At Cobb Farr, we have often worked in conjunction with Catriona Archer Interiors to help our clients maximise the potential of their property ahead of a sale.
Catriona is an experienced interior designer and stylist with a vast and impressive portfolio of work in both commercial and residential properties.
When looking to sell, clients have leveraged Catriona’s eye for detail and style, enabling their property to be presented in the best possible light whilst maximising their potential sale value.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your work
I work as an interior designer, and I also help people style their homes for viewings to sell. Working within the client’s preferred budget, can sometimes only take a day or two to improve the overall look and feel of the space. Paint colours can also be suggested if certain rooms are wanting to be decorated.
Making the most of a homeowner’s existing items is always my starting point, before any add-on purchases are suggested if required. I believe this provides an organic approach and the most cost-effective service.
How does interior design for house sales work?
For selling houses, I approach the project with the buyer and marketing photography in mind.
As a starting point, I find out from the estate agent who their target market is; so, if it’s a professional couple or if it’s a family, making that distinction is helpful. That’s not to say I would ever limit the scope of a property but it’s good to get a sense of where the estate agent feels that is.
I look at the property with the client, with a renewed perspective of the space. When we are used to living in a home for a long time, it is easy to become ‘blind’ to our surroundings. By walking through the home as if for the first time, we can see it through the eyes of a potential buyer and discuss what tweaks can be made to increase its appeal to potential buyers – Both for the marketing photographs and for viewings.
Then it’s a case of showing off the space to its best, accentuating the positives and minimising the negatives. Editing and reimagining the existing furniture and accessories to highlight certain focal points within each room and create the best possible ambience. For example – Creating a reading nook that faces a window will help draw the eye to a beautiful view and add interest to what may have been an under-utilised space.
We’re trying to make the most of the home while also depersonalising it to the point where a potential buyer can walk in and imagine themselves living there.
How much value could this process add to a property sale?
Recently, we had a client who had previously engaged another estate agent to look around their property, valuing it at £850,000. However, once we were able to assess the property and style it to meet the client’s unique requirements, Cobb Farr went on to sell the property for over £1 million.
Buying a house is the biggest investment we can make, so ensuring your property is presented in the best possible light to prospective buyers is vitally important. Styling a house in just the right way ensures those viewing the property can see it not just as a house – but as their potential new home.
At the very least you will gain more interest (in your property) and at best, it will get you a higher price or a faster sale.
It can only do good, whether that’s by increasing the online interest or following through to the viewing reaction and sale itself. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an obvious choice – with an investment as large as this, why wouldn’t you show it to its best and drive forward the best sale that you can get?
