Q: I’ve invested 14 years in creating a unique urban space. I now need to sell that house. How much “character” can I leave, and how much of what I’ve implemented needs to be beiged away to keep the realtors happy?
A: I love this question, and even though I’m not a realtor, people ask me this often. (Did you catch that subtle disclaimer? I’m not a realtor and am not trying to impersonate one? My mother-in-law IS a realtor, so this might make our next Sunday dinner a little tense, but anyway…)
My short answer is no, I don’t think you need to strip your apartment of all character, especially if you understand who your target market is. If you think that your buyer is going to be someone like you, then your decorating choices may help win him or her over.
That said, there are always things you should consider doing; a little $ and inconvenience now could translate into thousands of dollars at closing. Here’s my advice:
– If several rooms are painted a very dark color, consider re-painting those rooms something lighter. And if you’re painting anyway, sure, go with a neutral color. If a single room is painted a dark, dramatic color and the room isn’t one people automatically think should be bright – an aubergine dining room, for example – I would say you could leave it.
– Eliminating clutter trumps everything. (I learned this from my mother-in-law.) Even if your collections are super cool, if they’re on multiple surfaces and shelves, box them up and store them off-site. That’s really off-site, not in a closet…
– Speaking of closets, take at least half of what’s in each one and put it in your neighbor’s apartment during the open house. I’m not kidding. It’s a pain in the neck, but it’s worth some groveling and a bottle of Prosecco to persuade your neighbor to help you out. Nothing screams, “Not! Enough! Storage!” like a jam-packed closet.
Looking at the pictures you provided (which are great – thank you), I would encourage you to focus on clearing surfaces; think of it as getting a jump start on your packing. You also might consider taking down some of the room-dividing curtains and some or all of the green toile surrounding the bed (love that, btw). Canopies swallow space, so it will make the room feel bigger if you remove it.
Your mantra during all of this should be, “It’s not personal, it’s not personal…” You HAVE spent 14 years making this a great place to live, and the house has served you well. No one knows better than I how hard it is to detach emotionally from a house – especially if you’re not sure where you’re going (literally, not in the metaphysical sense). But if you help the next owner envision him or herself there, you can take all the money you make on the sale and buy some kick-ass wallpaper for the new place.