Seven Tips for Styling your House to Sell
When styling your house for resale you want to appeal to the widest audience and create an emotional connection between that audience and your home. We share our top tips for getting potential buyers to fall in love with your home and start a bidding war!
1. Clear the Clutter
You can have too much of a good thing! While it is tempting to show off all your decor pieces, displaying too many items can make your space feel cluttered. Clutter can have the psychological effect of making you uncomfortable – not the feeling you want to create in potential buyers! Knowing when and how to edit is crucial in creating a welcoming, calm space. When in doubt, follow the Coco Chanel rule: “Take one thing off”!
2. Freshen up and stay neutral
Freshen up your walls with a lick of paint and your home will instantly feel brighter and cleaner. The safest option is to stick to a neutral colour like white that will appeal to more buyers.
3. Add greenery
Plants and floral arrangements add texture, interest and vibrancy– they literally breathe life into a space and are an indication of a home that is lived-in and loved. Comforting and calming, plants can help to set the mood for how you want potential buyers to feel whilst viewing your home.
4. Appeal to the senses
This may seem obvious but ensuring there are no nasty smells is crucial in making your home appealing to potential buyers. Research has shown that smell is closely related to emotion so creating a home that not only looks beautiful but smells amazing is a sure way to add appeal. Display fresh flowers, light a candle or even have some cookies baking in the oven to create a homely feel.
5. Add layers
Layer different textures to make your home feel warm and welcoming. For example, adding a throw and scatter cushions to a bed will make the bedroom feel cosy and inviting. Add tactile layers throughout the house to create an appealing home where your buyer can see themselves living.
6. Tell a Story
Create magical moments that make your home feel lived in. This is called ‘life styling’ and is what appeals to your buyers’ emotion, helping them envisage themselves relaxing or entertaining in your home. This could be a book on the bedside table that makes them feel like they could curl up in the comfy bed (that you styled earlier) or the jug of water and glasses ready for serving and entertaining their guests in the kitchen. Whatever the moment, create them throughout your house to really make it feel like a home.
7. Let there be light!
Have you ever been on a dinner date where the restaurant feels like a sterile school canteen because of the bright lights that refuse to be dimmed overhead? Doesn’t really set the mood does it? Alternatively, how loved up have you felt when the lighting is dimmed, with the soft, warm glow of a candle on the table between you and your love? Lighting is crucial to a successful interior. It sets the mood, illuminates your favourite corners, draws attention to where you want it to and can make everything look bigger and brighter. Opting for cool, white light in the kitchen will make it feel bigger, cleaner and is also the most practical for tasks. Alternatively, soft, warm light in the bedroom will create a relaxing setting.