1. DECLUTTERING
Your aim is to show your home at its very best to potential buyers. This means getting rid of clutter and presenting a clean, spacious home that people can imagine happily living in. Always remember that you are selling the house, not the contents! Cut down on non-essential pieces of furniture and accessories to ensure that your eye moves easily from room to room. Professional home stagers will often put at least half of your furniture in storage to make your home look bigger.
2. CREATE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
Make sure you impress potential buyers as soon as they enter your property. Ensure your front entrance is inviting. Paint your front door if it needs it. A bold colour can make a positive statement and a great first impression. Update any doorway furniture and add in a new front door mat. Clean the path, trim and maintain your plants and remove any cobwebs or dust from the area. Check your letterbox is clean and freshly painted and fix any loose pavers or fence palings. Finally, declutter the area of any shoe racks, storage or personal decorations.
3. PERFECTLY STYLED
Successfully presented homes have newly painted walls, well placed artwork, fresh flowers in main areas, sparkling mirrors and no kids toys lying around the floor. They feel spacious and well executed. There are a few small things that you can do to finish your home like a professional. Use artwork or mirrors to help fill up blank walls. Mirrors give the perception of space and are really effective in smaller rooms or to add light and reflect a view. Smaller bedrooms will look more spacious if you use a single bed rather than a double or a queen size. Pay attention to small details such as flowers. You don’t need to spend huge amounts of money, you can use interesting foliage and sculptural twigs, as well as investing in some elegant arrangements. Bedroom linen is also important. Invest in beautiful linen in soft colours that are relaxing and luxurious.
BEST WALL COLOURS
You need to put your personal preferences aside when you are decorating a home for resale. Appealing to the asses means that it is much safer to stick with tired and trusted shades of neutrals for your walls rather than experimenting with bold accent colours.
Most buyers want to the able to imagine how they can add their personality to a new home, so having a blank canvas to start with is the safest option. You also need to consider that buyers will have a variety of existing furniture and accessories, so neutral shades are more likely to coordinate in with these, rather than bold shades. If you want your rooms to appear bigger, consider painting adjacent rooms in the same colour so that they flow into each other. Try matching drapes and walls in similar shades if you want to create an illusion of space. Sheer fabrics will also give the illusion of space and light.
Try colours such as Rumour, Balzac, Peacetime, Coney, Heir or Loft, all available at Paint Place. They are all modern neutrals that are a wonderful blank canvas to overlay accessories. To create a strong first impression, explore the use of strong colour on your front door. Choose a bold shade of red such as Tomato Soup or Rhubarb Pie. Or alternatively, a deep purple shade such as Wild Flower or a more muted tone like Jazz it Up.
CREATING THE BEST FIRST IMPRESSION
Deciding to sell your home can be often be a stressful and busy time.
The aim is to sell as fast as possible and to achieve a higher than anticipated price. You need potential buyers to immediately identify with your home and establish a connection with it that has them imagining themselves living in the space. The best way to do that is to present a flawless, clean and perfectly styled and decorated home with any flaws cleverly disguised, and best features highlighted. Here are some simple ways to create the best impression to potential buyers.
CLEAN | FRESH | PAINT | REARRANGE FURNITURE
1. CLEAN & FRESHEN
Look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. Ensure that everything is clean and sparkly fresh. Wash your windows, clean paintwork, clean your curtains and ensure your appliances are in pristine condition. Pay attention to the small details such as removing cobwebs or scuff marks on your walls. Remember that buyers will be looking at your storage areas, so they need to be neat and tidy. Storage ranks very highly on a buyers priority list. Remove as much clutter as you can and try and show storage areas that are not crammed full of clothes. Straighten all of your clothes in your closet ‐ it makes a huge difference.
2. PAINT YOUR FRONT DOOR
Painting your front door creates a strong visual statement to a buyer. It defines the entranceway and improves your homes street appeal. Choose a colour that works well with your existing exterior colour scheme. The most impactful shades are bright reds, deep charcoals or rich purples. Choose a Gloss finish that is suitable for Exteriors and take the time to prepare your door correctly prior to painting. If you are choosing a shade of red, consider a statement piece such as a potted plant beside your door in a lush shade of green.
3. PAINT YOUR WALLS
Freshly painted walls have wonderful appeal to potential homebuyers. Painting your living areas a fresh neutral colour helps tone down any dated finishes in the space. Don't just focus on your walls; consider freshening up your ceilings and your skirting boards as well as doors and window frames. If you are using a neutral shade on your walls, pair them with a crisp white on the trims.
At Paint Place we have all the tools, expert tips & advice to help you get your home ready for a speedy sale!