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When it comes time to put your home on the market, making it appear spacious can be a make-or-break selling point. We all create spaces in our own image through color and décor. But homebuyers may have very different tastes. Dark colors and complex wallpaper sends a message that the home may not be big enough. People are interested in buying space and here are a some ways you can make yours appear more spacious.
Light Colors
While color can set a mood or be visually exciting, light colors simply make a room look larger. The opposite runs true as well. Dark colors make a space appear smaller. Before putting your home on the market, evaluate primary living areas and strategically lighten them.
There are a vast array of off-whites that you can use to cover family, dining and living rooms. Use mild contrasts to accentuate trim and baseboard to bring out the room’s depth. You can also run with a white ceiling and all off-white walls and trim to gain a similar open effect.
If you have hardwood floors, flaunt them. But don’t be afraid to use an area rug that captures the light hues of the walls and ceiling to unite a room. If you have dark colored furniture, do your best to get it out of key selling areas.
Infuse Natural Light
Big windows are a natural attraction to homebuyers. But in our everyday life, we tend to cover them with curtains and blinds for privacy. To prospective home buyers, the opposite tends to be true. They are consciously or unconsciously taking in the view. Also, the way the light strikes a space can augment its innate luster. It’s important to allow as much natural light into a space as possible when showing a property. Think of it this way: Rooms have windows, closets do not.
Remove Clutter
No bigger enemy exists to effective home sales than clutter. In fact, too much of it stresses us out. All that stuff makes things appear smaller and storage areas such as basements and garages seem inadequate. Here are a few tips on where to concentrate your de-cluttering efforts.
- Window Ledges: Remove or reduce display items. Minimize plants to one or two that are in bloom. Make that window look big.
- Coffee Tables: A magazine or two looks lived in. A dozen looks like a pile.
- Closets: A vacant closet showcases potential. A full one sends a message of being too small.
- Outbuildings: Someone in the family will be manicuring the property. A few tools make a shed appears organized. A pile of rakes and shovels can be a turnoff.
- Countertops: It may be convenient to line countertops with the things we use every day. But give buyers open space and let them ponder the possibilities.
Many homebuyers are looking for spaciousness, a place that allows them to fit all their clutter into it without feeling, well, cluttered. By taking steps to lighten the ambiance and open up the interior, you’re likely to have greater success in the real estate market.
