The way we live has changed. Previously, the spare room tended to be a spare bedroom and was furnished as such. Nowadays, a spare room can serve different purposes and sometimes more than one function at the same time. It can be a study/ home office, hobby room, dressing room or quite simply a room for “storage”. This is fine so long as we continue to live in the property but can cause a problem when we come to sell.
When selling, each room needs to have a clearly defined purpose otherwise viewers can be confused. They may be unable to see the full potential of the property and as a result think that the property is too small or overpriced.
Most prospective buyers have a certain number of bedrooms on their wish list and this will be a priority. Your property will probably be marketed as having a specified number of bedrooms even if one of those rooms is being used for some other purpose and viewers will arrive expecting to see that number of bedrooms. This means that if one room is being used as a home office, for example, they will be surprised. It is easy to assume that viewers can simply be told that such a room can be used as a bedroom but people can find it difficult to visualise. In particular, they may struggle to decide if a bed will fit in the space or what size of bed and what other furniture can be accommodated. How often have you seen Kirstie Allsopp on Location, Location, Location lie down on the floor to demonstrate that a bed will fit in the space?
I therefore, recommend that a room that is described as a bedroom in the estate agent’s particulars or which was originally a bedroom is presented as a bedroom. This means including a bed of the appropriate size. i.e. if it is a double bedroom then use a double bed. It is also a good idea to have some other furniture in the room to demonstrate what buyers would do for storage – a wardrobe or chest of drawers for example. If the room is small then at least add a bedside table.
For advice on all aspects of interior design or property styling for sale or rent call me on 07745 876182 or e mail me at judith@homestyle4u.com. I cover the Wirral, Cheshire and the North West. Don’t Move Home Without Me!