If you’re keen to do some home renovations, the chances are that you are looking at the latest interiors magazines to see what is on trend. You might be eager to source that 1960s bold geometric wallpaper that you’ve always fancied for behind your log burner or maybe you are eager to flex your creative muscles in your bathroom and go for a kitsch 1950s feel?
It has to be said that these sorts of design styles are sometimes, well, divisive. If you plan on living in your current property for the foreseeable future and don’t predict selling up anytime soon, then go for it. Be bold, be brave, and flex your interior design muscles.
However, if you are thinking about moving on to pastures new soon, you might be keen to get your home dressed for sale in an outfit which boasts a more universal appeal. The sorts of interior design hacks you use in this scenario are vastly different from the ones you would use to craft your own personalised living spaces, make no mistake.
In such cases, there’s no harm in playing to the crowd. Potential house buyers will be looking for that blank yet stylish canvas on which to make their own mark. They don’t want to see your favourite, esoteric colour scheme in the kitchen, your bold choice of natty floorboards in the living room, or your frankly chaotic approach to shelving in the kids’ bedrooms.
To sell your home, you need to seduce your buyers with a potential lifestyle that gives them enough room to grow and build upon independently. By doing this, you’ll likely sell your home quicker and for a potentially higher price. With all this in mind, here’s the IDEAL guide to interior design for selling houses.
KITCHENS
While the living room used to be the hub of a British house, it’s safe the say that the kitchen has now taken that baton. It’s the heart of the home, and the place where the real magic happens, sustaining family members with good food and better conversation and, as such, it deserves respect.
If you have an enclosed kitchen that cuts off the cook from the rest of the house, you should consider opening up the space. Yes, knocking down walls or extending is expensive, but you’ll likely claw back the money invested in the renovations and more.
This is because open plan kitchen diners feel aspirational; homeowners can cook up a gastronomic feast in the kitchen while watching the kids do their homework on the dining table. Larger, more social gatherings can occur where guests can mingle together, or, you can catch up with pals over a coffee in your open plan living space. All of these domestic scenes ultimately equate to a higher house valuation.
When selecting your units, always go for something relatively neutral. While you may love the idea of a high gloss red unit, the chances are that your buyers will find this too bold or garish.
Your interior design needs to be led by your head rather than your heart. A shaker style off white unit with wooden worktop is great if you have an older period property and want to make use of the old school features. Alternatively, a high gloss white unit with soft close drawers and granite quartz worktop might be more suited to your home. These high quality fixtures and fittings will allow your potential buyers to imagine themselves settling into your pad and making it their home.
LIVING ROOM
The living room needs to be comfortable and ooze cosiness. It doesn’t matter whether your room is vast or small, you can still dress it up, ready for sale.
If you do have a larger space in your living room, make use of it, and take the plunge on one of those very comfy fabric corner sofas which you’ll have seen on many a Cribs or Kardashians episode. These vast cushion filled velvet or soft cotton sofas are sumptuous and add a touch of luxury to your pad. While you won’t be abandoning the sofa when you move house, you can still seduce potential buyers with an idea, image and lifestyle. Add a mixture of fabrics to create a highly texturised space, with soft furnishings like drapes, cushions, throws, and rugs to add visual interest to the room.
Accessorise the space with lamps, coffee tables, and footstools. If you are eager to be bang on trend, think about picking up some vintage pieces of furniture to add a touch of mid-century class to your living space.
Even if your living room is small, you can add a classic 1960s nest of tables to make clever use of your space. Tiled coffee tables and oak floorboards are great for showing off that unique touch, too, without being overbearing in your choices.
If you have a fireplace, make a feature of it. Should you be fortunate enough to have an antique cast iron Victorian fireplace, for example, get it cleaned and working. If your fireplace is more of a 1960s gas monstrosity, you should swap it for a wood burner to add a more pleasant focal point to your space. The chimney breast can then be wallpapered with some simple classic printed wallpaper to draw the eye.
BATHROOM
They say that it is the kitchen and bathroom that sell a house. We’ve already discussed the kitchen, so now it’s time to think about how you maximise the appeal of your bathroom, too.
While bathrooms tend to be small, they can still be perfectly formed. First things first; damage limitation. If you have some mould or grout discolouration, this can make your bathroom look a little grotty, so give it some elbow grease and get scrubbing. Deploy the same can-do attitude with streaky mirrors and glass, because these blemishes are the first thing potential buyers will notice. Check out our tips on 10 professional home cleaning hacks for more!
If you have the space, then adding a second bathroom to your property can boost your home’s value by about 5%. So, to improve your house’s immediate, cosmetic appeal and convey a sense of ‘worth’, it’s a good idea to try an squeeze in an extra bathroom, in ensuite form or even outside.
EXTERIOR
You should never neglect the exterior of your home when looking to sell up. Think about exuding kerb appeal so that your potential buyers’ heads are turned for all of the right reasons.
If you have a front garden or driveway, make sure that you get the pressure washer out and get rid of any weeds. A clean and tidy driveway creates a great first impression, that’s for sure. Mow the lawn, cut back the triffids, and plant some colourful shrubs and foliage to add interest to your front garden area.
When it comes to your actual home, paint the front door and clean the fascias of your windows; a clean and tidy front area looks so much better than a cobweb laden porch. If the paint is peeling on your front door, paint it. If the door has seen better days and the letterbox is falling off, consider investing in a brand new composite style door that is super secure and looks incredibly smart. With reinforced glazing and bespoke designs, these front doors last decades and can demonstrate to your potential buyers immediately just how much you have invested in your home.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When you are looking to sell up, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck to help fund your house move. By following these simple design hacks, you’ll be maximising your home’s potential in the eyes of viewers. And that’s what you’re here for, right?