We all know the kitchen is the hub and heart of the home. It’s where family and friends gather to share stories and chat about their day. So it won’t surprise you to know that the way a kitchen is presented on the market can make or break a sale. You don’t have to have a brand new, high-end kitchen to appeal to buyers. But you should do everything you can to ensure your kitchen appeals to their senses and emotions.
Here are 6 common kitchen presentation mistakes to avoid when selling your home.
- Baking cookies or bread
The old tip of baking cookies, a cake or bread before the open home is just that – old. The best way to appeal to the nose of today’s buyer is to place a subtly fragranced, beautifully styled candle on your bench top. Your agent will decide whether or not it needs to be lit (the last thing you want is an overpowering aroma).
- A fridge covered in kids art, menus, magnets and notes
Although a buyer knows you will be taking the fridge with you (unless it’s plumbed in) they don’t need to see all your paraphernalia cluttering up the room. A sparkling clean fridge enhances and opens up the space.
- Over-styling
Less is more when it comes to styling a home to sell and this includes the kitchen. While a strategically placed candle and pot plant look elegant, a bench top overloaded with trinkets, teapots and plant life has the opposite effect. Remember to strip back your personal mementos as well. Styling to sell is about finding the right balance between offering new buyers a blank canvas that encourages them to imagine themselves living there and engaging their senses on an emotional level.
- Ugly or no stools at the breakfast bar
Select a few stylish new bar stools to put at your breakfast bar or island bench. This way potential buyers can imagine themselves cooking dinner while their loved ones or friends chat to them from their perfectly positioned seats at the bench.
- Neglecting to clean and tidy inside the cupboards and drawers
Potential buyers don’t hold back when inspecting a home. They will open cupboards and drawers to check out the storage situation. If a buyer walks through a home without opening a single cupboard it’s a sure sign they are not interested. So don’t make the mistake of just focusing on the outside of your kitchen joinery. If a buyer opens a cupboard to discover a disorganised mess on dirty shelves, they may wonder what else you are hiding.
- Not bothering to spruce up an older kitchen
If you have an older kitchen, show it some love to make it shine. Consider investing in new tapware, handles and/or pendant lighting to breathe some new life into a tired space. Just ensure you keep it simple and stylish.
Why not ask us about our professional property styling service. You will be amazed at the before and after shots and the difference it can make in the sales outcome.