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.

I shoved excess stuff in the car and the shed!

It's fine. We once bought a house from a couple with toddler twins. There was literally washing hanging on the bannisters and we had to pick our way through toys. It was fine! We still bought the house. Why? Because it was a good price in the catchment for a great school. We knew the laundry and stacking bricks would go with them.....

Most people are not property developers though, they are looking to buy a home for their family to live in.
I assume you do a full renovation on the shit holes you buy? Why is that, why not leave them as they are, after all a few cushions and nice paint don't make any difference do they...

Bring a diffuser in there to use scented oils, and get some vintage stuff too, and fingernail-cutting scissors, this'll make your house look normal, like getting a wooden pestle-&-mortar, microscope kit, binoculars, and a torch. 🥰

Well it all depends on your personal taste and what you deem to be classy and elevated.

You've had some really good responses but just to reiterate and add some of my own I've not seen I would;

Declutter - 110% !!

Spotlessly tidy and smelling fresh at every viewing -scented candles, open windows before (providing you don't live near anything smelly!), essential oil based cleaners are nice for leaving a lasting smell purdy and fig are good.

Fresh flowers or healthy plants in a couple of appropriate places - good quality ones

Lights and lamps all on

Heating on to cosey levels in autumn/winter/spring

Before this though I would;

Fix any major and minor maintenance issues - de-mould bathroom grouting and sealant, reseal if necessary, make sure doors don't stick, look at any cracks in the plaster - get them filled and painted

Hide/get rid of any broken furniture

get a Flash magic eraser and go round and give any scrapes on your paint a good buff and clean - same with wood floors if you have

repaint if rooms are looking really tired

Look at your paint choices - anything wild or really specific think about going neutral, if you have any of the dark Farrow and ball esque blues they can probably stay but anything else pick a nice warm neutral / off white - not a grey

Consider white bedding and make sure it's clean on for every viewing

Also think about your garden / outside of your property, again fix any big projects small maintenance issues. Remember curb appeal.

Make sure your gate if you have one is clean and works/doesn't stick.

Consider having upvc cleaned or if you have wood framed windows painted if they are looking tired/flakey

Grass cut, garden tidy - any plants and trees cut back and neat, get rid of anything which looks dead!!! If you're on the market at the mo consider brightening up a dull winter garden with some spring bulbs.

Have a look at the roof - of you're in an area where moss collects consider having it cleaned

Go round with a leaf vac before viewings.

@NuNameNuMe - I remember House Doctor with Anne Maurice - she always hid the toaster to make the work surfaces less cluttered. And yes, each room had to show its function. I still try and live.

If the small repairs aren't done, I am going to assume the big ones haven't been done. And if you're sloppy, I will presume you were sloppy working in the house.

Every house near me has been refurbished by the new owners regardless of the condition, so I think people look at the location and the square meterage and age/style of the property and not much else.

Hid the toaster 😂

Wash or repaint exterior windowsills on the front, power wash the drive, clean the front door and repaint if needed, put a couple of pots with shrubs or flowers either side… kerb appeal makes a much bigger difference than you think.

If the impression as they drive up is positive, you’re halfway there.

We set aside 1% of the asking price for sprucing the place up and sold in 2 weeks.

I think the ability to move in and live comfortably is a big selling point.

as in - we’d like to paint the walls but they’re not offensive for now.

we’d like to redo the bathroom but it looks clean and decent enough for now.

If there’s stuff that needs doing immediately (ie immediate repair work) then that adds to the stress of moving and the immediate cost of moving. So you’ll be able to sell, it’s just that type of buyer will look for a bargain.

in short, if you have a magenta wall, it can’t hurt to paint it magnolia.

Having a clean and clutter free space will allow the buyer to see the available space, and imagine there stuff in there. So I would focus on putting clutter away.

When we were selling MIL's house, we had emptied it and magnolia'd the walls so it was clean & uncluttered, but it looked a bit unloved & boring. Despite it being a decent sized three-bed with front & rear gardens, in an area with amenities and good schools, we had had no offers in 3 months. So I spent £100 on plants, towels for the bathrooms, ceramic soap dispensers, new door mats front and back, new lamp shades, and a canvas for the chimney wall. We sold at the next viewing.

I probably did the absolute minimum, but it changed the feel of it from a house needing love to a home with potential.

I have sold three completely empty homes of deceased parents and other relatives. They've all been empty of all items and completely bare.
They sold quickly because they were priced correctly and there was no onward chain.

Uncluttered, neat and clean. Clear worktops in the kitchen, bathroom not full of bottles and jars all over the place, no manky towels etc on show (make this a rule so it doesn't look 'studied'). Tidy cupboards if they are built in (only CF's open free-standing robes!) and clothes put away - to give impression of plenty of storage space!
Garden to look 'in season' e.g. in winter and early spring it should look neat even if there is not a great deal of plant life, by which I mean it should look as if you do garden and it's not too onerous a job.
When expecting viewers some say fresh coffee is a good idea - the smell is alluring. I prefer fresh bread, myself, so you could buy a bread-maker if you don't have one, and have it on.
Decoration. Usually neutral tones but if your house is not neutral don't start painting walls beige for the sale - it won't go with your other decor anyway and new paintwork tends to make people wonder if the place is damp. Just spruce up, hang well-placed pictures. A few books or mags in the living room makes it look homely, as do open fires if you have one. It's amazing what a bit of a tidy up can achieve (I need to do it today - and not selling house!).

Hmmm, this thread is making me suspect that the ones looking for a "lifestyle" are really just looking for something to do as an afternoon activity. It really used to be a thing you know, spend sunday afternoon looking at houses you were'nt gonna buy.

Not read the thread, but I think the smell. We have a nice reed diffuser in the hallway. (Posh hotels always have a fragrance....)

Yes, that could explain some of the suggestions like hand soap and magazines 😉

If you have a garage make sure it is also decluttered, so buyers can see that they could fit a car in.

Open doors before a viewing, so light gets into the hallways and creates a flow. Make sure there is no furniture blocking anything, so viewers can easily move around the house.

Lots of people work from home, if possible have a desk and chair set up somewhere to suggest this.

If it's a dull day put some lamps on.
Make sure the heating is on, nothing worse than visiting a cold house.

‘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!’

Yep, we opened the airing cupboard and an electric drill bounced out. I just managed to avoid it hitting my foot. On the second viewing they hadn’t bothered to move the giant economy sized pack of (unused) Pampers from the coffee table.

We bought the house, but we made a lower offer than if it had been pristine, and I suspect other people were more put off than us.

Please don't try - save for your next house. To sell this one, have it as clear as you can ... No personal objects on display. The buyers want to imagine how they will live there not see how you live there.

I think its just that some people can't imagine how a house could look so you have to show them. You must have friends who would love to change something in their house but don't know 'how' so end up just painting the walls a slightly different shade of the same colour and getting new sofas exactly the same when they wear out because its safer?

Those same people buy houses but they can only see the house as they see it - so if it looks like somewhere they want to live, even if they know that in reality their furniture is different, they can see themselves living there.

When we moved into our current house about half our friends/family immediately went "wow - hard work but the potential" and the other half either smiled politely or came right out and asked us why we bought such a shithole. They just couldn't see how it will be (one day!) even assuming we got it cheap and knew what we wanted to do.

If this thread has taught me anything it's that if i'm ever gonna sell a house i won't take too much notice of people who come back to me with silly feedback about packets being out on a table. They really weren't serious buyers anyway.

The Pampers!😂

DH is a developer.

Last year he built/sold over 1000 houses/flats.

The show home always sells for significantly more than identical other properties and that’s in an environment where the other homes are still immaculate.

Some people lack the imagination to see themselves in a space. Some times choices are conscious and people are actively seeking a space in relation to which they have to do nothing. Sometimes the subconscious takes over and they are attracted to elements that evoke the past or future dreams.

We’re all open to the power of suggestion, even those that think they’re getting a bargain fixer upper - DH has been known to make a place that he wants to offload look more like a fixer upper than a tired family home because it attracts the project seekers!