Presentation style query

EdInvestor

What do buyers like seeing when viewing flats for sale these days?

Is "clean and tidy" the most important point?

Or is "character" becoming a selling point as well?[Clearly character does not mean "dirty and untidy" ]

Are people getting fed up with magnolia walls and laminated floors as advised by the TV "style police"? Is this neutral minimilist seen as smart, or is it beginning to look boring?

It would be interesting to hear reports from people who have recently sold a property with a more individualistic decorating style.

Did it help or hinder the sale?

silvercar

We just bought a house where most of the rooms had a "feature" wall in a deep colour, royal blue in one, plum in another....

The first thing we did was neutralise these "features" with magnolia.

Ems*Honie

Our house is cream through out, as is the house we have just bought. Regardless of charecter, or fasion it is a blank canvass that isn't going to need 6 coats of paint to cover

RHemmings

EdInvestor wrote:

What do buyers like seeing when viewing flats for sale these days?

Is "clean and tidy" the most important point?

Or is "character" becoming a selling point as well?[Clearly character does not mean "dirty and untidy" ]

Are people getting fed up with magnolia walls and laminated floors as advised by the TV "style police"? Is this neutral minimilist seen as smart, or is it beginning to look boring?

I would like to see a photo of any gardens. OK, you have a flat so there won't be a private garden, but if there's anything green associated with the block please include a photo of it. You're lucky that you're selling a flat not a house as if you were selling a house you would, for no fault of your own, get the full brunt of my angst concerning those home-owners who sell houses and don't have a photo of the back garden at all.

Philippa36

The house that we bought was full from top to bottom (all 3 floors) of Art Deco and Nouveau paintings and William Morris wallpaper ~ we still bought it, saved £10,000 off the original asking price and have now almost painted all of it in pale, cool colours with absolutely no patterns.

It was the house I liked and I could see past all the furniture and the different tastes of the current owners

I guess if I was buying new then I would expect neutral throughout, otherwise I would not be horrified by something that looked a little lived in.

Doozergirl

The vast majority of people are still very much into the pale palette.

The thing about introducing strong colour in whatever form is that it involves 'taste' and not everybody's is the same. It's easier for someone with more flambouyant taste to move in and introduce colour than it is for a fan of neutrals to see through the colour.

Personally, I hate looking at estate agents details and seeing everything the same though when I do see a house that has been decorated with personality, I generally hate that too because it isn't my taste either!

When we decorate to sell, we have plain walls and introduce colour in the form of accessories. I long for a feature wall of flock wallpaper. Sigh.

EdInvestor

Sounds like colourful accessories might be OK, but not bright colours on walls?

How about carpets (neutral colours, clean)?

Or are rugs better? On wood or laminate?

Norma_Desmond

Clean and fresh are probably the most important things; unless you've got a strong stomach there is nothing worse than other peoples' dirt. Other folks taste in wallpaper/paint etc. wouldn't be an issue for me, after all, if the house is structurally sound what price a few cans of paint?
On the flooring issue then I suppose natural wood or neutral carpets ARE the best - some people have a horror of laminate and to re-carpet/floor a whole house is ruddy expensive; been there and bought the tee shirt!
What I HATE to see are properties that have obviously been staged to sell - all Argos leather sofas, silly pebbles in the fireplace, furry cushions and accessories from Ikea to attempt to look trendy and tasteful. I'd rather that a home looked loved and lived-in and quirky, after all, everyones taste is different!
If I wanted to sell my house it would be spotlessly clean, very tidy and potential viewers would just have to put up with the lifesize ships figurehead in my dining room!

Doozergirl

Same carpet throughout the house, unless you have wood in some rooms. Otherwise I'd change it.

Flooring is a big deal for me. It's really expensive stuff!

Rugs make rooms cosy

tazgirl

I agree - nothing too 'staged'. I like to see evidence that people actually live there, and if you see things that are similar to those you have at home, it can help to make somewhere seem like the 'right' house (have bought a flat on the basis of sharing the same taste in books before). I certainly had a good declutter to sell and dealt with anything messy or broken, but not removing your life completely.

Equally, I think that you do need to tone down really unusal decor - we saw one basement flat that was decorated to look like the Cavern Club and full of sixties memorabilia, and on the same day, a house owned by a huge Elvis fan (huge in both sense, and complete with quiff), with a fifties diner-style kitchen! In both cases, I could see past it, but not everyone would be able to.

RHemmings

tazgirl wrote:

Equally, I think that you do need to tone down really unusal decor - we saw one basement flat that was decorated to look like the Cavern Club and full of sixties memorabilia, and on the same day, a house owned by a huge Elvis fan (huge in both sense, and complete with quiff), with a fifties diner-style kitchen! In both cases, I could see past it, but not everyone would be able to.

My sister once viewed a flat which had pictures on the walls of the owners engaged in sex acts and role play.