Clare sees herself as a
hand-holder rather than someone who sweeps in and clears things out. “People often come to
me as a last resort. Clutter can become invisible to people who live with it all the time,” she says. She doesn’t deal with
serious hoarders . “They need careful
handling,” says Clare, “and I am not qualified to do that.” Clare says the most
important thing people should realise when they put their home on the market is that they are not selling bricks and mortar but a lifestyle. “Once you make the
decision to move, you have to, at that point, move out mentally,” she says.
“That’s well in
advance of making the physical move.” Top tips include
removing all family photographs from the communal areas. “Photos are a red
flag,” says Clare. ‘They make it so obviously your home, and therefore not one that a prospective buyer can imagine themselves in.”
And she adds: “You
only get one chance to make a first impression. “Most people make a
decision within the first five minutes of walking through the door. “Your property
should be memorable for the right reasons, not because the walls are dark purple. “It’s not about
percolating coffee smells or freshly baked bread,” says Clare. “It’s about aspiration.
Buyers should be able to see themselves living a lifestyle that they aspire to. “Dining rooms are
often thoroughfares used as dumping grounds but by simply staging the dining table with lovely crockery and glasses and candles and perhaps putting it in front of the French windows overlooking the garden, people start imagining themselves giving dinner parties and entertaining. “It’s about feeding
the dream.” Bed linen is also
important. “Unmade beds are a
turnoff,” says Clare. She advises keeping a plump, clean duvet
cover and pillows in a storage box to be whipped onto the existing bed before the prospective buyers turn up. “You want to convey
that first impression that people get when they enter a hotel room – the bed should look comfortable and inviting.” Clean, fresh, fluffy
towels are also important as is a clean, clutter-free bathroom. “Used bathrooms are a turnoff. Again it is the inviting, fresh, hotel look,” she says.
After
Before
Empty houses are also a no, no. Clare always advises people to put
some furniture in place even if it is an inflatable bed, beautifully dressed of course. These days she works not only with
personal clients but also with estate agents who recommend her to sellers or call in her expertise to help if a property is not getting any interest. She can help source furniture for sellers
to hire to get the right look and she has a small stock herself including accessories that she can rent out to clients. Some clients who have been successful
Before
in selling their properties have been so impressed with her help in selling their homes they sometimes ask her to advise on their new homes too before they move in.
“Measuring the space, working out
where things will fit best and giving each room its own identity sounds simplistic,” says Clare. But she adds: “Sometimes it just takes a
fresh pair of eyes to make all that fall into place.” For more information go to: www.
After 16 COTSWOLDESSENCE | March - 2014
clarifyinteriors.co.uk or call Clare on 01865 594955
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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