Preparing Your Home for Sale

Barbie pink striped walls might be the latest trend, but most buyers will be put off by such a fashion statement. When selling, the best advice is to keep things neutral. This doesn’t mean living in a world of white. If your living area seems cold, try a colour scheme of rich neutrals like sand and bronze tones. For a cooler feel, look at whites with a blue tinge. Colour your world (with care) Size does matter Today’s buyers like large living areas and open plan living is very popular. If your home doesn’t have a large living space then you will need to make the most of the space you do have. Colour can help, colours like blues and greens can make a room appear bigger. How you finish a small room is also important. In a small room, especially one with low ceilings, keep furnishings below waist height and limit the number of pieces in the room. Clutter will make your small room look even smaller! Go with the flow Show buyers how easy it is to live in your living space. These rooms are places for people to communicate and relax so make sure you arrange your room to demonstrate this. Consider traffic flow, conversation areas, access from seating to coffee or side tables and task lighting for work or reading areas. Watch out below Floors are the most expensive part of any room to replace; buyers know this, so they will want to see quality flooring. It may not be economical to replace worn or inappropriate flooring before you sell, so make the most of what you have. Have your carpets professionally cleaned. Marked or damaged timber floors should be re-sanded and polished. Find a feature One of the golden rules of interior design is that rooms need a focus. It could be a fireplace, or the view from your window of French doors. If your living space doesn’t have a natural feature why not consider a feature wall? Even if buyers don’t agree with your style, most will not have a problem with changing one wall.