When you’re preparing to sell your home, it’s understandable if you pause to ask yourself if you’re really doing enough to appeal to buyers and maximise the value of the property.
You can spend hours doing all sorts of improvements, but is that effort really going to make a material difference? Equally, if you completed a thousand small tasks, won’t they add up and give potential buyers the best possible presentation?
If trying to achieve the highest possible price is your goal – and, believe it or not, that’s not always the case with sellers – then you certainly don’t want to finish the preparation and feel you could have done better.
Sweating the small stuff does make an impact because it stops the buyer from being distracted from the true value and beauty of your home.
Agents will always stress the importance of making a great first impression. A tidy garden is essential, and if the exterior looks tired with flaking paint, then you should address that issue. Why? Because so many prospective buyers will see your home online and then do a drive-by to check it out before calling an agent.
Indoors, you want to declutter and depersonalise so prospective buyers can imagine themselves living in the property rather than feeling like a guest in your home.
If you’re seeking inspiration to lift buyers’ experience, here are seven ideas to help your home feel a little more chic and modern:
Instant luxe – A few table accessories and some quality throw blankets across an armchair or couch will give your home a modern, colourful and welcoming appeal.
Very cushy – Plumped up cushions on couches and beds provide a point of visual interest. It can help the buyer feel like they’re experiencing the domestic equivalent of a five-star hotel. If you see any home online that’s been styled, you can be sure cushions have a lead role.
Artistic touch – Modern artworks on the walls – and not too many of them – will also work to modernise your home. Avoid cliche prints, such as a London bus going down a rainy street, and instead find more modern art that changes the mood of the room while not making a big statement.
Light work – Updating the lighting fixtures can make a huge difference to the look and feel of a home. You can splurge thousands of dollars, of course, but retailers at the cheaper end of the market also offer practical and attractive lighting solutions. Be aware you may need a qualified electrician to install them.
Layered look – Stylists and interior designers love the so-called “layered look”, in which you use coffee table books and small pot plants to add a visual depth to the room.
Stylish soap – Decanted hand soap in the bathrooms and toilets are a favourite touch of stylists when preparing a home for sale. Decanters for soap are very cheap, and it’s a much nicer look than the plastic bottles you buy in a supermarket.
Fabulous fragrance – A subtle, pleasant scent, such as fresh flowers or a mildly-scented room spray, is a common styling technique that can make a home feel welcoming, but it’s important to avoid overpowering fragrances.