Marketing Your Home: Interior Design Ideas to Attract Buyers
By Kailie McNabb
1. Diminish the clutter Cleaning the clutter around the house means taking down all old picture frames, personal items, and collectibles, and cleaning and organizing common living areas. This will help the potential homebuyers see the space, and visualize it as if it were theirs. Any disorganization in the home can make or break a sale.
2. Staging To stage a home means to prepare a house that might be empty. It means accessorizing and furnishing as if somebody were living in it, as with model homes. The key to staging is preparing certain focus areas like the kitchen, family room or great room, master bedroom, and bathroom. In doing this, you will create a sense of warmth and comfort as well as an opportunity for the potential homebuyers to see how to efficiently utilize the space. This is why hiring a professional designer can be a great asset in selling your home.
3. Neutralize the home If your home has many different concepts or themes throughout the rooms, this can distract potential buyers. Painting the entire home a neutral color allows for more creativity and incorporation of the buyer’s tastes. It also creates a visual openness in the home, which can be great if the dwelling is small or has low ceilings.
4. Lighting This is probably the most important detail in getting a home ready to sell. Lighting is the key to overall ambience. Setting a mood for an open house or showing can be a key element in the design of the home. Taking out fluorescent lamps and fixtures and replacing them with recessed lighting can update a home while being cost-effective. You can also light candles to establish that warm and inviting feel (be sure that someone’s at home while the candles are lit). This will help to create a good first impression.
5. Curb Appeal This is the most missed stage in preparing a home to sell. If you have weeds, dead plants, and unswept walkways, people will be deterred from stopping and looking. Take the time to plant new flowers in your flowerbeds, repot trees and bushes, and make sure all weeds are pulled and all grass is short. Add a delightful welcome sign, too. Remember also that painting the house makes it look new and fresh.
These are all easy ways to lure buyers into your home. Create that cozy atmosphere before they take their first step inside.