9 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Bedroom
Trying to sell your home? Before you let viewers through the door, you might want to read this
Are you looking to sell your home? Getting ready to let viewers through the door? There are a number of things you can address to give people a good feeling about your bedroom, rather than scare them off with clutter, mess and an unmade bed. See if there are any changes you could make to get the offers flowing in.
More in this series: 7 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Kitchen l 12 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Bathroom l 7 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Living Room
More in this series: 7 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Kitchen l 12 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Bathroom l 7 Things Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See in Your Living Room
2. An unmade bed
Shipshape and tidy is the order of the day if a bedroom is going to be shown to visitors. Make sure bed linen is clean and crisp, tuck in edges, smooth down duvets and plump up pillows.
Eiderdowns, throws and cushions are all good ways to ensure a bed feels ‘made’, but take care not to overdo it, as you run the risk of making a room feel cluttered and chaotic.
If in doubt, take inspiration from this Thorp Design bedroom and go for calm and neat, and choose crisp, white linen, neatly ironed. Then resist the temptation to lie down on the bed until every visitor has left!
Shipshape and tidy is the order of the day if a bedroom is going to be shown to visitors. Make sure bed linen is clean and crisp, tuck in edges, smooth down duvets and plump up pillows.
Eiderdowns, throws and cushions are all good ways to ensure a bed feels ‘made’, but take care not to overdo it, as you run the risk of making a room feel cluttered and chaotic.
If in doubt, take inspiration from this Thorp Design bedroom and go for calm and neat, and choose crisp, white linen, neatly ironed. Then resist the temptation to lie down on the bed until every visitor has left!
3. Dirty carpet
Carpet can get grimy even in a bedroom, but it can be difficult to see it if you use the room every day. If you think yours has seen better days, give it a good scrub with a carpet cleaner to bring it back to life.
You can hire a professional machine for this and, on pale carpets in particular, like the one in this project by The Style Counsel, it can make a real difference. You’ll need to do this well before visitors are due, though, as it will need time to dry properly before people can walk on it.
Find an interior designer near you to help transform your home.
Carpet can get grimy even in a bedroom, but it can be difficult to see it if you use the room every day. If you think yours has seen better days, give it a good scrub with a carpet cleaner to bring it back to life.
You can hire a professional machine for this and, on pale carpets in particular, like the one in this project by The Style Counsel, it can make a real difference. You’ll need to do this well before visitors are due, though, as it will need time to dry properly before people can walk on it.
Find an interior designer near you to help transform your home.
4. A ‘floordrobe’
Many of us use a chair, ottoman or even the floor to ‘store’ clothes that aren’t clean enough to go in the wardrobe, but not dirty enough to go in the wash. It almost goes without saying, though, that you’ll need to pick up every last sock before viewers take a look around your bedroom to leave it as tidy as this scheme by SxS Design & Build.
Stash jackets, jeans and socks in a wardrobe or put them in the laundry bin, and make sure all surfaces are clean and tidy. Because while the ‘floordrobe’ may be a real thing, this is not the moment for it to make an appearance.
Many of us use a chair, ottoman or even the floor to ‘store’ clothes that aren’t clean enough to go in the wardrobe, but not dirty enough to go in the wash. It almost goes without saying, though, that you’ll need to pick up every last sock before viewers take a look around your bedroom to leave it as tidy as this scheme by SxS Design & Build.
Stash jackets, jeans and socks in a wardrobe or put them in the laundry bin, and make sure all surfaces are clean and tidy. Because while the ‘floordrobe’ may be a real thing, this is not the moment for it to make an appearance.
5. Too many personal items
It can be a fine line to tread, but too many personal items will make viewers feel that this is still someone else’s home, while too few might make the room feel sterile and not lived in.
As in this Imperfect Interiors room, aim for a sprinkling of decorative items to show the room is loved and used, but tidy away the framed photos.
It can be a fine line to tread, but too many personal items will make viewers feel that this is still someone else’s home, while too few might make the room feel sterile and not lived in.
As in this Imperfect Interiors room, aim for a sprinkling of decorative items to show the room is loved and used, but tidy away the framed photos.
6. Scuffed paintwork
Your bedroom needs to give buyers an impression of neat, ordered calm. So cast a critical eye over walls and woodwork to check for scuffs, scrapes and marks that can make a room feel shabby and uncared for.
Buff away any small marks, or get the paintbrush out to give a crisp, clean finish to any painted surfaces. Woodwork especially can discolour over time, so if yours has seen better days, a fresh coat of paint could do it a world of good.
Your bedroom needs to give buyers an impression of neat, ordered calm. So cast a critical eye over walls and woodwork to check for scuffs, scrapes and marks that can make a room feel shabby and uncared for.
Buff away any small marks, or get the paintbrush out to give a crisp, clean finish to any painted surfaces. Woodwork especially can discolour over time, so if yours has seen better days, a fresh coat of paint could do it a world of good.
7. Other people looking in
If your bedroom is on the ground floor or overlooked by other houses, this could be off-putting to potential buyers. Solve the problem of nosy neighbours by installing a window treatment that allows light in while screening an unattractive view.
Try window film, shutters, a sheer blind or a set of sheer curtains like the ones used in this Black and Milk project, which look good half pulled across to screen some of the window but still allow light in.
If your bedroom is on the ground floor or overlooked by other houses, this could be off-putting to potential buyers. Solve the problem of nosy neighbours by installing a window treatment that allows light in while screening an unattractive view.
Try window film, shutters, a sheer blind or a set of sheer curtains like the ones used in this Black and Milk project, which look good half pulled across to screen some of the window but still allow light in.
8. A dingy room
No one wants to walk into a dark and dingy bedroom, with shady corners and a gloomy atmosphere, so try to let in as much light as possible.
Dark wall colours are fine, but ensure the room still feels bright and welcoming. Pull back curtains, fling open the shutters (halfway if you still need to screen an unappealing view) and bring a few colourful accessories in to ensure the space feels stylish rather than gothic.
No one wants to walk into a dark and dingy bedroom, with shady corners and a gloomy atmosphere, so try to let in as much light as possible.
Dark wall colours are fine, but ensure the room still feels bright and welcoming. Pull back curtains, fling open the shutters (halfway if you still need to screen an unappealing view) and bring a few colourful accessories in to ensure the space feels stylish rather than gothic.
9. A stale atmosphere
Before a viewing, ensure your room has been thoroughly aired by flinging open the windows and making the bed up with fresh linen.
If you have pets that are allowed in the bedroom, ensure you give the room a good vacuum, too, to get rid of any pet hair and odour.
Scented candles and room sprays are good for creating a welcoming atmosphere, but only if they’re used in a bedroom that’s already fresh. Trying to mask a stale atmosphere with scent will only make it twice as bad, so give the room a good airing a couple of hours before visitors are due to arrive.
Tell us…
What would you do to make your home more appealing to viewers? Tell us in the Comments.
Before a viewing, ensure your room has been thoroughly aired by flinging open the windows and making the bed up with fresh linen.
If you have pets that are allowed in the bedroom, ensure you give the room a good vacuum, too, to get rid of any pet hair and odour.
Scented candles and room sprays are good for creating a welcoming atmosphere, but only if they’re used in a bedroom that’s already fresh. Trying to mask a stale atmosphere with scent will only make it twice as bad, so give the room a good airing a couple of hours before visitors are due to arrive.
Tell us…
What would you do to make your home more appealing to viewers? Tell us in the Comments.
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Books, jewellery, cups, phone chargers, notebooks… A bedside table can attract clutter at a mystifying rate, so before you invite visitors into your room, do an audit.
Channel this Nicola O’Mara-designed room and keep a reading lamp, a book or two, and perhaps a vase of flowers or a scented candle, but sweep everything else into drawers to keep surfaces clear and clean. Then get the duster out and give all visible worktops a good polish.