Property Design

Should I keep my design scheme neutral?

Evidence has shown that the more neutral your design scheme is, the more it appeals to a wider range of potential buyer. The problem is we're starting to see color and pattern coming back in as being leading-edge design. What we are finding now is that just painting it magnolia and putting in wooden flooring means that everything is looking the same in the marketplace, and those properties are taking possibly as long to sell as the ones that aren't as neutral. "Keep it fairly neutral, but don't be afraid of using some color and some pattern in the design" would be my advice.

Which room should I spend the most on?

There are two key rooms in a property that you must spend money on and they are the kitchen and the bathroom. The design of these two rooms really does help sell property. If you're thinking of spending some money on property design, make sure it's those two rooms that get the majority of your budget.

What design features are the most cost-efficient improvements?

The most cost efficient design features that you can put into a property, if it's a period property, actually putting some features back in again. Putting things in like fireplaces can really add value and be quite cost effective to do. Then there's things like making sure you've got a nice oven or power shower in the kitchen/bathroom respectively there and also making sure that the lighting you put in there, you have quite a trendy looking new light fitting. All things that can add lots of potential value to a property without actually costing a huge amount to do on the development itself.

What are buyers looking for when they view a property?

When buyers are viewing a property, they're really looking for something that's better than the house that they're leaving behind, so you've got to be sure that you're appealing to their aspirational lifestyle in your property design. Helping to identify who those buyers are likely to be will help you determine what design features and aspects you really need to incorporate into the redevelopment of that particular property.

Which period features are worth keeping?

Period features are always worth keeping in your property design as they are very valuable to the period property. By period property, I mean anything from the 1920s and older. For example, peroid features may include cornices, ceiling roses, fireplaces, wooden floors - stripped, solid wooden floors. These are all worth keeping when thinking about property design. If you don't have period features in a property, it is actually introducing them - maybe from a reclamation yard - to actually add more features in. You will get your money back by being able to sell the property at a premium.