Whether it’s your first time selling, or tenth – we all know how frustrating it can be when something just isn’t clicking with potential buyers. And the truth is – this can be because of a number of things. Maybe your house isn’t giving off a great first impression – or perhaps it’s not making a lasting impression when people leave? It could even be down to the type of furniture you’ve chosen, or the colour of the paint…
Don’t despair though – usually with this type of thing there is a quick way to turn things around. Increasing your curb appeal isn’t rocket science – often it’s just common sense and taking care over the little details.
Here are a few tips to keep you on the right track:
- Your front door
Your front door is the very first impression anyone gets of the house, so make sure you’ve got it looking perfect. Repaint where possible, and if you really fancy taking your curb appeal to the next step – perhaps even choose a bright colour that will stick out in their minds after a long day or house-hunting. Remember to polish the door knob and door fixtures too – the front door should be a reflection of what’s inside, so you want to set their expectations high and lead them through to the other rooms.
- Make it neat and tidy
Your exterior should be neat and tidy in general, which means freshly cut grass, a clean car parked out front and no dog poop on the lawn. Keep on top of your newspapers too – you don’t want these piling up outside the front door. Another good tip, is to never schedule your viewing s for rubbish collection day. You don’t want a big trash can full of rubbish to be the first impressions someone makes of your house.
- Buy some Plants
Plants give the impression of life and care – so having them scattered around the exterior of your house, makes people assume the house is not only lived in, but cared for too. Choose colourful plants for summertime, and seasonal plants for wintertime – like holly bushes.
- The entrance hall
Whether your house has an entrance hall, or whether it leads into a rooms like the kitchen or lounge, this is your second priority and it’s where you need to get your interior design spot on. Make sure there is a lot of light, make sure that the viewers can get into the room fuss-free (so no big prams in the way, or shoes or toys). Try and avoiding having clutter in this room – because it’s the first port of judgment.
- Think about seasons
What season is it? Are there any holidays coming up? All these little details are going to get you a second viewing. If Halloween is coming up, place a carved pumpkin on the front porch. If it’s Christmas time make sure you have a Christmas tree in the living room and a wreath on the front door. It reminds people that this is a real house and real people live here – which makes it seem more livable in their eyes.
- Invest in decorations
Choose some timeless pieces that you can with you to your new home to spruce the place up. Putting a throw over an old bedspread or sofa can work wonders, and getting new cushions is always a great idea too. Think about personalizing the house too, and making it seem livable. This is especially important if you’re selling a family home. People like to picture themselves living somewhere – so choose a nice photo and get it blown up on a canvas. People will admire your style but they’ll also think how nice it would be to do the same when they’ve moved in.
Elle works for Printer Pix, and loves everything interior design related – including the use of photography.