New Year, New Home

As the Holiday Season is winding down, it time to start thinking about your New Year goals.

Maybe it’s redesigning your favourite spot in your home, purchasing a new space or listing your property. Either way, here are some helpful tips for you!

Painting

Sometimes it’s as simple as throwing a fresh coat of paint on the wall to change the perspective of a room. Colour choice is important when making this change; sticking with a light neutral colour opens up a room causing it to appear larger than picking a dark or neon colour. An added benefit of neutral colours is that they help prospective buyers see themselves in the space more easily- in turn, they are better able to connect with the space.

Lighting

For those dreary areas in your home, a change in light can do the trick.  Adding a bedside lamp to your bedroom, or perhaps a small lamp in the bathroom will create a soft inviting glow.  Another worthy investment is adding a chandelier to your front foyer. These accent features will contribute to the overall ambiance of your space.

When updating your light game, keep in mind that all light bulbs are not built equally. That is, not all light shine the same shade of white. When highlighting a certain area in your home, check the colour temperature of the lighting to ensure that it works with the existing colour scheme.

Small Features

Small décor features can open up a space and create a welcoming feeling in your home. For instance, adding a mirror to a hall-way or living room reflects light to make the room look bigger and brighter. Adding an area rug or floor runner adds cozy layers and gives the opportunity to add a pop of colour!

When deciding how to stage your home, think about the five senses- sight, smell, sounds, touch and taste. Playing on all senses provides a powerful experience for your buyers. The following items are a few examples of how you can stimulate the senses and create a warm atmosphere for your guests:

• Plants or colourful flower bouquets as centrepiece
• Throw Pillows on couch and beds
• Lit Candles
• Fresh Baked Cookies on the kitchen counter
• Soft music

Scrub, scrub, scrub

A clean home is a happy home! The look of a squeaky clean home can go along way and after a busy holiday season, a deep clean may be in. Be sure to reach those places that don’t normally get cleaned.

As you go along, fix loose handles or knobs, paint scuffs. Missing touch ups can leave a prospective buyer uneasy and have a negative effect on your ability to sell your home!

Even though we have been told to “not judge a book by it’s cover”, this quote is hard to follow when considering designing, purchasing or listing your home. However, following these tips will allow you or potential buyer to connect with the space. What room will you start with?