Style Up To Make A Sale

It’s time to say goodbye to the halcyon days of over-expected property sales, an abundance of choice and the security of property as an asset. No longer does the term ‘the safest investment is in bricks and mortar’ hold truth.

Susan White of Iggi Interior Design discusses this new market and how show houses stand as a potential remedy.

During the summer months, asking prices in Kensington and Chelsea dropped by an average of £300k, with London as a whole dropping on average.

The biggest hit areas have been prime Central London, with Brexit uncertainty causing a lot of foreign buyers to shy away from the once highly sought after gold standard of investments which was prime London property. With a postcode and floorspace no longer enough to secure a sale, let alone the asking price; sellers need to up their game and stand out above the rest.

Susan says one answer is show houses or ‘turnkeys’. If a property alone isn’t enough, enhance it to make it as attractive as possible.

Take an average Central London street with several of houses for sale. The majority of the properties look rather similar, with parallel floorplans and a clear indication of previous wear and tear. Then there’s one recently renovated with new furniture, paint, features. Which one is going to stand out on face value alone? The answer is simple.

Most buyers don’t want to be dealing with a lot of work when they move in,” Susan said. “They are looking for ‘turnkey’ properties where they can move in with their suitcase and personal belongings without having to worry about furnishing, touching up paint and wallpaper defects or replacing a half-broken dishwasher.

And with a less people putting their money down across the capital at the moment, the best thing a seller can do is make it as easy as possible for potential buyers.

“Give them a property that’s freshly styled to the latest trends, modern appliances and minimal or no work on their behalf required after they’ve moved in,” Susan said.

But do so with caution, as the downfall of a show house or ‘turnkey’ property is the potential for buyers to gain the opposite of the desired effect due to the property lacking ‘character’.

It’s all too easy to create a visually pleasing home. But if it looks too stale, lifeless or staged; buyers might not like it as they struggle to see themselves living in that environment.

So if you heed Susan’s advice make sure you don’t forget, it is a home at the end of the day.