This is the final blog in a three-part series of getting the most value for your home. It's all about understanding how to make an amazing impression that will payback!

The first blog looked at what elements were essential to get you into the right frame of mind for selling your property and some direction around the potential value points and pitfalls that can crop up when selling your home. The second blog focused on street appeal, the reason being that the first impression lasts, so you want to make sure your potential buyers are feeling positive and ready to go, even before they’ve walked through the front door. 

This third and final blog focuses on Interior Design and how you can open up your home in a welcoming way that has people bursting with excitement and eagerness to move in and make it theirs.

Street appeal is what announces you to the world, not just for selling the home, but when you are living in it too. Once you have your plans for how to make that first impression incredible, it is then the job of the internal appeal of your house to create an emotional connection. This is where the heart finds its home so the heart is where you need to focus your attention.

You are looking to evoke a feeling of home, even for people who are only visiting for a few moments. 

You want them to feel very strongly that, Yes, yes, I can see myself being very comfortable here! It's a big task, however, it's also one that can be achieved with smarts and the application of tried and tested techniques.

Interior Paint

Paint dulls and fades with time, only you won’t realise how much until you get a fresh coat on. This is even more powerful if your current wall colours are outdated or drab. As well as getting rid of dirt, smudges and scuffs, a newly painted room will appear bigger and more inviting.

Light, modern interior paint colours can transform a dull room into a beautiful escape.

The right colours to go for are neutral ones.

Don't be tempted to insert some personality, you want to make as much room as possible for the new owners to do that themselves. If you present a suitably blank canvas, they will zing with inspiration for how to add the colours and features that will make it ideal for them.

The chances of you nailing the perfect personal feel for the next buyer is pretty much zero. If they are excited about doing their own decorating, the sale is pretty much done.

Don’t mistake work for decorating. Your potential buyers want to put on easy finishing touches. Have it ready to go for them with everything completed except the bow and ribbons.

What works: Purchase some current home magazines. They are a great way to check up on what's hot right now and see if these trending looks will be a good fit for at least one room in your home. Just keep it subtle.

What about wallpaper?

The simple answer with wallpaper is: it’s too personal. Get rid of it. 

The same goes for feature walls, wall murals and art decals. As beautiful as it might be for you, it stamps the home as yours and alienates potential buyers from making it their own. If you are in doubt, check with a real estate agent or someone qualified in interior staging to see if you have a feature that may be an exception.

It’s not personal, not at all, it’s all about appealing to the largest possible buying group so you can entice them into a bidding war that will have your sale completed quickly, and at the best price.

A wallpaper steam gun is cheap to hire and easy to use. While steaming wallpaper off yourself doesn’t take any skill, it will require some patience. Once you have a bare wall, paint it up for a fresh, bright feel.

Warning: You must remove the wallpaper, you cannot paint over it. Any texture, tear, wrinkle or bump in the wallpaper is going to show through on your paint and completely ruin the bright, flawless effect you are going for. Not only that, but it’s going to shed some doubt on your home’s overall value and maintenance. 

Kitchen

This post is about pulling at heartstrings and your kitchen is the biggest heart in your house. Make no mistake, the kitchen is the number one value point of your home. It is essential to get this right.

That doesn't mean ripping it out and starting from the beginning, just the opposite, you don't want to spend all that money only to have your 'perfect' kitchen ripped out and replaced by the new owner.

This is about putting in those subtle touches that speak of value and class and letting the potential owner imagine the rest.

A) Replace the cupboard doors or paint them

Replacing the doors is surprisingly well priced and looks just as effective as getting a whole new cupboard in. If you already have a sleek enough look then stripping paint and giving it a bright new coat will work wonders too, just be sure to remove the doors from their hinges to make them look professional and also easier. Ask your paint specialist about painting over laminate….they'll have just what you need to do with style.

B) Sleek modern fitting

Taps, spouts, door handles and knobs are probably the quickest way to win hearts in the kitchen. For a few hundred dollars you can add thousands of dollars of value to your home with a sleek and modern look. This is a wow factor you will love admiring. If you are in doubt of which ones suit your home talk to the sellers, estate agents or staging artists about what will look best in your home and see if you can get your hands on a virtual makeover program to get a gauge for what look you want to achieve.

C) Benchtops

You can get a new benchtop inserted over your existing one which saves a lot of time, money and mess. Granite is a great look and cost-effective option. Before you commit to it make sure the look of your kitchen is in harmony, tiles, paint colour, door handles and benchtops all working together to make a beautiful and inviting space.

D) New Stove

On the more expensive side is electrical upgrades.  You should take into account the age and look of your current stove top before making this decision as it is expensive to do. An aged (in excess of 20 years) and worn looking stove won’t come good with elbow grease and will put people off. Take it out of the picture and replace it with a new model that harmonises with your sparkling new kitchen. You don’t need to buy the highest range, this is about reducing negativity, rather than increasing your asking price.

Floors and Carpets

Fresh, bright carpet says that you look after your property. It’s well maintained and strong. Old, worn and dirty flooring says just the opposite. I’m tired, run down and on the brink of collapse. It’s your job to make sure they think happy things about your home, so your floors will need to be perfect.

You might be able to source carpet on the cheap for smaller rooms that come from larger offcuts.

Your market research will help you determine if you should be ripping up the carpets to show floorboards below, you don't necessarily need to do a lot of work on them, but do clean up the nails and rough edges. The new owner can decide if they want to re-carpet or gloss up the boards.

Bathroom restyle

Bathroom renovations are costly, messy and hard to get right if you are not used to big projects like this. Save all that and simply repaint the current tiles to give them a bright new look. Yes, there is such a thing as bathroom tile paint. You will probably need a sealant over it as a top coat to make it water-resistant and stop dirt from sticking. That glossy effect is just another bonus. This is a great DIY project and there are plenty of effects to choose from to give your bathroom a cool modern look (even inside the shower).

If your glass shower screen won’t come clean then think about replacing it.

If in doubt, go with white for a big looking room that feels clean and bright.

Complete the look with some new taps and spouts, vanity door handles and towel racks.

There you have it. A little bit of money down and hard work in and you can turn your everyday home into a glistening jewel, full of appeal on the market. Discuss any of your bigger or more expensive plans over with a professional before you commit, to make sure it's the right move. Remember, everyone is different so leave on an open slate.

Contact us today if you would like one of the best NSW conveyancers to walk you through your property transaction.