Stylin’ your house to sell
Published Friday November 6th, 2009
Neutralize your space and take out family photos
When it comes to decorating your home, we are always stressing how important it is to find your style and translate that into elements in your space. This rule is true … except when it comes time to sell your home. When you decide to list your home, if you want to get the best offer, you need to decorate to show your home’s best assets and minimize any trouble areas. You want to focus on showing a new, organized space that looks updated without emphasizing your own tastes and personality.
The first thing to tackle is organizing all the stuff that usually gets thrown in the closet, basement, or junk drawer. When you open your door to prospective buyers, they are free to look in closets, pantries and even your refrigerator and cutlery drawers. All storage spaces should be clean and organized and should look only half full, as you want to give the buyer the idea that you have more than enough room for all their stuff. This is a great time to purge un-needed items. Remember, the more you can get rid of, the less you have to pack. After purging, if you still have too much stuff left over and can’t bare to part with it, consider renting storage space or ask a friend for the use of a corner in their basement for a few weeks. Try dressing up these spaces with baskets, decorative boxes and totes.
Next, complete any uncompleted jobs and think about what you can easily update. This is a great time to finish the crown moulding in the living room, rip down that old border in the kitchen, or replace worn-out carpet in the kids’ rooms. You should also make sure that you will benefit from the changes financially. An entire kitchen renovation may not get you the return on investment that you are looking for, but new paint, hardware or countertop can breathe life into an outdated room.
Take this opportunity to neutralize your space, using paint colours that will appeal to the largest amount of buyers and taking down any décor that will distract people, such as your family photos. Remember, you want buyers to easily see themselves in your space, not pictures of you.
Next, edit your furniture. Each room should have a natural traffic flow without any impediments. Again, you don’t want any room to look crowded, giving the impression that it is small.
Ensure your entire house is clean inside and out and looks well cared for. People will be more likely to picture themselves feeling comfortable in your space without making a mental list of every chore that needs to be done. Show your house to its greatest potential from the get-go by sprucing up its curb-appeal, presenting a clean and airy entrance and a clean, uncluttered living space. Don’t let their lasting impression of the house be that it needed a lawn mowing or a steam-clean in the bathroom.
Use some of these suggestions to put your best foot forward if you are thinking about selling. First impressions are so important. Hiring a professional to come in to give you a fresh perspective is always worth it. Try to remember it is a business transaction not a personal attack on your decorating style or housekeeping abilities. A home stager can help make some harder decisions with you and help prioritize what improvements will get you closer to the asking price you would like and into your next dream home.
Interior decorators Becky Geyssen and Jill Madore are kitchen designers at Design By Valley Dream Kitchens on Hampton Road. Questions or comments can be sent to becky@window-shop.ca or call 849-1010.
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