Buying a Starter Home

Dressing Your House For Sale: 5 Mistakes People Make In The Kitchen

13 July 2015

Capucine Leroux

When it comes to selling your house, you need to make sure an interested buyer can see the potential your home could add. To sell your house, you need to show buyers the lifestyle your property can support, and dressing each room can help you seal the deal. Experts will tell you that the kitchen is one of the two most important rooms in your home, so it's a good idea to focus your efforts on this vital space. Show off your home to potential buyers, and avoid the five following mistakes other people make when dressing the kitchen.

Ignoring your new gadgets

Some features in a kitchen come as standard, and you wouldn't expect a buyer to get excited about a sink or a dishwasher. Other gadgets and features are more interesting, and if you've taken the time to invest in these upgrades, it's important to draw buyers' attention to these selling points.

For example, pot fillers are increasingly popular in American kitchens. These wall-mounted, swing-out faucets have extended arms, which make it easier to quickly fill large pots on the stove. Make sure a buyer sees you have one of these gadgets and place a large, rustic pot on the stove underneath the pot filler. Take the same approach with any other gadgets, and dress the immediate area to show the equipment in action.

Obscuring the view

Kitchens sell houses because families spend so much time in these rooms. Indeed, one survey found that women spend just under seven hours in the kitchen per day. As such, you need to make sure your kitchen is as appealing a space as possible, and a good view from the window will always help.

Get rid of clutter and objects on the window sill that can obscure the view. If necessary, get rid of curtains and install clean, functional blinds that let in more light. Look outside the room, as well. Prune trees and shrubs to make the most of the view, and let your buyers see the room at its best.

Letting strong smells linger

While everyone knows you use your kitchen to prepare and cook food, strong, lasting smells won't necessarily appeal to a buyer. When prospective buyers are visiting the home, make sure you deal with any smells left over from dinner the night before. Ventilate the room thoroughly, cleaning away all dirty utensils and dishes that may harbor lingering smells.

It's also a good idea to fill the room with appealing new smells. Bake a loaf of bread in the oven, or prepare a jug of fresh orange juice. These smells are more appealing to buyers than curry or other spicy dishes.

Failing to sell the lifestyle

Your kitchen is only a room. Without the right dressing, you won't necessarily show a potential buyer the lifestyle they can enjoy here. As such, you need to focus on your target market, and dress the room to match their expectations.

For example, if you're selling a family home, dress the kitchen table for a large family meal, showing how much room you have to comfortably seat two adults and two kids for breakfast. Similarly, if you want to appeal to young professionals, dress a breakfast bar for two people with simple, modern accessories.

You should sneak subtle details into the finished look. For example, for young families, place a few children's toys or books around the kitchen, and if you want to appeal to retirees, place family photos and small heirlooms strategically around the room. These small details can bring the room to life for potential buyers.

Confusing buyers

Over time, you'll probably develop habits in your home that suit your family's lifestyle, but this can create a confusing impression for buyers. For example, you may spend a lot of time working at the kitchen table, but a pile of books and paperwork with a laptop won't attract a buyer to this space because they aren't what you would normally expect in a kitchen or breakfast room.

As a rule, you should dress every room in the house to match its intended purpose. Some rooms (like a spare bedroom) are more ambiguous, so you can show buyers how the space is versatile, but this approach seldom works in a kitchen. Dress your kitchen to look like a kitchen, and remove clutter and any possessions that belong somewhere else.

Kitchens sell houses, so it's worth taking the time to make sure this room looks amazing for potential buyers. If you have specific concerns about your kitchen, ask your real estate agent for advice or go to websites such as the one linked to here.

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