Using Colors, Scents And Small Touches To Help A Home Sell
When someone makes the decision to sell a home, the last thing they want is to have it sit on the market for months. Obviously, they want it to sell quickly and for as much as possible. There are many tips about selling houses that include updating bathrooms and kitchens as well as maximizing the curb appeal of the home. However, humans are often swayed by smaller things that they are completely unaware of, like certain scents or features that make them feel comfortable, safe or nostalgic. Here are a few tips for appealing to those senses and help a buyer feel at home when they walk through the door.
Colors to Choose
Painting the walls a neutral shade, to make it possible to appeal to more potential buyers, is still good advice. However, colors affect moods and using accent colors or accessories in specific shades in each room may help to encourage people to feel "correctly" in that space. For example, using green towels, shower curtains or accessories in the bathroom could encourage a feeling of calmness and tranquility. Yellow is a color that encourages activity, so incorporate it into a workout space, kitchen, or playroom. Help to increase the feeling of serenity in a bedroom with shades of blue. By adding enough touches in the space, it can evoke the right mood, without offending someone who does not like a particular color.
Scents That Help
To add to the emotions the colors are encouraging, a few carefully chosen scents may provide an extra boost as well. Aromatherapy is often used to encourage healing and wellness, but it also helps to boost a feeling of well-being or relaxation. Use a Jasmine scented air freshener or candle at the front entry to encourage visitors to feel calm, confidant, and optimistic. Use the aroma of lavender in the bedroom to create a feeling of calm. To awaken those nostalgic feelings, use scents in the kitchen that replicate apple pie or baking cookies (or bake those prior to a walk-through). If showing a home around Christmas, use a pine-scented candle to make it feel homey and welcoming.
Features and Extras
The features and extras are those things that homeowners can do that cost very little and will not necessarily remain with the home, but help to create a look or feel that encourages buyers. This includes carefully using accent lighting to highlight an interesting architectural feature or brighten a normally dark corner. Or, add a few touches that show how an area can be enjoyed. Stylishly drape a throw blanket on a comfy chair and add a good book on a small table next to it, to show off a great reading nook. Set up a small tea party in a playroom, complete with dolls and bears, to make it seem quaint and charming. Arrange candles, thick towels, and decorative soaps on the edge of the tub to show how soothing, pampering and relaxing the spa-like bathroom can be.
These tips do not replace the need for the home to be clean, well-maintained and priced accordingly, but they can help to compete against other comparable homes. Since these items require very little in time and cost, it makes sense to experiment a little. Even if they are not what finally closes the sale, they can be the extra push a buyer needs to decide that this home may be the one.
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