Page 32 - December 2023

INTERIORS INSIDER AREA SPOTLIGHT

Depersonalise, but don’t lose everything Think about trends
Time and time again, we’ve heard the adage You absolutely don’t need to repaint your home
that homes should be a ‘blank canvas’ to before selling it – touch-ups on marks and scuffs
appeal to buyers. However, experts believe are more than sufficient – but if you have bold, Edinburgh’s hotspots
this is no longer true, as Zoe explains: “Having bright colours, it might help to tone them down
furnishings and wall hangings in place is and paint your spaces in an on-trend palette.
often more inviting than empty rooms and
blank walls – people buy homes using their Creams, beiges and soft blush tones are all on-
emotions, or to put it simply, there’s never a trend and universally appealing, to add light in 2023
second chance to make a first impression.” and warmth.

It’s a fine line – remove excessive memorabilia, Stage your home
artwork, and family photos, but keep a sense Home staging is a trend that has become What were the most popular places to buy a home in the Capital this year?
of ‘you’ to show how welcoming your home is.
increasingly popular with sellers and is
recommended to help you boost your home’s
appeal. Zoe tells us: “Home staging is huge dinburgh has long been a 2023 has been a changeable year for the
on the other side of the Atlantic, and now property hotspot, attracting Scottish housing market, and the wider
more and more sellers locally are realising the E residents from all over the world UK market generally, but Edinburgh is
advantages it can bring. Staging a home makes who dream of calling this beautiful city consistently one of the most popular places to
it more appealing visually and allows potential their home. It’s also home to many buy a property. So, as we come towards the
homebuyers to envision how the home might fantastic neighbourhoods, all offering end of this whirlwind year, we’re highlighting
look once they move into it. We’ve seen something unique to those who the most in-demand pockets of the Capital to
research that shows that staged properties sell, choose to live there. purchase a home and looking at why they’re
on average, twice as fast and for up to 10% more so popular with such a broad array of buyers.
than properties that haven’t been dressed.”

But what is it? Simply put, staging your home
ensures it looks its best. Think of magazines or
the big reveal at the end of a home makeover
show – flowers in vases, bowls of fruit or a pot
of coffee in the kitchen, towels stacked in the
bathroom, a neatly made bed with matching
bedside tables and lamps; all these things make
your home feel luxurious and polished. Who
wouldn’t want to live in a home like this?

Add textures and lighting wherever you think
needs it – dark corners need a lamp or mirror to
brighten them up, and blankets, cushions and
curtains bring a feeling of comfort.

Part of staging is also defining the purpose of
each room. Zoe recommends that if you’re
pitching a space as a bedroom or a home
office, it has the appropriate furniture to show
how that space should be used.

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