If you're thinking of selling or your struggling to sell, have you given much thought to staging your bedrooms? Probably not, at least when you look at the thousands of images on the on-line property portals.
When your buyers visit, they want to envisage themselves living their future dreams in your bedrooms - when in reality they may be faced with a "make-do" office, laundry strewn everywhere, your wedding photos, the children's' toys, glaring coloured walls and so on.
So let's make these spaces enticing for your buyers with our top 10 tips. After all, this is what show home interiors have been doing for many years.
The old adage:
"Less is more"
really works well when it comes to bedrooms.
#1 Take a photo
Let's get started. Use your phone to take several images from various angles. This way, you'll see first hand what's wrong. The saying:
"The camera never lies"
really helps here because the images you see will be just what your buyer sees if you do nothing.
#2 Décor
Your buyers will be looking for a tranquil space and that won't be possible if you have bright or vivid décor. Re-paint the room in a neutral colour so the buyer can enjoy the tranquillity that the space offers. Learn how colour choices influence buyers here.
Neutral and tranquil do no mean that the room should be dull. Quite the opposite. Add elements of colour with a feature wall or even with your accessories,
#3 Clean, clean, clean
Clean each surface starting at the top and working your way down - ceiling, walls, windows, window dressings, woodwork, furniture and flooring.
If your flooring is in poor condition, replace it.
#4 Maximise Space
Make sure that you limit the furniture pieces to maximise the perception of space and in turn allow the buyer to freely move around the room. Any furniture pieces which stop this should be removed. Any furniture pieces which are not bedroom specific should also be removed.
If you have a small bedroom and you're unsure how to how to make a small bedroom look beautiful, follow all the tips here and in particular, make sure that your bed is appropriately sized ie. 4ft beds are best in the smallest of bedrooms.
#5 Storage
Take this opportunity to review all your storage - not only does this showcase your room better, it also gives the impression that there is more space available. It also means you have less packing to do once you're sold! Finally, Government guidelines during Covid-19 require that all doors and drawers are open during viewings so all your items will be fully on display so make sure these spaces are tidy. Learn more here.
If you've not worn an item since the same season, the previous year, remove it. As #MarieKondo says:
"Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go."
Make sure that under the bed is clear and visible unless you are really short of general storage. If so, use this as storage space but make sure you have all your storage packed away in sealed storage cases. #Ikea have great solutions for this:
Image: Ikea
#6 Bedding
Make sure that you have new crisp white bedding on display for buyer viewings. White bedding works on many levels:
This is what upscale hotels use because it's classic and it implies luxury
It makes a room feel calm and brighter
The bedding covers the largest item in the room, the bed. As the bed is the dominant feature, the large use of white means the room looks less cluttered
It will brighten up the overall colour scheme of the room
This becomes a neutral backdrop to add pops of colour with accessories
It washes well (and at high temperatures) unlike colour bedding
#7 Depersonalise
Remove any personal photos or family treasures - otherwise you will distract your buyers attention unnecessarily.
#8 Creating a Bright Space
Pull back the window dressings during viewings to create a bright space. Add a mirror to bounce light across the room. A mirror can also be used as a feature piece.
#9 Adding Style
Once you have a neutral backdrop, now's the time to bring in style. There's many ways to do this. The simplest method of adding style is with accessories - cushions and throws. These can be used to add texture, colour and interest.
Accessorise your bedside cabinet with size appropriate lighting and no more than three size appropriate decorative pieces eg. a small plate, some books, an interesting pot, small vase or clock. This principle applies to any chest or drawer units that you may have.
You can also consider adding colour and interest with greenery (either real or quality faux).
Add interest with artwork selecting pieces in the same colour range as your accessories. Avoid artwork which is over personalised.
If your headboard is dated, replace it. There are many styles available to suit all budgets and sizes.
If you have sufficient space, zone off an area of the room with relaxing seating - add a chaise, a statement chair and a small table. This will allow the buyer a moment to pause and reflect on your home.
#10 Odour
Finally, make sure that the room odour is pleasant. Open the windows regularly and don't spray the room with high power scents - natural scents are always best.
How sort style and stage can help
We hope you enjoyed reading this and it helps inspire you to create a home which your buyers desire. However, if you don't know where to start, please reach out to us at info@sortstyleandstage so we can help you maximise the value of your home.