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| Essential Interior Design Tips |
Winning Interior Design Strategies to Sell Your Home Fast
Home renovations are always a great way to increase the value and utility of your home. Whether you’re still making a space your own or interested in selling your property in the near future, the right interior design choices can make all the difference.
The challenge, though, when a property sale is your end goal, is that not all the design choices you make will resonate the same way with everyone. While a home renovation project may be highly valuable to you, it may not meet the needs of others.
However, while it’s hard to please everyone, there are some proven interior design tips you can follow that can increase the likelihood of yielding more purchasing offers and help you sell your home faster.
Invest in Energy-Saving Features
All potential homeowners consider the amount of spending required when owning a property. Electricity costs, especially, can be a significant expense they need to deal with on a monthly basis. To help in this area, installing energy-saving features throughout your home can be a great value add.
There are numerous options to explore when seeking to reduce electrical consumption. Lighting choices are a good place to start. For example, switching to LED light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs can reduce energy consumption by up to 75%.
Smart thermostats are another effective way to reduce energy consumption, particularly during the summer months. They help regulate temperatures based on the homeowner's schedule, dynamically adjusting throughout the day when no one is home to avoid overusing the HVAC system.
Give Your Kitchen a Makeover
When trying to sell a home, the condition of your kitchen can make or break a potential sale. Kitchens are the heart of every house, and most people spend a significant amount of time in them. Renovating a kitchen space not only enhances the “wow” factor for potential buyers as they walk through the home, but it can also significantly improve the home's functionality.
Depending on the age of your kitchen, you may not need to worry about gutting the entire area and starting from scratch. In most cases, you can make smaller but impactful modifications, such as installing new countertops, replacing cabinetry, or upgrading to modern appliances.
Update Flooring
Your home’s flooring is another important area you can focus on when making home improvements. New flooring can completely transform the look and feel of various spaces, making the property appear much newer than it actually is.
One of the key considerations for flooring is to identify what is considered outdated and unappealing. In most cases, carpeting is not really preferred in larger homes. It’s harder to clean and maintain, and can make a property feel dated.
Sticking with hardwood, tile, or modern laminate are typically the most preferred materials. These are easier to maintain and provide homeowners with more flexibility when styling their property.
Refinish Outdated Ceilings
Many older homes still have “popcorn ceilings” that were common in homes built between the 1950s and 1980s. These types of ceilings can be off-putting to many potential homebuyers as they immediately date the house. For many people, this is a telltale sign that there’s a higher likelihood of maintenance issues on the horizon.
Even if you’ve already completed a number of major renovations, leaving these ceilings untouched can diminish the value that some of those modifications have brought in. Removing the popcorn texture and replacing it with a standard ceiling finish can be much more aesthetically pleasing and will actually help to brighten up the room.
Increase Storage Space
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| Having storage is king in home purchases |
One of the things that most people look for when house-hunting is ample storage space. It can be hard to find properties that maximize closet space or other common storage areas around the house. This is why seeking innovative ways to increase the available amount can be a great investment.
The good news is that there are several smart and cost-effective ways to achieve this without wasting floor space. For example, you could upgrade an unused utility closet with shelving, install pull-out storage from under the bed, or invest in furniture with built-in storage solutions.
Make Smart Color Choices
One of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to enhance the aesthetics of a living space is by applying a fresh coat of paint. This can give a great first impression to potential buyers.
When choosing colors, it’s essential to make strategic selections. For example, in most cases, you want to play it safe with the overall aesthetics and choose more neutral tone colors. Although a bold accent wall can look great to some people, it may not resonate with most buyers.
However, just because you should keep your color choices more neutral doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t add a splash of personality to a space. Using different shades or tints of colors throughout the home can help to change the look and feel of other rooms without being too distracting.
Change Out Door Hardware and Interior Finishes
Whether you realize it or not, the smaller details can make a significant difference in the look and feel of your property. You should never underestimate the impact that changing out things like the hardware for your doors or other subtle interior finish upgrades can have.
Take a walk through the property and note any doorknobs, cabinetry handles, hinges, stairwell railings, and other interior elements that could benefit from a fresh new look. Depending on their style, you could replace them altogether with modern versions or refinish older hardware to blend more seamlessly with your modern home improvements.
Design a Functional Laundry Area
Another room in the house that isn’t often discussed is the laundry room. While most people don’t spend long hours in their laundry rooms, you’d be surprised how many potential home owners place a lot of value on the overall design of these rooms.
While laundry rooms typically aren’t very big and don’t offer much flexibility in their design, you can make a significant impact by creating a much more functional space. Adding built-in wall storage for cleaning supplies or clothes storage, and other practical touches, can be a nice statement piece, especially for new home buyers with families.
Get Window Treatments
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| Attract More Buyers: Interior Design Secrets for a Quick Sale |
Another feature of the home that can sometimes be forgotten about is the windows. While the surrounding details of the windows are important to update and upgrade, the windows themselves can sometimes be dated and in need of a refresh.
Window treatments can be a great investment for older homes and properties prone to harsher weather conditions. Depending on your home, you could add curtains or blinds to the windows or replace the glass in the windows altogether.
Combine Modern and Traditional Design Styles
The great thing about modern interior design is that it often provides more flexibility to blend multiple living styles. In certain scenarios, blending modern and traditional design elements can be an effective way to add character to a home without compromising its resale value.
A smart way to approach this type of style choice is to use neutral wall colors or furniture pieces and start incorporating pops of color. The type and size of furniture you use can be an essential factor in this approach, as you want to ensure there is balance in the room and that no individual component competes for attention with others.
Get More Value Out of Your Home Improvements
Taking on an interior design project for your home can be an exciting endeavor. However, if you’re planning on reselling your home in the near future, it’s essential to choose the right home improvements that will help you add more buyer interest.
By following the strategies discussed, you’ll be able to add the desired level character and functionality to your home while still increasing your property's perceived value to potential buyers.
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Author Bio: Rebecca Denis, Head of Design at Revive Real Estate, is an accomplished and highly creative interior designer with over ten years of experience in the industry. With a passion for transforming spaces and a keen eye for detail, she has successfully completed numerous projects ranging from commercial spaces to custom show homes.
Inveigle Magazine