Decorating Tips for Home Sellers and Buyers Home Decorating Hacks That Will Make Any Space Appealing Home sellers want to be able to sell their homes as quickly and efficiently as possible, while buyers want to find a home that meets their needs and is within their budget. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) This can be a challenge if you don’t know how to make your home more appealing to potential buyers. Fortunately, some simple steps can make all the difference, whether selling your house or buying it. Here are some of the best decorating tips for making any space look beautiful and inviting – whether it’s on the market or not! For Sellers: If you have a home on the market, you must think about how you want your buyer to feel when they walk through the door. Who are they? What is their lifestyle? What do they want from a house, and what can your house provide for that lifestyle? Try focusing on what would make them feel comfortable and welcome as soon as they enter the residence. If there are rooms that don’t get used much because of their size or configuration, consider downsizing them so that buyers can see how their families will enjoy them more often if they were in a different room entirely! Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) De-personalize the House Keep in mind that buyers will look at your space with fresh eyes. In other words, they won’t have any memories associated with your belongings. This means that you’ll need to de-personalize the room so potential buyers can better understand what it would be like to live there. The best way to do this is by removing personal items and clutter from all rooms. Remove anything that isn’t essential for everyday living; take photos and paintings, move furniture around so it doesn’t feel too familiar, and replace these items with neutral ones (e.g., white sheets on beds instead of comforters). The goal is not only to make each room feel more spacious but also to give people who may not know each other as well as you do an opportunity to see themselves in those spaces. Update Your Kitchen As an owner, you should focus on updating the kitchen first and foremost. This room is important to buyers because it’s where they will spend most of their time cooking, eating, and entertaining guests. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) Updating or remodeling your kitchen will give you an edge over other homes for sale in your neighborhood. First impressions mean everything, especially when selling a house - and having a nice-looking kitchen can make all the difference! Add New Accessories to the House Accessorizing your home is a great way to make it feel fresh and new. Home accessories can be inexpensive and easily changed, making them an ideal option for buyers looking to personalize a space. Accessories are a great way to tie together a color theme in your home. Use bold accent colors throughout your space (such as on-throw pillows or artwork), then add minor touches like lamps with matching shades, bookshelves painted in the same hue, or frames for your family photos that match the walls’ color. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) Work With Neutral Colors If you are selling your home, neutral paint colors will help the buyer imagine the space in their style. When buyers look at a home they want, they aren’t thinking about the current color walls or how much money was spent on wallpaper - they imagine themselves living in that space and how it will feel to be there. Neutral paint colors help with this process because they allow buyers to visually fill in the details of their dream home without being distracted by too many other things. Hang Floor-Length Curtains at Windows Floor-length curtains make the ceilings appear taller, so if you’re selling your home and want to make it seem as spacious as possible, consider hanging floor-length curtains in your front room. If you don’t have long curtains or don’t want to spend money on new ones, use a sheer curtain with a valance instead. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) If your ceiling is 8 feet tall and the windows are 4 feet wide (a standard measurement), hanging a 5-foot wide sheer panel underneath will make it look like it’s 3 feet wide from where people stand. This trick works because our eyes focus on what’s closest but not what is furthest from us (like a wall behind us). Storage Storage is vital to any home, and the proper storage can make a space feel more spacious. The 2/3 rule of thumb is a good start: if you walk into a room and it feels like there’s not enough furniture, then you probably don’t have enough storage. If you are considering upgrading your bathroom or kitchen cabinets, consider adding extra drawers or cabinets so they don’t look empty or cluttered. If your bedroom has built-in dressers, try removing them and adding additional shelving on top of them. This will make your closet feel more prominent by giving you more space to showcase things like scarves and hats to look less cluttered and more organized. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) Add Things for Kids if You’re Attracting Younger Families Having kids’ rooms can be a great way to personalize a home. If you’re aiming for young families, consider adding one or two of these spaces as part of your renovation plans. This is especially true if you’re in an area where many new parents are moving into the neighborhood. For Buyers You may be eager to get started, but be sure to take your time in the process. Keep your eyes on the prize (AKA not ending up with a house full of things you don’t love), and remember that it’s okay if some rooms don’t have much personality right away. You’ve got plenty of time before moving day rolls around, so don’t rush through any part of this project. Instead, stick to your plan and know what you like and don’t. It’ll help guide your decisions along the way! Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) It is crucial to have a plan before beginning your home improvement project. Start by making a list of the things you want to do and the things you do not want to do. The first step in this process will be choosing what items from your “must-have” list are essential for you or could make or break your decision to purchase this particular home. If possible, ask family members for advice when deciding which projects need attention; they may know tricks of the trade that could save money in the long run! Know What You Like and What You Don’t It’s time for you to start thinking about the home as a reflection of yourself. What makes you happy? What do you enjoy? Are there any items that don’t make sense in your home? What kind of life do you want to live when this place is no longer yours? These are all critical questions, and they need answers. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) The best way to figure out what kind of buyer you are is by taking inventory of what makes up your life right now and figuring out whether or not those things will translate well into your space. If they won’t, it’s time for some changes - even if they involve removing old items that no longer serve their purpose or updating them so they can be helpful again. Change the Lighting in Your House More and brighter lights will make your home look bigger and more open while bringing in as much natural light as possible will give off a relaxed, comfortable feeling. Ensure your kitchen has plenty of lighting so people can see what they’re cooking! Also, consider adding more light to the living room and bedrooms - it will create an inviting atmosphere for buyers and sellers alike. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) Add Texture Adding texture to your home can be a simple way to bring life into the room and make it feel more personal. Try adding a few pillows in different shapes and sizes - this will help add dimensionality to the space. Or try adding some throw blankets or throws over chairs or on sofas. You could also hang up some artwork with an interesting pattern. Pull handles are another great way to add some interest without breaking the bank! They come in many styles and designs, so you can find something that fits your style perfectly! Start With the Bedroom – Make Your Space Comfortable The bedroom is the first room people see when they enter your home, so making this space welcoming is essential. Don’t just throw some sheets on your bed, even if you don’t have time for a deep clean. Instead, make sure your mattress is comfortable (try a memory foam mattress) and that there’s plenty of storage space for clothes and other belongings. Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) You may also want to consider adding natural light to your room by replacing heavy curtains with sheer ones. This kind of window covering will let more light through without letting in cold drafts in wintertime - or using artificial lighting and overhead lighting fixtures installed overhead (and there should always be at least one lamp per person’s bedside table). Don’t Hoard If you buy something, get rid of something else as well. You don’t need two sets of anything. No one needs an extra computer or TV in their house. If you think it will be nice to have a second pair of jeans or slippers, think again -you probably haven’t worn the first pair enough to justify getting another one! Be mindful of space and energy demands - if your new home has limited storage space or low ceilings, consider whether it would be better to go with less furniture rather than more when packing up your house for sale (and then again when unpacking at your next place). Verify your mortgage eligibility (Sep 8th, 2024) Use a Color Theme to Create Consistency Creating a sense of consistency is essential to making the most out of your space. For example, if you want to add some color to one room, look for other areas where that same hue works well. If you like bright blue walls, for example, use them in another part of your home or even on furniture. This will make your choices feel cohesive instead of haphazard and random. Takeaway As you’ve seen, a few smart decorating choices can significantly affect how your home looks and feels. Whether you’re selling or buying, now is the time to consider how making small changes could help your home stand out from the competition. Remodeling can be fun, but take your time and do it right the first time. You will get more for your money by doing less. With these tips, you’ll be able to create a space that shows off your personality - and makes your house feel like a home! Are you ready to own a home? Contact us today, and we will help you through it. Show me today's rates (Sep 8th, 2024) Mary Beth Evers Branch Manager Click to Call or Text: (919) 270-7444