To think some little things make a house look expensive?

[Stressmode]

Selling my house and trying to make it look like normal people live there! My husband disagrees and says people will only be looking at bricks and mortar. However I recon there are certain things that help people a feel for a place and show it off well. Not just because I am selling my house but because I want to get some nice stuff for my next place. I am autistic so kind of struggle with this stuff.

What little things make a house feel elevated (classy, expensive, nice… not sure which) ?

Not got much budget, but trying to work out which things help with interiors.

Uncluttered. Clean.

A few healthy plants in nice pots

Dh and I look at bricks and mortar because we tend to buy places which are in need of updating/modernisation and basically end up ripping it all down bit by bit while we live in it (fun 😂) so fripperies are totally pointless to us, we aren’t looking at them! We are looking at the structure and the existing space mentally calculating which walls can come down, which walls are load bearing and how much natural light the rooms get 🤣
Flowers, candles, cushions and any kind of staging are ignored.

Oh god you wouldn't pull a fast one like that on me.

I'd be looking at the structural condition, not fucking poncy cushions and hanging baskets.

Uncluttered and smelling clean are most important

If you have anything remotely Love, Laugh, Love bin it hide it

Really nice lamps and cushions, not too much clutter, a handful of interesting well thought out 'objects' (vases, sculptures, small stack of books etc) to look at.

Clean bathroom is essential. Chuck out all the clutter and just have some nice bottles on view. New or at least very clean towels folded/stacked.

My Mum has a fantastic old cottage that she wants to put on the market soon. After a declutter I'm going to paint her hall cupboard and make it into a more purposeful entrance area with hooks, shoe storage.

When everything is done I'll help her to make each room look like it has a purpose. Her kitchen is small with an island so I'll make sure to put a small table and chairs in the sun room/porch.

I think making rooms look purposeful is important, I think it gives potential buyers ideas for how they'd use the space.

But definitely no clutter.

Fresh flowers.

No clutter ANYWHERE - be absolutely brutal. Insanely neat shelves, surfaces etc. Remove anything at all that suggests how little storage you have! If you fill up a few boxes and have nowhere to put them, stick them in your car on viewing days!

House has to smell clean and fresh at all times - no cooking smells when people are coming to view etc. This will also mean washing all the sheets and towels at least once a week. H&M has some fairly affordable scented candles.

If your duvet covers are wonky or have any kind of colourful pattern, I would get something like this for each bed - https://www.dunelm.com/product/cosy-ribbed-throw-130cm-x-170cm-1000255649 and some cheap plain matching pillowcases. You can get those throws for much less on AliExpress, just depends on how long you can wait (Dunelm today, AliExpress about 10 days).

Similarly, get a bunch of cheap matching light coloured towels for the bathroom and have NOTHING out. No toothpaste, cheapo shampoo etc.

If you have the time/money/interest, paint over any "interesting" features like an accent wall or anything grey, because they're both dated and can make a space smaller/dreary.

If you have blinds AND curtains, think about ditching the curtains for the time being if that can suit your home - makes rooms bigger and brighter.

I agree no clutter, clean & tidy.

Make sure rooms have a spacey feel and aren't overcrowded with furniture = that extra rocking chair or shelf in the corner ect.

Your husband isn't entirely wrong about the structure stuff etc., but LOADS of people are swayed by the froth.

My Mum used to drive my Dad around the twist when they were househunting literally for a fixer-upper - she would go off something lovely because she didn't like the wallpaper or something mad like that.

I buy houses that are one step away from derelict so nothing but structure/ land/ neighbours etc will influence me.

I do stage homes when selling as it gives people an idea of what the home will look like when they move in but it’s not individual, it’s very generic. No bright crazy colours. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is much you can do with cushions and candles if the actual house doesn’t match up with someone’s criteria. Good bathrooms, kitchens, downstairs toilets, utility rooms are all things people will put a tick next to. I’ve never heard anyone say they were buying the house as the light fittings were nice.

Just saying this to manage your expectations.

I don't really notice anything decor wise unless it would cost a lot to change/fix. I completely ignore soft furnishings & pot plants, paint colours, furniture that won't stay with the house.

I am focussed on:

• useful square footage & layout
• structural condition
• state (but not cosmetics/fashion) of fixtures that are costly to replace: kitchens, bathrooms, boilers etc.
• value adds like recently fitted solar panel systems
• plot size
• location
• availability of parking etc
• any service fees

As uncluttered and minimal as possible so people can actually see the space they are dealing with and the "bricks and mortar". If its a crazy cluttered mess they might not bother

Lots of people do though and first impressions make a huge difference, especially for people who absolutely do not want a doerupper. Some people just want something they can move into with minimum fuss and so you want to be presenting that to potential buyers.

So, it has to be clean (and smell clean), and be as uncluttered as possible with a mininum of personal shit on display - just shove it all into the garage/wardrobes etc.

Basically, go round the house and if you think that any buyer would want/ need to do immediate work in any room - decoration, obvious stuff that is broken etc, do your best to remedy it.

Clean and tidy as everyone has said. Whe I was looking I was quite shocked how people didn't prepare at all. I went to one with laundry hanging over the banister and over the doors. It made the place feel so small and not really fit for purpose for some reason.

Also one had a dryer in the conservatory, which may be practical for them but just made me feel like there wasn't a proper space for the basics.

If it was me I would have stuck it out in the garage or something and save the washing for later.

Personally I would hate any family prints/baby footprints/moulded bronze baby hands, Love/Life/Live/Harmony bollocks, especially when they follow a theme around the house 🧐
Keep it completely impersonal.

I think it depends on the buyers and the type of property. If it’s a fixer upper then you’ll get interested parties like the PPs above who care about structure and nothing else.

But plenty of buyers want to do minimal work even down to decoration. So if your house is up to date, then these buyers are your audience.

Key thing as said above - zero clutter. Even remove furniture if the rooms are quite full. No sign of pets at all, hide all that in your car if you have one.

Also agree that purpose of room should be clear. You can then point out on viewings that there is space for an alternative uses, eg office/spare room.

ETA: Do not shove all your clutter in any built in cupboard or wardrobe, in my experience people will open them and have a nosy!

But you do understand that when you live in the house it won't have laundry hanging over the bannister no? You can't picture that in your head? Turning down a suitable property because there is laundry out is a bad financial/business decision.

I still remember the mumsnet thread where the woman didn't buy because the teenager was in bed in his messy bedroom at the time.

Like he was still gonna fucking be there when she moved in.😅

I mean it would make viewing that room properly a tad awkward surely?!

I bought a house with a teenager lying hungover on the sofa, but she did go out halfway through the viewing so we were able to have a good look at the lounge afterwards!

Your making a quarter of a million pound investment. Suck up the awkwardness and plod on through.

I agree you’re making a huge financial decision, so the house itself is the focus. However, the attitude of the people you decide to buy a house from is key as to whether that purchase actually goes ahead.

Buyers (and sellers) spend a lot of money on the process without protection until exchange. If someone doesn’t show commitment to selling their house, I’d have concerns that they aren’t really serious and may pull out down the line. This has happened to me before and it’s expensive and hugely frustrating.

Brace yourself for tomfoolery from potential buyers and the seller you are going on to. I got gazumped this week. So fed up.

We were on the market last year and the feedback we got constantly was that people wanted a house they didn't have to do anything to. Since ours is a newbuild with a landscaped garden, it was clear they meant the decor. We'd declutterred and tidied every time, but our decor was non-neutral and people clearly felt it made the house feel smaller and "more work".

We've gone round and painted every room in a neutral off-white colour. We've moved and taken away excess furniture so the rooms feel bigger. We've taken down things like coat hooks (which made the hall feel cramped) and picture ledges with prints on. Basically each room is now neutral and tidy.

We've been on two weeks and had five viewings and every one has mentioned what great condition the house is in and how spacious it feels. No offers yet, but it's a dramatic difference compared to feedback last year.