Dress to Impress

Dress your home to impress your viewers

When your house is for sale, it’s exciting to get a viewing booked. After all, that viewer could become a buyer!

It’s important then to make sure your house is looking its absolute best, and dressed to impress, so we’ve created a three-step guide to make it easy for you to get the important things right:

Step 1:  Check your kerb appeal

If your viewer doesn’t love the look of your home from the front, they may never get past the front door!

*  How’s your front door looking? Smarten it up with a new coat of paint and make sure your handle and letterbox are relatively new.

*  Check your lights. If you’re showing your home in the evening, you need to make sure your buyer doesn’t trip on their way in! Make sure your outside lamps are working and clean.

*  Keep your path, driveway or steps swept of leaves, and free from rubbish. Park vehicles neatly and put away bikes and toys out of sight.

*  House name or number– is it straight and clean? Make sure your viewers can find your home easily, without stress.

*  Windows– keep them sparkling clean and make sure there’s no flaking paint or greying uPVC.

*  Green stuff – even if your front space is tiny, plant a creeper or buy plants in pots to add colour and interest.

So now you have your outside looking wonderful, it’s time to move inside…

Step 2: Giving your interior the WOW factor.

Styling the interior of your home to make it more attractive for viewings doesn’t have to be expensive. We’ve put together a list of a few home styling accessories that will add some stylish polish your viewer will love:

*  Cushions– a really easy way to instantly update that fading suite and add colour, texture and interest at the same time.

*  Rugs– a large, deep rug can transform a room, adding warmth and style.  You don’t have to spend a fortune on them; eBay shops are full of large fluffy rugs for less than you might think. Stick to neutral colours to add a sense of spaciousness.

*  Fruit – fill a big glass bowl or wide vase full of just one type of fruit for instant contemporary style. Oranges, green apples or lemons look wonderful.

*  Flowers – long elegant Cala lilies look great on a large dining table, and little hand-tied posies are just right for a rustic kitchen.  Choose carefully for maximum impact

*  Toiletries– invest in luxury, and just keep them out for viewings.

*  New bedding– especially for the master bedroom, where it matters most to your buyers.  Go for plain, neutral designs, then add some cushions and a textured throw.  Voila! A hotel-style bedroom your viewers will adore.

*  Towels– used towels never quite look the same as brand new ones, so treat your home to some gorgeous new towels, and make sure that no one uses them – they’re just for show!  Whip them away and hide them after each viewing so they stay looking their best.

Step 3: A final check 

Here’s a final checklist to make sure your viewers have the best possible experience of viewing your home:

*  Shut all your doors – let the viewers open them, so each room becomes a little ‘surprise’.

*  Laundry – check radiators and put away clothes maidens to hide all signs of domestic chores.

*  Pets – if you have a cat litter tray, put it outside or in the garage, out of sight. If you have a dog and you can persuade someone to take it for a walk, it would save a viewer being distracted by sloppy licks – especially if they’re a non-dog lover. Also move Fido’s bed, food bowl or anything else out of the way.

*  Open windows – unless it’s really cold, it’s nice to have some fresh air in the house.

*  Is it warm enough? You may have been rushing around doing last minute tidying, but your viewers need a warm, welcoming home to look around, so err on the side of warmer is better.

*  Put all toilet seats down – enough said!

So your home is looking wonderful – inside and out, and you’ve checked to make sure your viewers don’t see anything they shouldn’t. What’s next?

Atmosphere! That elusive element that can put your viewers at ease and relax them so that they enjoy viewing your home.  Light some lightly-scented candles and make sure your lamps are all lit to create a lovely warm glow. If you have a fire – real or otherwise – light it around half an hour before time. Playing some soft music in the background is a nice touch, and if it has a slow beat, it could even help persuade your viewers to linger – just long enough to fall in love with your home!

If you’re selling your home – or thinking of it, we’d love to have a chat with you. You can pop us an email at info@smithandcoestates.co.uk or call us on 01623 392352.

Warm regards

Sara