For a homeowner, making the decision to sell their home and move elsewhere can be a bittersweet occasion. They will be leaving a treasured home, where they will have made long-lasting memories with those closest to them. However, on the other hand, they will be starting fresh in a new home, a new area and perhaps even a new city entirely. Moving home is believed to be one of the most stressful tasks someone can go through, so it’s vital to have an experienced, talented estate agent by their side.
As the estate agent, it’s your job to guide the family through the challenging period of placing their house on the market, showing potential buyers around and achieving the best price. One way to boost the house price, making sure it sells for the best figure, is to utilise the windows. These are, after all, the eyes of the home, and one of the first things buyers will notice when they arrive at the property. It stands to reason then that the windows may be a deciding factor, but how can you style the windows to make the home more appealing and attractive?
What Can the Right Window Treatment Do?
When preparing a house to be put on the market, homeowners often focus on the most obvious improvements, such as refreshing the décor, making urgent repairs to structural areas (the roof, for example), and adding ‘welcoming touches’ which viewers will notice. Window dressing is overlooked, with the current treatment being overshadowed by more pressing matters, including repainting the room and changing the flooring. It is a mistake to forget about this key feature, as the right window treatment can change not only the appearance and appeal of the room, but it can also play an important role in making potential buyers feel welcome and envision themselves in the property. What can the right window treatment do, for example, for a front facing living room or a bathroom?
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Enhance Privacy
One feature potential buyers will be very keen in seeing when they view a property is the level of privacy they can expect in each room. When they are assessing a front facing living room, they will be seeing how much a passerby on the street can see when looking into the window, for example. Therefore, the right window treatment can provide the level of privacy the home’s occupants want. Being able to adjust the window dressing for different times of the day is a very appealing feature, such as creating a more private room in the evening but an open space during the day.
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Allow Natural Light to Filter in
Natural light not only improves the décor of the room, but it also boosts the mental wellbeing of the occupants, making it a key selling point for a home. A window which is covered, blocking any natural light to enter the room, will instantly be a negative feature for potential buyers. The right window treatment can pair both privacy and natural light, ensuring the room is well-lit while still retaining the privacy of the homeowners. Dressing your window with adjustable shutters is one key way to do this, as explored below.
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Showcase An Interior Style
While those who view a home want to see a blank canvas so that they can envision themselves living there, the right window treatment can subtly suggest a décor style which would work wonderfully within the room. This understated hint may be the difference between a family seeing themselves in the home or choosing elsewhere.
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Highlight Attract Features
If the window is an ornate style or the view is particularly beautiful, the right window treatment can make it a feature within the room, drawing the eyes of potential buyers. For example, if the kitchen window of the property looks over a well-maintained garden, highlighting it is another way to show a feature without pointing it out.
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Add Value
The right window treatments can add value to a home, especially one such as plantation shutters. These are investment pieces for the homeowner, which can raise their property’s price higher.
What Window Treatments Are Available?
Choosing the right window treatment for a home will depend on the variety of window treatments available, and which would work best in individual rooms. While one may suit the dining room downstairs, a downstairs bathroom would require something different. To understand what window treatments are available, below are the three most common, and how you could best use them.
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Shutters
As mentioned above, shutters are an investment piece which will work to increase the property’s value. They are a highly versatile, attractive feature, which would work in any room of the home, and for any window shape. For example, large bay windows can be highlighted by the use of specially made shutters, which are made to measure to fit each individual window. For bedrooms, full height shutters cover the entire window, in a classic or contemporary style.
Plantation shutters allow natural light to filter into the room while maintaining privacy. They achieve this by having adjustable slats, which the homeowner can angle to allow maximum light but minimum peeking. Café style shutters, in particular, make the most of natural sunlight, as they only cover the bottom half of the window and can also be angled for purpose. As they leave the top half of the window free, they are ideal for upstairs bedrooms.
When investing in shutters, a homeowner needs to research the style which would fit their window and décor best. They can do so by reading Shuttercraft reviews. Shuttercraft is one of the UK’s largest shutter companies, and their service is available nationally. For a bathroom, whether it’s downstairs or upstairs, Java shutters, which are created from lightweight ABS plastic, are a modern choice. The bonus of Java shutters is that they are durable and water resistant for the room which sees the most humidity and condensation, and even though they are crafted from high-grade plastic, they retain the same high quality, luxury look and feel as wooden shutters do.
When adding shutters to a room, with the intention of putting the home on the market, opt for an understated colour. Shutters are available in a range of colours and styles, including striking colours such as cherry red and dark walnut, but choosing a neutral colour will enhance the décor while allowing buyers to see how they can put their own style into a room.
- Curtains
Curtains are a classic choice for most rooms. To create an attractive, classic décor style in a living room, sweeping curtains in a deep colour can add glamour. However, curtains can be heavy looking, and in some modern homes, dated. Furthermore, curtains aren’t always the ideal addition to a bathroom, when considering water damage which may occur.
Curtains do retain a level of privacy which homeowners will be looking for but without the versatility of shutters or blinds. When a homeowner closes the curtains, it effectively blocks out the sunlight and creates a private area, making them a good solution for south facing bedrooms, but this light cannot be adjusted. Curtains are also available in a much wider range of styles, patterns and colours, which shutters and blinds cannot replicate. For example, if a homeowner is designing a French-chateau inspired bedroom, they can choose curtains which can match the linen they want to use. Curtains are also available in café style, like shutters, which are an effective and attractive window dressing for a kitchen. When choosing curtains for a home to put on the market, opting for neutral yet luxurious fabric can make a difference to the décor.
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Blinds
Much like shutters, blinds are versatile and can be angled for the ease of use of the homeowners. They can allow in natural light while maintaining privacy. However, they can show wear-and-tear more easily, especially due to the increase in use during sunny periods. Blinds are often used within bathrooms, particularly if the bathroom window faces the street. This is because it hides the occupants’ modesty while still filtering natural light, yet they can be difficult to use, with homeowners needing to operate the blinds in a certain way to achieve the desired position. Furthermore, the cords which blinds need can be a negative feature for potential buyers. If they have children, for instance, the cords can pose a safety risk.
An understated and often overlooked feature in many homes is the windows. However, when placing a home on the market, they are a key element which potential buyers will assess. They will see them first on their approach to the house, and their eyes will be drawn towards them in every room. Therefore, you need to ensure that every window is dressed appropriately with the correct window treatment. A homeowner may opt for a uniform appeal throughout the property, such as choosing stylish and contemporary shutters in each room, or alternatively, they may wish to vary the styles. This variety can make the window treatments more of a feature. If a potential buyer doesn’t notice the curtains in each room, but the bedroom features beautiful plantation shutters, it will attract their attention, and it’s more likely to stay on their minds, even when they view further properties.
Choosing the correct window treatment and styling your windows can increase the property value, and ensure the home is sold for the best possible price. While it may be an investment, it’s a worthwhile one to make, as it can be the difference between a sale and a home stagnating on the market for many months.
