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S O S Chrissy Halton launched Innerspace Interior Design in January 2005. She is a qualified Interior Designer and has trained in Home Staging with Channel 5’s House Doctor, Ann Maurice. Chrissy is also a Senior Consultant member of the UK Home Staging Network and a member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (UK), enabling her to provide a variety of styling and home organisation services for her clients.
This month, Chrissy looks at how to create space, how to make the most of your home’s potential, and tricks to give the impression of larger rooms.
Focus on... Creating space Buyers focus their search on three main areas: location, size and price. As a seller, there’s little that can be done to change your property’s location; therefore, sellers should focus on ensuring that the size and price of their property is correct, and that their home is perceived as good value for money. When viewing your house, buyers will be critically looking at each room in your home and deciding whether the space is big enough for them and will be suitable for their needs. There are no two ways about it – space sells, and the more you can show in your property, the better value for money it will appear, and the more likely you are to get a sale. 24
July–August 2009 | Issue 3
Now, I am not suggesting adding an extension or a conservatory when you sell, but merely advising that the space that you do have is shown to buyers to be as spacious and as useful as possible. Decluttering is one of the most powerful ways of increasing the feel of space in your home, and is an economical way of adding value. Rooms filled with boxes, overflowing wardrobes, items under the beds, etc., all do nothing to sell your space. If your home is struggling to fit all of your possessions, why would it fit in those of your buyer’s? This automatically devalues your house, as it creates a small and cluttered feel.
Get rid of any rubbish, give some items to charity and store anything that isn’t required until after the move. You’ll be left with the things that you need on a day-to-day basis, or stylish objects that will help to sell your home. You’ll not only have created more space but will also have helped start the first stage of your move by packing away some items and getting rid of others. Take as many things off the floor as possible – it’s been shown that the more floor space on show, the larger you perceive the room to be. This can be seen in bathroom showrooms, where small rooms can be fitted with wall-hung toilets and sinks, making the room feel larger.