The Beige House- Designing to Sell
My parents have lived in our house for over 15 years now,
and the poor thing is starting to show its age. Their nest has been empty for 6
years now, and they think they are ready to downsize. My Mum is saying 2-5
years- but knowing them it will probably be ten years before the realty sign ever
goes up. They have started to make substantial changes on the house (new master
bath, landscaping, a few new windows) but the question always arises, “Who are
we designing for?” Obviously, the answer we want is, “Me! With an unlimited
budget!”
But, I think the answer here is some suburban family 10
years from now. So what does that mean? How do you design for yourself in the
present as well as the nice family of the future?
Here I have compiled my Mum’s needs/wants/likes, a realtor’s
staging advice, and my educated (and sometimes wise-cracking) design advice.
1 Color
“If that buyer doesn’t like your taste you
might as well leave as is and let them change it.”
Ummm… false, Mommy dearest. The fact is that
the colors you like will attract a very small audience. The front hall of our
house is crimson! Psychology, red is the most offensive and emotionally driven
hue on the color wheel. For my mother, the most emotionally disturbing color is
beige (flash-backs to a life of dreadful rentals). So what’s in between beige
and red?
-->Colors should be simple and flowing. Many paint companies
supply palettes of colors that all blend together nicely within a home. The
exciting punch colors in the room should be small things you’re taking with
you- i.e. pillows, throws, candle holders.
Transitional Color Palette
The Expensive Stuff
My parents house has a very large kitchen and great room.
This is something a lot of buyer’s are looking for, but the kitchen is
definitely showing its age.
“So the kitchen is the big challenge – I never quite liked
the cabinets, but they are expensive to replace and not in OK shape. The
challenge is to put something new in that doesn’t make the rest look
shabby. One thing leads to another. All
the ground floor rooms connect – so if I replace flooring here, will I make the
transition to the next room worse.? What about all these oak railings? Oak
looks so outdated now!”
-->Kitchen remodeling can be very expensive. This is the place
where my parents are most strained about designing for their taste v. resale
value. This kitchen definitely shows the age of the house, and money needs to
go in to the structural details that make the bones of the house look weak.
Yes, there are a lot of oak cabinets, but the kitchen floor is splitting! And
the connecting deck is faded and bowing! Update these things first. No one
wants to a buy house that looks flimsy and if you were aware of these
conditions, the owner can ask you for money for their expenses. You can resell oak
cabinets with a few scratches- you can’t sell a rotting deck with bowed floors. Update the kitchen with stone countertops and a neutral, low maintenance flooring after the subfloor has been leveled.
Today, Quartz is the winner!
3. Open up doors and get creative with extra space!
“I need design help with my downstairs living
space, because the things I want to do are too expensive and will probably not
show a return, but I’m at a loss for a cheaper appealing 'new look'.
-->The basement in our house is a graveyard. It’s where old
appliances and hobbies go to die. You need to show the purpose and potential of
the basement. A guest room? Game room? Home gym?! Create the lifestyle people
would be looking for. Don’t let buyers see that the house has been unkempt.
Repaint all the walls, highlight the unique features architectural, and make
every square inch functional. Creating functional seating arrangements and staging a personal library are inexpensive projects. Most importantly- Open doors! Invite viewers to wander- you want them to feel comfortable and dominant in the space.
Realty Staging Credit: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2661221/list/Sell-Your-Home-Fast--21-Staging-Tips
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