The property market is in lockdown like the rest of us but it doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do. Properties continue to be marketed. If you don’t want to launch during lockdown, then it’s the perfect time to consider getting your property ready to hit the ground running. If you are currently on the market but haven’t sold then it’s the perfect time to take stock.
One potential issue is, if a room or space lacks purpose it can be difficult for buyers to work out what it’s meant to used for. Don’t assume that buyers will be able to visualise how it can look. Make it easy for them by showing what the room is for.
Why Purpose Is Important
Few of us have the luxury of too many rooms or too much space. This means that the majority of us want to make every inch count. If a room or a space seems to lack purpose then it may be considered wasteful. Even if a room is given a label in the agent’s particulars some buyers may struggle to “see” it as that. At the other end of the scale, when a property is larger than the owner needs (e.g. the empty nest), rooms may end up as storage, laundry rooms or just left empty.
What Do your Buyers Want?
If there is a room in your home that has lost its purpose, start by asking yourself, or your agent, what is your ideal buyer going to be looking for? Is their priority the number of bedrooms, reception/ family rooms, home office (in the current climate and in the future the last of these is likely to become more important). Armed with this knowledge you can present the room appropriately.
Empty properties
Empty Properties are worth an article all to themselves. Here I will simply refer to the importance of visualisation. The key is helping buyers to picture themselves living in the property, going about their daily lives. So, for example, this is the family room where everyone gathers and enjoys time together, this is the teenage den, this is the adults only snug…
Multi – Functional Spaces
Open plan living spaces can be a problem, if everything seems to meld in to one and activities spill over from one area to another, they can seem messy and disjointed. So zoning is very important – living area, dining area, work zone etc. There are various ways in which you can zone – using a different colour or wallpaper on the walls, flooring or rugs, pieces of furniture that divide areas.
Improving Existing Spaces
If every room in your home already has its own purpose then it can still be worth considering if repurposing those rooms could make your property more saleable. This can be particularly useful in the case of the property that you have lived in for many years and the kids have left home and you want to downsize. Analysing your target market may indicate that transforming a bedroom or reception room in to a home office, or vice versa, may be more what your buyers want.
Looking for advice on how to get your property ready for market? Take a look at my Property Styling For Sale Page. I can still offer consultations remotely 07745 876182 or e mail judith@homestyle4u.com