Home styling is all about maximising your property’s assets and minimising its flaws. In today’s ultra-competitive market, simply giving your rooms a lick of paint may not be enough – you need to consider factors such as scent, lighting and whether your home is over-personalised. By following these tips, you can make your property appealing to the highest possible number of potential buyers, which will hopefully result in a swifter sale, for a better price.
Ignite your Senses
Touch
- A thorough clean and new or shampooed carpets can make a huge difference and of all the home-staging tips, cleaning is the most essential. Your property should be absolutely spotless before any viewers step through the door. Cleaning doesn’t just include vacuuming and scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen, but also replacing old shower curtains, cleaning or renewing the grouting between tiles, cleaning windows and frames, steaming the carpet, dusting skirting boards and having the oven professionally cleaned.
- De-cluttering is also worth a second mention. It’s a great thing that we live in such a diverse world, but remember that not everyone will share your passion for those quirky ornaments, or abstract art. The aim of this exercise is to make your home as appealing to the widest possible audience.
- Begin by sorting through your possessions – have boxes labelled with those things you want to ‘keep’, those you can ‘donate to charity’, things that can be ‘recycled’ and other things that are ‘rubbish’. Aside from the aesthetic bonus for the photographs & viewings, it will also make packing much easier and quicker on moving day. Renting a storage container is a quick, inexpensive option for any larger items or boxes of non-essential items.
- The elusive ‘kerb appeal’ can be hard to define but it essentially refers to a house that looks impressive from the road. Whilst many buyers may be loath to admit that kerb appeal (and impressing their friends) is essential to them, the lack of it is a deal-breaker for a surprising number of viewers. To maximise your home’s kerb appeal, make sure the front garden, gates and driveway are as neat and tidy as possible; have the front door and window frames painted if needed and clean the windows. Small touches such as adding a doormat or flower pots can also make a difference.
Taste
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When you’re trying to sell your home, it’s important to emotionally detach from the property. You can still treasure your memories there, but you need to see it as a product to advertise and sell. Make sure you remove anything that’s over-personalised - whether it’s family photos or an unusual style of art of which you are a fan. Remember, not everyone has a penchant for a suit of armour in their dining room, “hunting trophies” on the wall, or other taxidermy, exotic sculptures or the ‘old wild west’! If something can be construed as somewhat controversial, unique or slightly out of the ordinary then it’s worth considering putting it in storage before the photographer arrives, as even these items shown in the photographs could be off-putting to some buyers.
- ‘Neutralising’ is a good way to think of it. Viewers want to be able to imagine their personal possessions in the space, and if the rooms are too ‘you’, it will make it hard for them to do this and may put them off. You should also try to gender neutralise your rooms, so that they will appeal to both sexes. Avoid overly masculine or feminine décor and furnishings.
- Your furniture is probably arranged to suit your living habits, but for viewings, you want it arranged in the way that looks the best. Many people also make the mistake of thinking that pushing all the furniture against the walls will make a room look larger. However, this isn’t the case. Instead, float furniture away from the walls, reposition chairs in cozy, conversational groups and organise it so that the main walkways in the rooms are clear. This will both make the space look larger and make its functionality obvious to potential buyers.
- It’s easy to cram clutter into cupboards in an effort to tidy up before a viewing. However, if there’s one thing buyers are guaranteed to do on a viewing, its check out the storage. Make sure storage is neat and tidy to show it in its best light and maximise the space available.
- Remove signs of family life. This tip somewhat falls into the realm of removing clutter, but there are certain essentials of daily life that people often overlook when they’re tidying for a viewing. The bathroom is the main culprit – make sure you store away bottles, toothbrushes etc. Likewise, remove items such as washing-up bowls and drainers from the kitchen, as well as things like clothes horses. If you’re selling your house, you want to ensure the viewings give you the best possible chance of being successful. By staging your home to maximise its assets and minimise its flaws, you can secure a quicker sale for the right price.
Sight
- Ensure there is good lighting. Lighting can have a powerful impact on viewers’ impressions of your home, and dark or slightly drab areas are likely to be a turn-off. Even if a room has limited natural light, there are things you can do to brighten it. Make sure there are a number of light sources and check that all the bulbs are working. A large mirror on one wall is also a clever way to make the space appear both brighter and bigger.
- Resurface your driveway If your driveway is looking past its best, with cracks and potholes in the concrete or paving, then you should consider resurfacing this area, in order to enhance your home’s kerb appeal.
- Modernising your light switches and sockets to a design that looks cleaner and contemporary is a sure-fire way to improve the overall appearance of any room, making it look ‘fresher’ and expensively decorated. Dimmer switches are also a popular inclusion in living areas, as they give a nice, soft-light effect at night, which again will appeal to the potential home buyers who may look around your property in the evening time.
- Outdoor lighting is also beneficial, adds character and is great for showing off the features of the garden and grounds.
- Visually increase your home’s square footage, for instance, the inclusion of a mirror on the wall of a narrow hallway will give the appearance of a larger, more light-filled space. You can also change your window treatments from heavy drapes to light and airy cream curtains or blinds, to try and get as much natural light into your home as possible.
- Investing in the redecoration and renovation jobs that need doing will help to present your property in a more favourable light to potential buyers. There are numerous home improvement shows on TV that will tell you to paint every wall magnolia, but we would caution against this. Each room should be defined and tastefully decorated to suit its purpose.
Smell
- Have you ever walked past a shop and smelt a strong, pleasing aroma? For example, a children’s store emitting a smell of sweets, or the bakery with fresh bread? This is known as scent marketing, and brands have known for decades that it’s a powerful way to make products more attractive. Scent is powerfully linked to our emotions and unpleasant smells, such as damp or bins, could make viewers think negatively about your property.
- Scent marketing is a technique that you can utilise when you’re trying to sell your house. Avoid air fresheners, as this can give the appearance that you’re trying to cover up a bad odour. Instead, opt for natural scents, such as freshly cut flowers or freshly brewed coffee. You could also try boiling water with lemon peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks, apple, and orange for a subtle scent, or make your own potpourri from essential oils, dried herbs, spices and fruits. Even simply airing your home in advance of viewings by opening windows can make a world of difference.
- Remove evidence of pets. Not everyone will love your four-legged friends as much as you do, and some viewers may even find the thought that the property has been home to animals off-putting. Animals can leave lingering smells and hairs, so have friends or family look after them during viewings. You should also make sure that litter trays, food bowls, toys and other items are out of sight.
Listen
- Ask a friend to give you their honest opinion on your home and what they like about it and what they don’t. Listen carefully to their opinions and consider what potential buyers may think too.
- Planting a tree in your garden is a relatively cheap, largely overlooked improvement that many homeowners could do to make their gardens more attractive. As well as looking great, mature landscaping features such as trees are good for the environment, offer shade and make a lovely home for nearby wildlife.
If you’re thinking of selling your home, or indeed struggling to sell your home, using a professional property marketing agency rather than just another estate agent will give you greater potential to sell your home on your own terms.
For example, we have just agreed a sale of a beautiful home in Burn Bridge, on the south fringe of Harrogate. A substantial four bedroom malthouse conversion in a quiet village location. This property initially went on the market in March 2015 and had been offered for sale by two well- known local and two national agents, all of whom failed to sell it. In the four years it was on the market the owners were advised to lower the price four times from the initial asking price!
In January of this year the owners were so despondent with all the other agents that they sought our help to achieve the sale they really needed in order to move on with their lives. After following our advice, and making a few small changes, we sent in our professional photographer and we created a unique marketing campaign to ensure that they would achieve the sale price they needed. By working with us, the seller was able to achieve a sale price within 2% of the asking price!
At Alexander Gibson, we specialise in property marketing; providing a unique service, tailored to your home. We will provide you with our expert advice specific to your home in order to get you the result you need.
To find out what makes us different, call us on 01423 563077 and let us help you move on to new pastures!