When prospective buyers are brought into your home you need to appeal to their senses and not overpower them with you own personal tastes. Neutralizing your home with a minimal investment can easily reap maximum dollars.
First you need to look at your home in an objective way. See it the way others do. Ask a friend or relative to help. Consult with an interior designer. Ask you realtor. The goal is to emphasize the strong points of your home to give the prospective buyer the feeling that your house will work - for them. We need to appeal to our buyer’s senses - visual, auditory, olfactory and kinesthetic.
All surfaces should be sparkly clean.
If all else fails, camouflage. Let’s start the tour.
Entry: This area is very important. If the exterior didn’t excite them, here’s your chance to impress them; if the exterior was favorable, here’s the opportunity to begin cementing the sale. The National Association of Home Builders reports that 74 percent of home buyers want and expect an entry area to be a feature of their next home. If you don’t have one, create one, perhaps with a piece of artwork and a floor plant. Remove heavily patterned wall cover. Mirrors can help a small or dark entry. Add an inexpensive area rug to give the look of richness and luxury. Remember lighting - a chandelier hanging from an 8’ ceiling tends to make the ceiling ‘feel’ lower. Use a flush mounted style or recessed fixture.
Living Room and Family Rooms: Too much furniture can make a room appear smaller. Consider relocating or removing unnecessary chairs, table, etc. Rooms need a sense of order & function. You may desire to change the traffic patterns in your room for a better flow. A corner in need of furniture fills nicely with a large floor plant. Establish some drama by placing a light can on the floor behind a plant or sofa. If you want to establish a feeling of separate groupings such as a writing or reading area, use a separate light source to provide a sense of definition. If you have a fireplace, light it to give both a cozy feeling and a wonderful aroma.
Dining Room: Create a warm impression by setting the table. Try some inexpensive fresh flowers to add fragrance as well as warmth.
Dining Room: Create a warm impression by setting the table. Try some inexpensive fresh flowers to add fragrance as well as warmth.
Bedroom: As the bed is most likely the dominant piece of furniture, be sure the bed linens are neat & attractive. Limit your pieces of furniture to the essentials to have the room appear larger. Clean up up the closets - overstuffed can make even a large closet look small!
Kitchen: Appearances here are critical. The color of your appliances & fixtures is the big tip off to the age of a product. White gives little hint of age - investing in re-spraying may increase the perceived value. Clear away clutter, add accent with colorful accessories. A nice throw rug can cover drab or worn floors.
Bathroom: Serious consideration should be given to damaged fixtures, cracked tiles, etc. If a room is just dated, compensate with improvements such as a new faucet, cabinet hardware and towels. Add a good sized mirror above the sink to significantly brighten & open up the room. Remember to remove personal effects.
With very little effort and investment, you too can get maximum results by neutralizing your home.
