As published in the Savannah Morning News - 26 May 2013 “Visually”
expand your interior spaces. 
In real estate speak, “cozy” means
small, and “spacious” means large. So,
how do you make “cozy” seem “spacious”, which appeals to more buyers? Here are some tricks of the trade…
Let
there be light! Brighter interiors are more compelling, more spacious, more
attractive. Lighting dark corners
expands a room and visually makes it look larger. Add lamps or accent lighting to fix dark
spaces or create visual drama. I
recommend 3 light sources for average size rooms, not only for safety and
convenience, but for aesthetics. Many
buyers are light sensitive, and if windows are limited, lighting visually opens
up a room.
Clean
the windows and light fixtures. Dirty windows obstruct light. Buyers will see how well kept the house is
when the windows are clean and they can see out. Clean
light fixtures will also set the stage for a brighter home. Additionally, when a buyer is house hunting,
they are noticing which ones are clean and well kept. It makes a difference! They may choose yours
over another because if your windows are clean, they may assume your house has
been well maintained.
Keep
the ceiling lifted. High ceilings are the norm in today’s newer homes. If your ceilings are low, do not paint them a
dark color, as it visually lowers the ceiling more. Keeping it light or white will make it seem
higher. High ceilings can take a
contrasting color, and in some small rooms, it is advantageous to “lower” the
ceiling, especially if it seems to go straight up like a tower. However, most older homes do not have this
issue, so keep the ceilings light.
Paint
the room a light color. Light colors help make a room look
larger. They seem to expand space by
reflecting light. Just as in a low
ceiling, painting your walls a light color will help change a “cozy” room into
a more spacious environment.
Open
the curtains, shades and blinds. Let in the light! Many buyers will immediately open window
treatments as soon as they enter a house.
I try to train my sellers to prepare the house for showing by opening
all windows and blinds, and turning on lights and soft music before leaving
their home. Also, if a buyer wants a
view, they will want everything open so they can see the view from each room.
Start
packing!
Remove most of what is on the counter tops and tables. De-cluttering will help make a room look
sleeker and larger. Simply put, too much
stuff makes rooms look over-crowded.
Remove
some furniture.
When I am staging a home, many times I can remove half the furniture and
it makes the rooms look larger. Sell,
donate or consign it, but if selling your home is your intent, de-furnishing is
often needed.
Stage
it.
Okay, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Un-staged homes are a dime a dozen, and the
Multiple Listing Service is flooded with them.
If you want to know what I mean, look on Realtor.com and see for
yourself. Check out the photos and look
at the difference between a staged and un-staged home. Realtors® must be honest with their sellers
and let them know staging is a part of getting a home ready for sale. If a home needs it and the Realtor® doesn’t
say so because they fear hurting the seller’s feelings, they are doing the
seller a disservice.
Furniture placement can make a room
appear substantially larger. Or it can
cut rooms in half and/or make them look packed and small. Staging can include rearranging and removing
some furniture. I often hear sellers
tell me they did not know their furniture could look so good, that they never
thought of placing certain pieces where I arranged them. Because we all get used to seeing things a
certain way, another set of eyes can provide new ideas.
So take another look at your
home. How does it appear to buyers? Are you thinking about listing it for sale or
concerned because it has been on the market for a long time, unsold? Once your home is well lit, painted
appropriately, staged and cleaned, new pictures should be taken. And, of course you know, pictures speak a
thousand words…need I say more?
Next
week in Moving Mom…Don’t Skimp on Repairs.
Stay tuned! |
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