Duvets for viewing - white or prints?

[Activemum81]

I was thinking white/ cream - will that be too boring? Shall I get some nice simple light prints instead?

Couldn't agree more Rosemary, everyone on here saying they only look at the size and location of a house and completely ignore cosmetics are doubtless very sensible and got themselves excellent deals on their purchases, but there's a whole industry called 'marketing' that specifically deals with selling people otherwise very similar products with superficial cosmetic differences!

My belief is that none of us are as rational and objective as we like to think and although we might not consciously notice how a house is dressed/presented as we walk around, you can't help subconsciously forming judgements about whether a house is going to be a nice place to live, whether it's 'you', whether it seems warm and welcoming etc. And we probably base those feelings more than we like to admit on completely superficial things like decor and furnishings that are to our personal taste or seem aspirational. Or even if you are sure you don't personally think you do this, you must acknowledge that many buyers base their decision to a large extent on gut feel and emotions (watch Phil and Kirsty and see how much they go on about first impressions, the 'feel' of a house, people crying because 'it feels like home' etc etc). And it's fair enough to base your decision on gut feel if you are viewing 5 or 10 very similar properties, in similar areas and with similar space!

I would absolutely not recommend any seller to spend much, if any money, particularly on things they won't use again but if you already have plain white linen and some coloured soft furnishings, why wouldn't you present the house in it's best light? Of course if your house is an absolute wreck and being sold as a fixer-upper then there's no point trying to dress it as a show home. But I guess that is not the case for OP.

I couldn't have told your what any of the beds had on when we were recently viewing!

The bed in the master bedroom had a cat on it when I was viewing. Couldn't tell you what the bedding was like, though.

I bought the house because the location and type of house were what I was looking for, the price was right, and it didn't need a lot of major work - only cosmetic stuff, which I did as and when.

I bought my home five years ago I can tell you a very friendly dog lived there and the house wasn't well decorated but it was very well maintained. My friend who is a surveyor came with me to view. As soon as we walked out he told me to buy it. The street is lovely as is the location and sizes of the rooms are large. Fair enough if interior design and things looking nice influences you. Obviously it doesn't me, and as for Kirsty and Phil I don't watch them.

Well if the look of the place doesn't influence you, why bother viewing at all? All you need is a map, a floor plan and a surveyors report and you're away!

(Sorry, that was a bit needlessly grumpy. Just had a really shitty customer service call and clearly carrying over some emotions there...)

We've just bought a place that was last decorated in the 1940's, looked like an old people's home in the sitting room and every conceivable item was patchwork. Not quite sure what that says about my taste.

Well if the look of the place doesn't influence you, why bother viewing at all? All you need is a map, a floor plan and a surveyors report and you're away!

Another house I viewed, the neighbours' garden was a heap of rubble. It looked like they were gutting the place. If I'd bought that house, I probably would have been living next door to long term building work/diy. I wouldn't have known that without viewing.

MessySurfaces because photos don't give you the full picture, as mentioned above the state of next door's back garden etc. My parents have new neighbours. One of them is a landscape gardener his garden is just awful neglected with furniture dumped outside. When I make the biggest purchase of my life I look at things that cannot be changed. Having a friend who is a surveyor came along to viewings is a great help.