They say you only have one chance to cause a good impression, same goes with your house. When a potential buyer opens the door of property they create an opinion about it in seconds based on what they first see. Creating a scene in the entrance hall can influence the client’s perspective of the property beforehand.
In order to prevent a negative first impression, making the potential buyers want to run out of the door, consider these tips so you have an organized entrance which will welcome the client to carry on through.
When a potential buyer enters a messy property they cannot visualize the potential of their new home. After all they would like to imagine their slippers next to the door without falling over yours. Start by de-cluttering the surfaces including the floor, shoe cupboard, table tops and wall units. Make sure things like bills or dog leads are out of the way in a drawer rather than left lying on a surface. If you have a wall unit or any shelves try and re locate 50% of what is on display when you have a visit lined up, same as any coats or jackets try keeping them in wardrobes rather than on the back of a chair or a coat hook. The trick is minimizing what is on show as it makes things seem bigger.
There are many pieces of furniture available, which apart from looking nice also have plenty of storage space out of sight. If you have some spare square meters maybe consider a bench with storage inside; apart from been able to store things inside out of sight it can also be looked upon as a place to sit. Another good piece of furniture to acquire is a shoe cupboard which hides any shoes or slippers you may have lying around plus the top can be used to put some flowers or ornaments on making the entrance to the property look pretty.
The entrance to your property needs to look like an independent space from the property itself. Something simple like adding a rug can define the entrance space. The transition from outside to inside can be made gradual by adding some interior plants, not only giving a relaxing atmosphere, plants also fill a blank wall.
The entrance to a property should have minimal decoration, things like family photos should not be on display. Remember your potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves living there with their own personal photos. Having a wall full of photos doesn’t help same as having too many plants or ornaments on show. Things need to be minimal and just enough to not make the property look empty, a cactus or small plant on a side board or table gives it a touch without being over done. If you are not good with plants, an artificial one does the job too.
The main entrance has to be clean, this includes windows and doors, you do not want people distracted looking at dust on the door frame or a mark on the floor. Keeping the floors clean and the surfaces dust free are essential. If your property is in a rainy area consider buying an entrance mat to avoid dirty shoe marks on the floor.
If you need any further tips your RE/MAX agent can help you dress up your property ready for viewings to potential buyers making your sale transaction run smoothly.