Should you paint everything white and de-personalise your property before you sell?

Paint your home white or magnolia and remove all traces of your family before selling your house has been the guidance for years. Faced with a complete redecoration before you can market your home, it can act as a barrier to even getting started. And it could actually be detrimental to your sale overall. Read this article to find out why.

If you've been thinking about moving house for some time, you'll likely have encountered the advice to declutter and depersonalise your home before putting it on the market. This age-old recommendation has told us to paint our homes white (or magnolia, as was the colour of choice) to present a 'blank canvas' to buyers.

We were also urged to remove any personality or quirk from your decor so that they could visualise themselves living there. We were also told that you should remove any family photographs because no one viewing a property to buy wants to see your kid's school photos or family portraits. But do buyers still really want to view a colourless, featureless home?

Times have changed, and there's a growing interest in interior design. We now actively seek out uniqueness and individuality, craving artistic and creative elements in our lives. So, could it be more beneficial to showcase your home's individuality rather than concealing it?

The way we search for homes has shifted since the era of depersonalisation advice. We no longer rush into an estate agent's office, collecting paper brochures before choosing a few properties to view. Instead, we search for properties online from the comfort of our homes. There's no limit to the number of properties we can save in our profiles. We can scroll and scroll, exploring properties in far-flung locations without even changing out of our pyjamas. So, it's logical that if our home search methods have changed, our home presentation strategies should also evolve.

A white wall and a pale grey carpet no longer stand out from the crowd. It isn't enough to remove all personal belongings from a property and expect a scrolling buyer to stop in their tracks because of an image of a white wall. Removing colour and personality from a property to give a buyer a blank canvas was good advice once because it would allow a buyer to add their own colour schemes and interior styles to a property. But, when faced with an endless scroll of properties, this depersonalised sterile option won't stand out and will be scrolled straight past.

Bold is beautiful, and, yes, some buyers may not like the style you have chosen for your property, but at least they noticed it, right? If your jazzy wallpaper or brightly coloured kitchen was enough to get their attention, you're on the right path. So, perhaps you should go for that bold pattern or vibrant colour even if you are thinking of moving in the next year or so. That quirky chair or unusual light fitting may be just the thing to give your home a little extra pizzazz.

Why? Because this intriguing style will set you apart from the crowd, capturing the attention and imagination of buyers. Get them out of the 'scroll-hole' on the property websites with something a little different.

How? Whether you have quirky decor or unique furniture, an unusual lamp or a brightly coloured armchair, something a little different, highlighting this in your property photography will break the scrolling cycle and encourage a buyer to look at your home in more detail, which is the first step towards them booking an appointment to view. You could change up the images, leading with a photograph of the interior rather than the front of the property like everyone else does, or you could use a twilight image for something a little different.

When? If your home is colourful and vibrant, or stylish and elegant with a considered interior, you don't need to do anything. Removing all of your style from a property ready for sale is unnecessary. Use your interior to help to sell your property. But, if you live in a very plain and simple home, consider adding a little colour or something to make it stand out. A plain white house with no artwork or photographs could seem stark, sterile, and, quite frankly, forgettable. There is no need to refurbish the whole property; you just need to highlight your home's individuality.

Selling your home can be a great experience, but it is no secret that it takes a lot of work. Don't build a barrier for yourself even starting to market your home because you think you have to paint every room white and remove all of your personal belongings before you even begin.

Each home and family are different, and it is these differences that make us interesting. If every house on the market were the same, people wouldn't look at properties online as a hobby, and let's be honest, lots of us do, even if we are not thinking of moving.

If you are considering selling your home and would like some guidance on how presentation could improve your chances of selling for a good price, get in touch with our team of property experts today.