Making your home stand out from the competition means appealing to the senses of potential buyers to evoke an emotional response. Property presentation encompasses more than just the look of your home, as buyers are searching to find a property that makes them feel good, as well.
You can ensure your home projects a welcoming vibe by activating all five senses of prospective buyers.
At first sight
Street appeal is your first chance of ensuring a prospective buyer is happy, before they even walk in the door. Make sure all rubbish is cleared, the garden is neat and tidy and all clutter is stored away. Any personal items, such as toys and bikes, should also be hidden. The aim is to delight the buyer’s eyes with a clear space they can picture themselves coming home to each day.
The role of smell
You can never underestimate the power of the sense of smell. For inspections, you can make an immediate impression by lighting scented candles or using oil burners, air fresheners and fresh flowers to create a warm, inviting smell that will immediately lift the mood in each room of the house.
Smell goes both ways too, so be mindful of bad ones that can put a prospective buyer off. The first step is to ensure you get rid of any bad odours in the home. For stubborn ones, caused by pets or smoke for example, rental furniture and new rugs, carpets, or curtains may be needed. Also make sure you don’t leave smelly rubbish bins in smelling distance.
The use of sound
When we walk into a noisy environment, we can become irritated very quickly, without really knowing why. With regard to inspections, the loud background sound of commercials on TV, a thudding clothes dryer or a noisy air-conditioning system could grate on your buyer’s nerves and leave them feeling less than positive.
Create a peaceful haven in your home by turning off all appliances, including the television. It’s a good idea to play some very soft background music to promote a comfortable feeling and distract from outside noise, such as traffic.
The importance of touch
What’s the first thing we do when we like something? We reach out and touch it. You can appeal to people’s sense of touch by using rich fabrics in furnishings and by making sure all surfaces such as handrails are clean and dust free. If you spot prospective buyers touching something, it’s a good sign they like it and that your home is appealing to them!
A taste to savour
A tried and true tip to help anyone feel comfortable in your home is to offer some bite-sized treats. You can do this when you hold inspections, or simply ensure you have a strategically placed bowl with a colourful array of fresh fruit on display. This helps give your property a homely feel, while stimulating the taste sense through the visual alone.
When you implement strategies to activate all five senses of your potential buyers, you’re giving them a holistic experience of your home. This way, when they leave, each of their senses will remind them of your property, and how much it appealed to them.
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