WINTER WONDERLAND

With Winter fast approaching we are expecting the weather to cool right down, however the real estate market is doing anything but that. The local market is still a hive of activity, keeping everyone on their toes.

Winter Styling? The same way that we create al fresco dining and imagines of a chilled wine or beer on the verandah on the weekend in Summer, the same needs to be done during the colder months. Instead of opening up the house, close curtains and light fires or turn heaters on to create warmth. Remember, the image you want to leave a prospective buyer is that your home is perfect for them. Swap out bright throw pillows for warmer looking fabrics or fluffy ones, place a warm blanket at the end of the bed or across the arm of the couch. You want to let people imagine themselves curling up with a good book on a cold afternoon. If your kitchen is a cold room, do some baking before an inspection. Not only will it make your place smell good but having used the oven is a great way to warm up the area.

Outside the home, make good use of enteraining areas to show that they are multifunctional. If you have a firepit or small wood fire heater on the verandah, stock it up with fresh wood and throw a fluffy blanket on a chair close by. Even if you don’t do this yourself, you are trying to plant little ideas into prospective buyers heads that this lifestyle is possible. Some people aren’t very good at visualising for themselves, so creating little ambient pictures like this gets them thinking, and they will remember your place because they pictured themselves there. It may not be spring, but there are lots of beautiful flowering plants and bushes at this time of year. So find some fresh buds and place them in a small vase in the centre of the coffee table or on your bedside table for added touches of colour.

You don’t have to be skilled at presenting a home for sale, you just have to make your home less about you personally so that someone can see themselves living there with their treasures. If you have lots of family photos around, remove most of them and box them up. Leave just a few smaller ones around and replace with some neutral prints or imagery that create interest. Plants are also a great way to add colour and life into a room. These can be hired so that you don’t have to keep them when you move. They are great if you have an empty corner in a bedroom, or find a spare chair and throw a blanket on it. Happy styling!

Regards, from the team at openhomeonline.