We are living in bizarre times where we don’t really know what the day will bring. Although the changes to the stamp duty thresholds remain, the challenges faced by those seeking a mortgage or to remortgage at the moment due to the interest rates have been well documented. With a number of barriers in the way of buyers purchasing a property, the last thing you need to do is add a few more to their list. It is easy to concentrate on the big things when getting your home ready for sale, but at Page & Co we wanted to share the sights, sounds and smells that can help to sell your home.
Sights
Colour is one of the fun and creative ways we can personalise our homes, whether it is through paint, wallpaper or other decorative pieces. Colour has the power to divide opinions as much as it can bring pleasure, which is why you need to appeal to the widest audience possible. Neutral tones are the easiest way to appeal to potential buyers, it provides them with a blank canvas enabling them to envision the changes they will make and how they would use the space. You can always add colour through accents, such as cushions, throws, towels and accessories, to bring some personality to a space.
Michael Rolland , interiors expert and managing director of The Paint Shed, said: “Our recent study revealed that most Brits prefer their rooms to be white and opt for the contemporary aesthetic; this means if you are a quirky maximalist trying to sell your house, it is best that it is stripped back a bit to attract potential buyers”
The same study revealed that a majority of Brits “would decrease their offer by £2,000 to £5,000 if they didn’t like the colour scheme, and one in five would be put off entirely” so it is worth putting in the effort to make some changes!
Sounds
When it comes to selling your home, there can be some unconventional ways that can make a difference: what about music? According to a survey earlier this year by CosyLiving.com, there are certain songs that will help your house sell more quickly! By analysing around 100 of Spotify’s property-selling playlists they were able to reveal the most popular genres and songs to give you the ultimate home playlist.
In this week’s selling your home playlist, at number….
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10 Home – Michael Bublé
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9 Circles – Post Malone … also at number
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9 Budapest – George Ezra
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We have a number of entries tied at number 6
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6 Shape of you – Ed Sheeran
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6 It Never Entered My Mind – Mulgrew Miller
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6 Into the Mystic – 2013 Remastered, Van Morrison
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4 The Rocketeer – Rocketeer To The Rescue–End Theme – Orchestra of the Americas
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4 Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
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And coming in at number one are three cracking tunes
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1 Naked – Kraak & Smaak ft. IVAR & Berenice van Leer (Fouk Remix)
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1 Dreams – 2004 Remaster, Fleetwood Mac
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1 Better Together – Jack Johnson
Obviously you don’t want music blasting throughout your home, but having some music gently playing in the background can make a property feel more homely.
Smells
A strong scent, no matter how alluring, can be a real turn off for buyers. Not everyone has the same tastes and therefore a more subtle approach is needed when choosing what scents to place in your home. Clean and fresh aromas are certainly the scents of choice if you are wanting to tempt buyers.
“The sweet smell of jasmine is as good as Valium at calming the nerves, with none of its side-effects,” reported The Daily Telegraph. As buying a house can be a stressful process, this seems like the ideal scent to have in your home: it can help to calm buyers’ nerves and make them feel at home.
Another complimentary scent, especially at this time of year, is pine, but not the artificial smell from cleaning products, the natural aroma from evergreen coniferous trees. It is said that forest environments are good for our wellbeing and can help to reduce stress – just what you need when trying to sell your home.
Create the best environment to secure a sale
For a successful sale, try not to forget the weight that the sights (colours), sounds and smells can have on your property. With a calming environment from a neutral décor, a wonderful soundtrack and subtle relaxing scents, buyers will feel that they have found their new home.
