ANNE HUNTER is into appearances. Big time. To her, first impressions count – in fact, they can make or break you . . . in the Edinburgh property market, at least.
"It is so important," says Anne, an interior designer from the New Town. "Your home is your biggest asset and dressing it in the right way to create the right impression and attract buyers is so important, especially in the current climate."
Anne
has been dressing many of the city's flats and houses over the past year and has now turned it into a career, launching Styling For Sale in addition to her interior designing services.
"More and more people were approaching me, asking if it was something I could do to help them, and then estate agents started getting in touch," she explains. "Simpson Marwick are proactive in terms of the market place and they were keen on me helping them maximise assets for their clients. They were advising clients that work needed to be done, but they needed someone to do it."
According to Anne, the biggest problem when it comes to properties on the market is the lack of thought that has gone into getting them ready for sale.
"You do find that people stop noticing clutter and badly dressed rooms. Owners often can't see beyond it. How you live isn't necessarily how the person who might buy your home lives, so you have to neutralise the property to appeal to everyone and anyone. All too often, however, people just don't do it, then wonder why no-one is viewing their property.
"Your home is personal and there's a lot of sentimental items around a home, but when it comes to selling you just can't be personal."
Clutter, badly furnished rooms and over-accessorising are Anne's biggest irks. But so too are empty shells.
"Ex-rental properties do tend to look tired, especially when the furniture has gone. Too much furniture is off-putting and gives the impression of lack of space, but so too is an empty property. A homely feel is important.
"It does take a lot of diplomacy though. It's easier for someone who doesn't live in the property to take a step back and see the flaws. Most people are receptive to it – everyone wants to sell as quickly as possible and for the best price."
So what are the biggest home crimes?
"People are often quite neglectful of entrances. First impressions are so important and you can easily have a lovely living room or kitchen, but if the front door is chipped and the hallway has loads of coats hanging up and little Johnny's bike in the corner, then it doesn't create a good feel.
"Gardens are also often neglected too. People want to see usable gardens that appear low maintenance. A lick of paint, a de-clutter, some TLC and a tidy goes a long way."
Edinburgh property marketing consultant Ewan Mackenzie agrees.
"I value people's homes on a daily basis and the ones that are selling well are properties which are finished products. It's a buyer's market and properties need to be irresistible to clients. People simply have less money to do up properties. And so, the properties that sell quickly are those that are transplant properties – you just drop your furniture in and start living."
He continues: "Look is so important. The photography is 80 per cent of the marketing. Now, there's so much on the market that people need to make their property stand out. It needs to be dressed, it needs to be more appealing than the competition. And that's why dressing agents – or house doctors as they're also known – are becoming increasingly popular."
According to Ewan, time and time again he comes across properties filled with years' worth of accrued belongings. And today's picky buyers often don't see past it. Minimalism – with style – is apparently key to a quicker sale.
He adds: "In the current market, you can't put a figure on how much (extra] you'll make (with room dressing]. The way to look at it is that it will increase the interest in the property which is a better thing. Property prices are falling and while you may make £5000 by dressing it better, it's now less of a monetary term and more about generating the interest and that target sale price. And doing so quicker. It's now about retaining as much capital as possible, as quickly as possible."
Anne, however, believes spending a few hundred pounds on dressing rooms can reap rewards well into the thousands. "People want to see themselves in the property, they want to aspire to it. Get this right and it's a done deal. I charge from £120 for a consultation and rent people the accessories and soft furnishings to keep costs down. And you can't beat a lick of paint."
Ewan agrees. He says: "This is why new builds have show homes. You buy into the lifestyle they create and you're teased into a property by the aesthetics. It's all about looking less Ikea-esque and more designer. This sells."
For more information on Anne Hunter's services visit www.stylingforsale.co.uk
KERB APPEAL
We all know that first impressions count so don't forget to focus attention on the outside as well as on the inside.
"Kerb appeal is so important and often forgotten about," says Edinburgh gardener, Jason Forrest. "Freshly painted fences, trimmed hedges, weeded flower beds, immaculately cut grass are easily achievable and create that all-important first impression."
DE-CLUTTER
Less is more when it comes to selling property and rooms littered with personal possessions, and corners covered with objects do not create good impressions.
"Put spare furniture, accessories and soft furnishings into storage for a month," says Anne. "Don't stuff everything into cupboards either."
DEFINITION
Make sure each room is kitted out for the purpose it is intended for. Bedrooms should look like bedrooms – not store rooms, walk-in wardrobes or makeshift laundry rooms. It's crucial to create an appealing social environment. "You need to give prospective buyers an impression of how they would live in the property," adds Anne.
BACK TO BASICS
Do basic repairs. Each and every room should have all those minor jobs finished – paint work, filling up cracks, straightening cupboard doors, resealing the bath, removing mould and re-grouting.
And then clean. Dirty baths, smelly toilets, unwashed dishes, piles of laundry in a corner – there's no excuse when selling your home.
ATMOSPHERE
Prospective buyers will buy into a lifestyle, so ensure your property feels like a home perfect for the target market. Fragranced candles, the smell of home-baking, a carefully placed designer dress, fresh flowers and magazines all help create an ambiance.
"I bought my first flat last year and I hate to admit it, but the sellers' Jo Malone candles and the odd Harvey Nichols carrier bag was a factor," says 27-year-old marketing executive Siobhan Wright from Sciennes. "She cleverly created the feel and appeal of a successful businesswoman's home. I wanted a bit of that.
"In her bathroom were Space NK products, her sitting room had copies of Vogue on the coffee table and her kitchen had the odd bottle of champagne as well as the unforgettable smell of baking bread. The flat had warm-feeling lighting around it and I just fell in love with the lifestyle she had created."
The full article contains 1242 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
