First Impressions Count
Fri 12 Nov 2021
Creating an inviting approach to your property is key. Whether you’re considering selling or not, we all appreciate that feeling of “welcome home” and it’s certainly something many strive to achieve in their front approach, lobbies and entrance halls. After all, arriving home after a long day, especially in the bitter winter, should be a welcome sight.
According to the Home Owners Alliance as many as 68% of home buyers think kerb appeal is important when buying a home. Establishing a tidy, well-presented frontage can not only improve your residence’s kerb appeal, it could go a long way towards increasing the salability and indeed, potentially the value. So, if you’ve thought about moving, here are a couple of simple tricks to make sure your homes first impression counts.
Crisp autumn leaves in golden yellows and vibrant reds are undoubtedly one of the best symptoms of the seasons changing… until it rains of course, and they’re plastered to your windscreen and somehow even making their way indoors. It’s an ongoing pain, but sweeping up that soggy foliage before viewings and especially before photographs really does make everything appear well looked after.
With the dark nights firmly here to stay it’s important to make it as easy as possible for any potential buyer to find your home when coming to view. To save buyers trailing up your neighbours drives in search for the right house, think about installing door numbers, knockers and making sure those light sensors are in good working order.
If you think a lick of paint wouldn’t hurt, perhaps consider a bold pop of colour for your front door. Pastel colours are in vogue and best of all memorable. You want to avoid any potential buyer coming into your home thinking, “theres no chance the Deliveroo drivers gonna find me here”.
Of course, you may still need to live in your home whilst you’re marketing it to be sold, so making it a complete show home is often an impossibility. However, consider making your entrance way as clear of clutter as you can, think about popping any bicycles or other outdoor paraphernalia out of sight on the day of viewings. No one wants to trip over a fisher-price cosy coupe on their way into their dream home.
While the winter months aren’t the best for greenery, if your home has a front garden, it’s a good idea to keep the area as presentable as possible. The odd leaf won’t do any harm, but any rogue bits of rubbish that may have blown in or weeds should be cleared out ahead of photos being taken or viewings. And likewise, if you don’t have a front garden, injecting a bit of life into the approach with a hanging basket or potted plant can really brighten up the entrance to your home.
Once your viewer is over the threshold, consider clearing the hallway or porch as much as you can get away with. So, coats, muddy wellies and post should all be secreted away to create that welcoming sense of space. The temperature certainly has dropped this week, and it’s absolutely going to get colder so it’s worth popping the heating on a timer to make your home as inviting as possible.
A final top tip, sticking a fresh scented diffuser in the hallway will, as all the adverts tell us, neutralise any odors, so you won’t need to worry about last night’s dinner clinging around. But maybe avoid any bold fragrances like Pumpkin Chai or Rudolf’s Nose (it exists, don’t ask me why) you don’t want them coming away feeling a little nauseous.
Contact us
If you are thinking about selling your home or getting ready for marketing in the new year, the sales team at Sawyer & Co are happy to help; click here to find out about our tailored approach to get you on the move in 2022.