21 Designer Tips that Sell Houses from Voila Design

1) An easy way to spruce up your home after spring-cleaning is to refresh your accents!  By spending around $50 (or more if you like!) you can give your space a whole new look, switching out accent pillows, vases, and accessories.  Try having one color scheme for winter, and another for summer!

2) Tape is your friend! For a pick-me-up in any room, try using painters tape and a level to make stripes at various widths and paint in pops of color on otherwise boring white walls.  If you’re feeling really creative, try making stencils from rigid card stock and taping the stencil securely to the wall then paint over, move, and repeat.

3) For a child’s bedroom, try using a dark-colored flat paint (try Benjamin Moore Salamander 2050-10) as an accent wall, and install a short run (about 12” or so) of grooved molding at a low height (about 2’ high). Get some white chalk, store it on the top of the grooved molding, and allow your child to express their creativity on the wall!  Wipe clean with a damp sponge.  To order a sample can, go to www.myperfectcolor.com!

4) Odd numbers are most pleasing to the eye. When installing artwork or photos on the wall, group your frames in 3’s, 5’s, or even 7’s if you’re feeling spunky!  Various sizes of frames/art create an interesting pattern that appears as one complete installation.

5) When you feel overwhelmed by the amount of ephemera in your home, remember, “less is more!”  Tame down your knick-knack collection by removing items that are the least special to you and donating them to an organization.  For items that you love, but would love to keep safe, wrap in bubble wrap and store them in a box in an attic or garage.  When family members want to know where all the gifts are that they gave you, a simple “oh, that darn cat knocks everything over!” will suffice.

6) Arranging furniture can be tedious, but the circulation of your space can affect your mood!  Remember, there should be only one focal point in a living room-- fireplace, television, or something else.  If you have two, then either separate them into two rooms or mount your TV above the fireplace.  Arrange furniture around the focal point in a way that allows guests to converse without shouting, creating a more intimate space.  For large rooms, keep the furniture off the walls so that passers-by are not interrupting conversations or views.  This will also help to create alternate spaces in one larger room.

7) Choosing colors that match is hard.  Instead of attempting to coordinate shades that go well together, why not go back to that trusty old rainbow that you colored in the first grade? Every 4th color is a complementary color, so any shade of that color will work.  Lets do an example!  Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet:  violet is complementary to yellow, green to red, and so on!  Any color next to another on the rainbow will also look great.  Think of them as sisters, they look a little alike but not quite exact- try pairing shades of yellow and orange.  Any color not on the rainbow, use the in-between color as a guide (example-teal and rust).  Or you could always just call Voila Design ;)

8) Want inspiration for your next renovation?  Look through any magazine for ads that speak to you, rip them out and take color/shape/style inspirations from that! You might not realize that you wanted a Moroccan-inspired bedroom until you see what graphics inspire you!

9) An easy way to give your kitchen a face-lift is to get new hardware!  Many modern cabinets don’t have knobs or handles, but why not? A trusty drill and some matching knobs and pulls from any home goods supply store (Lowe’s, Home Depot, or even Target) will make your kitchen look fresh in no time!  If your style is more eclectic, try using a variety of different styles of vintage or antique knobs for a funky uplift.

10) To make a room seem taller, install curtain rods as close to the ceiling as possible, and get your curtains longer than your window (e.g.: if you have 7’ ceilings get 7’ curtains if possible).  The curtains will create a columnar effect and give the illusion of higher ceilings!

11) When trying to sell your home, make it more marketable by keeping the furniture low-key and neutral, accenting only with accessories in bright colors.  This will help buyers to visualize the space with their own belongings and move you to a faster sell!

12) If you are advertising a large kitchen as a selling point, make it the most important room!  Remove magnets, art, etc. from the refrigerator, keep the counter free of clutter, and try putting in some plants to give it a really fresh feeling.

13) When selling a small space, you don’t want potential buyers to be turned off by a crowded room.  Remove as much furniture as possible, leaving only a few key pieces in each room to give the potential buyer the impression that the rooms are more spacious.  In addition, be sure the walls and ceilings are painted a light color, as dark colors tend to make spaces seem smaller.

14) Warm colors (such as golds, yellows, oranges) are more inviting than cool tones (such as greys, blues, purples), so when selling your home consider using warmer hues to draw in potential buyers!  Whether it is playing up the tones in a wood floor, accenting a wall with a warm color, or simply accenting a space with inviting accessories, the difference will be apparent when your home sells in a snap!

15) The yard is just as important as the interior when you are selling a home.  The porch is the gateway to the yard!  Not only should your yard be well groomed, try putting colorful flowers and outdoor furniture on your porch to create an inviting space before potential homebuyers even walk inside!

16) Old, ugly wallpaper can be a reason in itself for a homebuyer to turn away. If your budget allows, have the wallpaper removed and replace it with neutral color paint.  You may have to shell out a little more cash, but it is possible that the home value could increase, leaving you with more bang for your buck.
17) Try using chalkboard paint (or any dark flat paint) on your pantry door.  This would allow you to use the door for grocery lists, reminders, and notes to spouses on a whim!

18) Can’t afford original artwork?  Head over to the craft store and buy some blank canvases and some acrylic paint and get to work.  It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel artistic, abstract is in!  Try planning out shapes and lines with pencil then painting over them, or just let the brush guide you wherever!

19) This may be a no-brainer, but before you sell your house, have a steamer come in to clean your carpets and wax/polish your hardwood floors.  It doesn’t hurt either to take a peek under those carpets to see if there is hardwood hiding underneath.  A clean house is a sold house!

20) Accent walls are fun, but too much color can be off-putting to a buyer.  Tone down crazy colors with neutral toned paint and leave extra paint cans for the buyer in case they need to match it!

21) Have you moved out completely, but still want your home to look inviting to potential buyers?  Try investing a little cash into simple items such as curtains/blinds, mirrors, greenery, and other accessories/small furniture to make your home seem more like a home and less like just a house.

Read more aboout what the Somers Team and Voila Design can offer you with our Real Estate Collective:

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