Have you ever been in somebody’s home and felt like you walked through a time machine into the 1970’s? Loudly-coloured walls, long-forgotten furniture styles, extravagant linoleum floors…a scene like that sets a strong impression with any visitor. Tastes change so quickly. And having different tastes is great! It’s just that, it can have a negative effect when you want to put your home on the market. Spaces that come across as too unfamiliar and “out there” can turn potential buyers away from a great home. This is something that we want to help you avoid.
If you think it’s time to re-consider the décor of your home, we have some pointers that’ll benefit you in successfully selling a newly decorated household.
Remove Racy Decorations
First off, go around your home and decide what items are a little too “out there” for some people. The things that are symbols of your expressions should remain super important to you, just keep in mind that viewers will to try and project their own vision of your home and will need minimal distractions. Think ostentatious paintings, large books with alienating titles, anything that could be interpreted as clutter.
Allow them to imagine your home as theirs by limiting the things that currently make it your own. Replace them with more neutral pieces such as small plants or a few tasteful family pictures; just enough personality to help trigger ideas in viewers’ heads without clouding them too much.
Throw On A Bit of Paint
Always a trustworthy tip when you’re looking to spruce up your home, it’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to liven up your living spaces. Bold and loud colours on your walls can be a little off-putting to the regular homebuyer, so we recommend you adopt safer tones like white or a light grey instead. Something that can help the natural light stand out in a room, as opposed to a darker wall colour drowning it out!
Another thing you can do to update any wood-stained cabinets in your kitchen or bathrooms is to give them a few coats of paint to help modernize the space, making it appear larger and cleaner. All of which will assist in winning over anyone seeing your home.
‘Update’ Your Furniture
You know the saying “The devil is in the details”? This is especially appropriate for the overall décor of your home. Take your furniture for instance: maybe you have a couch that appears very outdated – particularly set against a freshly-painted set of walls. Some things, like uniquely designed chairs, can be moved around temporarily but a couch has such a dominating presence in your living room. If this is the case in your home, do not despair, for there is hope. Use smart layering and textured colours to cover up any risqué furnishings you have. New covers and complementary cushions can breathe new life into a couch. Ditto for a throw rug and elegant tray on top of your bed.
Have fun figuring out what you’d like to add to add interest to your rooms – but ensure that you don’t go overboard. Remember that, just like most of things in life, less is more!
Landscape Your Yards
If you’re fortunate to have a front or back yard to raise your home’s profile, you’ll want to make sure that it blows them away rather than disappoint. Like interiors, garden styles come and go – so make sure that your outdoor areas appear spacious and in line with modern tastes. Start with a visit your local greenhouse. Staff are normally very knowledgeable about the best plant life for your area, what’s fashionable and, if you bring them pictures, advice on how to get the best out of your garden.
Every yard is different, though general pointers could be adding one or two flowerbeds to a front green, perhaps with a small flowerbed along a walkway. Any garden gnomes or other statuettes, as previously discussed, should be removed. Keep your lawn cut and tidy, adorned with modestly coloured flowers and you’ll get that “Wow!” factor out of your home’s guests.
To wrap up, your home should let guests’ imaginations run wild with future plans, birthday parties and all kinds of precious memories. Give them a setting that allows projection without competing with someone else’s life story. Keep in mind that you have nothing to apologize for with the styles you love, and don’t feel the need to change around everything. Simply consider how you would want a home to be presented, in a way that you can visualize your things in their space. Give that to a homebuyer and you’ll be incredibly appealing and off the market soon!
If you have any thoughts or questions on how you can transform your space into a more modern attractive buying prospect, feel free to get in touch!