house (full style): $4,500-$7,000, the bread-and-butter of suburban listings.
- 4-bed house (full style): $6,000-$9,000, typical for family homes in middle-ring suburbs.
- 5+ bed premium (luxury style): $8,000-$15,000+, expected for prestige listings in Toorak, Mosman, Paddington, and Cottesloe.
When is styling worth it?
- Vacant properties: almost always. An empty home photographs poorly and is harder for buyers to connect with at inspections.
- Owner-occupied with dated furniture: partial styling for key rooms such as living, dining, and master bedroom.
- Premium properties ($1.5M+): full luxury styling is expected by buyers and competing agents in this price bracket.
- Auction campaigns: styled properties attract more registered bidders, which is critical when clearance rates sit between 62-68%.
The styling cost is typically included in the VPA budget alongside photography, signboard, and portal advertising on realestate.com.au and Domain. Vendors who understand that styled properties sell 5-10% above comparable unstyled homes are usually willing to invest, especially when the agent can show examples from similar properties in the same suburb.
Comparing quotes on ListingsReady
Request quotes from multiple stylists at once through ListingsReady. Enter property details once, select the stylists you want, and compare quotes side by side. This saves time during the listing launch and gives you a clear comparison to present to the vendor.
Styled properties consistently sell 5-10% above comparable unstyled properties in the same street. In a market where the median is north of $900,000, that uplift pays for the styling many times over.