Adding Space & Adding Money
Selling your home is always a hectic time. You’ve spent years living there and invested more than money — you’ve invested your heart. So, when it comes down to the listing price, you don’t want to settle for anything less. You want what you think your home is worth, and are ready to move on. But what if those small bedrooms or living areas are negatively affecting buyers’ offers? In this article, I want to show you some simple ways to make your home feel bigger. As a result, you’ll get a bigger offer coming your way.
Making the Most of Small Space
1. Lighting is a Key Element — Natural light is your ally. The more bright your home is, the larger it looks. Utilize your windows as much as you can. Pull back those curtains (or completely take them off) and let the sun do the work for you. If the view outside isn’t pretty, place a couple indoor plants or lamps near the window. They’ll help pull the eye inward, rather than outward. And if you don’t have that many windows bringing in natural light, utilize mirrors. They can help reflect light around the room and stretch out people’s vision.
2. Warm Paint Tones Can Trick the Eye — Just like sunlight, neutral paint colors, like a creamy white or soft blue, create a bigger representation of the room. They’re also more inviting than darker colors. No home buyer wants to walk into a dark house, feel that it’s extremely tiny, and not sense the property’s warmth. Stick to softer, brighter wall colors and you’ll make your house seem larger than it really is.
3. Effective Furniture Arrangements — With a limited amount of space, you’re restricted with what you can do. But there are ways to trick the eye. Placing tall furniture in the corners of the room will help draw the eye back, and seemingly create an illusion of a bigger room. If the furniture is a light-color, then it’s that much better. Another effective use of furniture, is using multi-functional pieces. Chests that double up as coffee tables or beds that have drawers in them can eliminate clutter and save space. And lastly, place the larger furniture against the walls. If they’re in the middle, they’ll break up the space and ultimately subtract from the room size.
Conclusion
By using effective furniture, painted walls with a softer tone, and utilizing as much sunlight as possible, you’ll make any small space feel large. And when buyers see a “large” house, they pay more.
If you’d like to see examples, check out our current listings in Charleston, James Island, and Mt. Pleasant. Their pictures will reveal how space can be effectively utilized and sell for more than they’re worth.
