Living Room, Lounge, Sitting Room, Family Room, Parlour…
You may have one, all of them or a number in between. Whichever you have and whatever the name you give to the places where you and your family spend waking moments the fact is these are some of the first places your prospective buyers will see.
By now a viewer has judged your homes location, its character from the outside, most likely the front garden and they have crossed the threshold into your domain, your very personal home, the one you are anxious to sell.
Hopefully the impression your visitors receive has so far been positive. What will happen when they step into your Living Room?
People buy people and as strangers walk around your home they are not only looking at your lifestyle, with any luck they are buying it, buying your home.
For most of us moving house, buying a new one is an aspirational process. We are looking to improve our lot in life in some way. We view homes hoping they will meet an ideal image we create subconsciously. Everyone can visualise their next home to varying degrees, some better than others.
The reality of selling your homes is that people react very quickly to stimuli. In the way we react positively and negatively to strangers we meet, the same happens with property. A home is very personal, it is a core concept, a need, an emotional ideal and we look to find somewhere that stimulates us to be our next ‘Home’.
How many people aspire to mess, to clutter, to stained carpets and damaged walls? How beguiling is a water stained ceiling or broken window pane?
We’re not going to suggest that you should try and please everyone, that would be impossible, but what we are stressing is that the overall image your Living Room presents will influence purchasers.
Much is written about de cluttering and de personalising, all things have a degree of merit but there is much more to it than that.
If your home is a quaint period cottage what should the Living Room reflect? Are people viewing it because they dream of modern stainless steel and glass minimalist furniture or because they crave cosy evenings in front of a log fire? If yours is a penthouse apartment with lots of glazed walls and a stunning view across half of England do buyers want heavy furniture plonked in front of the views, and a floor space full of a cornucopia of lifetime collecting.
It’s all a little subjective but the reality is usually that people view homes that will suit a type of lifestyle they aspire to. Enhance the image of that lifestyle when preparing your home for sale and you assist the decision making process. Avoid distractions. Don’t de personalise completely but be mindful that you want people viewing the room, the ‘home’ not your personal prized possessions.
A Living Room needs to be a room that suits the home. Strong colours can be tough to sell, they’re very personal and although they may suit your furnishings what about the colour schemes your buyers may have? Yes people probably will redecorate once they move in but they want to ‘choose to do it’ not ‘have to do it’.
In a nutshell Livening Rooms need to show they suit their purpose. They are best with neutral decoration and please, tidy up blemishes as best you can. Remove distractions so people focus on the room and look around the floor, imagine where people might try and walk to, are they going to clatter your nest of tables, trip on a dog basket or fall over the kids toys? Remove distractions and hazards.
Safely navigated? Then off to the next room! Into the kitchen.
Find some inspiration for your Living Room on our Pinterest Board
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