Take it down Everyone knows that removing years of accumulated junk and personal stuff is what you do before open days. But how far do you go? What about those pics of the kids on canvases in the hall and that great travel snap you had blown up into a large print for the lounge? No matter how cute your kids, they will distract buyers from picturing themselves in your home. Remove the canvases; ditto for your holiday reminder unless it’s art-print standard. Framed art that’s generally appealing looks much more polished.
Change the plan If you don’t use a room in a conventional way, it may pay to convert it back to its original purpose. For example, if your home has three bedrooms but you use one as a study, turn it back into a bedroom. Also, if you have multiple living spaces with TVs, keep a TV in one but make the other rooms spaces for reading, conversing etc.
De-colour It was the artist Henri Matisse who said A thimbleful of red is redder than a bucketful. A little colour goes a long way and is more powerful when used sparingly in accessories. If people are confronted with brightly coloured walls, all they see is a paint job. Keep walls neutral with whites or tints (colours saturated with white so they’re very pale) if you have a modern interior or use unobtrusive colours such as duck-egg blue in a period home. If your walls are already white, they may still need freshening up with a brighter, contemporary white.
Lights and wall decor Ensure all your lights work and generate a warm white glow, not an unwelcoming cool white light that’s going to make people feel like they’re at work. Use mirrors in dark or small rooms, or where there’s a great view that works in reflection. They bounce light around and can make spaces look bigger, depending on the size of the mirror of course.
Edit the furniture Most people live quite comfortably with too much furniture. On open days, however, it’s essential to have the right amount in predictable spaces. Too much furniture or overly bulky pieces will cause blockages, in walkways through your home and in the viewer’s mind about where they’ll put their own pieces.
And remember, just because you live in a great street or area, don’t think people will overlook poor presentation; the impression they’ll get is one of having a lot to do. If people have made the effort to view your home, they want to love it.
For exceptional property presentation and professional home-styling in Sydney, call the experts at Furnish and Finish on (02) 9999 2926 or email [email protected] for an obligation-free quote.
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