Sell your home faster this spring with these expert interior design tips!
- Pay particular attention to neutralising colour schemes and brightening spaces
- Remove all clutter – including pieces of furniture
- Use soft furnishings and scents to stage your home like a show home
Spring is well known to be the best time of year to sell your home. In fact, research by US firm Zillow found that homes listed for sale between 1-15 May sell an average of 18.5 days faster than those listed outside of that time period, as well as achieving a 1% higher sale price.
For those planning to take advantage of the spring sales season, the experts at Alexander James Interior Design have shared their top 10 tips for selling your home faster through creative interior design.
“First impressions count when it comes to selling your home. Everything has to look, feel and even smell perfect in order to impress prospective buyers. It’s essential to give your home the best chance possible of attracting new owners and interior design can play a key part in that.”
Stacey Sibley, Creative Director, Alexander James Interior Design
Alexander James’ top 10 tips for selling your home this spring
1. Be your own critic
Start by casting a critical eye over your home yourself, picturing it through the eyes of a potential buyer. Try and think about the tastes and requirements of the type of person who might buy your home, whether it be a family of six or a couple without children. If it is a family home, you may gear your changes towards a family-friendly layout.
2. Repaint
A fresh coat of a neutral paint colour can work wonders. Use it where needed to cover up more controversial colours, which could put off potential buyers by restricting their vision for the property.
3. Flooring
If carpets look tired, tatty and threadbare, it’s a good idea to replace them, if your budget permits. At the very least, professional carpet cleaning can make a huge difference when it comes to brightening up a room.
4. Declutter
Make the most of every inch of drawer, cupboard and wardrobe space that you have by removing unnecessary clutter. This will open up the space and leave room for the imagination. If you have somewhere to store it, you can even remove two or three pieces of furniture from each room, to really show your home’s features and create a spacious feel. In the kitchen, clear away toasters and kettles to give a clean finish to the room.
5. De-personalise
You’ve likely spent years personalizing your home to perfection. Now it’s time to undo your hard work! Eliminate personal effects so that your home becomes a place where potential buyers are able to envision themselves living. In particular, replace photographs with more generic artwork.
6. Accessorise
Gently accessorise to make your property feel like a home. Use a soothing colour palette to allow one room to flow into the next, creating a cohesive feel. Adding fresh flowers injects colour and warmth to a room, while green plants can add a contemporary touch, creating a feature within a living space. High end magazines can be displayed on a coffee table for a homely effect.
7. Soft furnishings
Soft furnishings are important and the use of luxury brands can really make a difference. While the brands themselves are unlikely to be noticed by the potential buyer, the overall impact will be to add a quality effect. Any garish colours or worn cushions should be replaced, creating a home that the prospective new owners can feel a sense of pride in.
8. Light it up
Homes should have bright lighting to awaken the buyer’s senses. Good lighting can make your home feel more spacious and enhance its features. It may be worth investing in some brighter light bulbs (but not so bright that rooms appear clinical!) for maximum impact.
9. Add fresh scents
Use beautiful scented candles and diffusers throughout the home, but most importantly in the living area, master bedroom and master bathroom. Studies have found that complex scents can distract a buyers thought process, so we recommend simple, fresh scents such as orange, lemon, pine, basil, cedar, vanilla and cinnamon.
10. Stage your home
Cast your eye over your home once more and stage it like a show home for every single viewing. There shouldn’t be a dirty teacup or overflowing basket of washing in sight! Staging your house like a show home will allow potential buyers to feel that it is a property they would be proud to own.
For more information, visit Alexander James Interior Design at www.aji.co.uk, email info@aji.co.uk or call 020 7887 7604.