High-end appliances and a trendy curbless shower may get a buyer excited, but what will really seal the deal on a home is when they start imagining what their lives would be like within its walls. Housing Design Matters says that a good designer can help a buyer visualize the future of an empty room--messy kitchens for their juicers, a bathroom dedicated to their dog, or a home office perfect for working from home. Once a buyer starts arranging their furniture in their heads, they’re almost already moved in. They just have to make an offer. Learn how to inspire a buyer to think beyond the bare rooms.
Last week, friends of mine were looking at new homes for sale. He is in the industry, she is not. But when they wandered into the kitchen, it was her eyes that lit up. She had discovered the Messy Kitchen. There was no need to explain its purpose, it clicked instantly for her. “Wow look at this! I can have my juicer, blender, coffee grinder and coffee maker back here without cluttering up my kitchen.”
As a designer, I can talk until I’m blue in the face about the virtues of the Messy Kitchen. But nothing is as powerful as the home buyer envisioning themselves using it. Buyers imagining themselves or projecting themselves into the model is the ultimate sales goal. Because the feature was in the model and merchandised properly, my friend was able to piece together just how she would use the space. Suddenly, the Messy Kitchen became a “must-have”. Discovering uses for the flex room – “Will it be your home office or the Peloton room?” is what new home sales professionals are trained to do. They know when the buyer starts mentally filling up rooms with their uses, followed by their furniture, they are closer to a sale.
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