Even if you are not selling your home, there is value for living well in your current space…so read on. After we gave her home a feng shui makeover, my client Nina (who started out resistent) loved it and couldn’t wait to invite her friends over for a party. She said she wished she had done this years ago. We cleared, donated, rearranged, and talked. And the results: a lighter and open house with great flow, a plan and timeline to call in the buyer, and gads of people coming to view. Yes, in this market!
My client Nina called me recently; she was having trouble selling her home. Although the house emitted a very nurturing, loving, and cultured sentiment, as an outsider, and from the point of view of a perspective buyer, something seemed a bit off. Although the owners had an array of beautiful paintings, pieces of art, mementos from abroad, and pictures of family, all carrying a really refined sense of taste, they were not displayed and positioned effectively. Prospective buyers could not thoroughly enjoy the aesthetic of the home due to the positioning of items within the room. The disarray of these fine pieces was a distraction from the all around viewing experience.
We grouped paintings together with similar color tones and style. We took glassware out of storage to display. We completely rearranged the living room, opening it up, allowing for a better flow, and displaying the clients’ unique sense of style. Before, a large statue and lamp were blocking the energy at the entrance of the living room, paintings were off center, the furniture was not positioned in a very inviting way.
A home on the market should not be stripped bare of mementos and personal items due to the lure of potential buyers. People appreciate stepping in to a loving and nurturing environment, hoping to recreate one for their own family. It is healthy for the buyer to get an impression of the previous owners.
We created a renewed sense of balance and energy within the home – and an extremely comfortable and appealing environment for potential buyers.
Some people tend to use their houses and rooms in unconventional ways that totally suit them and their lifestyles. However a potential buyer wants a house to make sense. You don’t want them to have to think how they would use the spaces. For example, 12 years ago I sold a three-bedroom house before it was on the market. My 7-year-old daughter and newborn son had been sharing a room, and my 9-year-old daughter had her own room. To make the house more appealing, I converted one of the bedrooms into a really cute twin room for the girls to share, and the other into a sweet nursery for the baby. Now a couple could imagine starting a family in that house. They could envision their home. And that’s what happened.
My mantra to Nina when she kept saying “But I like it that way” before we made a change with artwork or furniture was, “Remember, this is not your home anymore.” Letting go is tough… She was happy in the end!
