It’s that feeling you get when you check into a high-end hotel—the kind with crisp fresh bedding, chic décor, it’s clean and beautiful? That feeling of never wanting to leave? That feeling comes by deliberate design: Everything in that hotel was purposely staged to create a welcoming, luxurious environment to make guests feel pampered.
Now, imagine a potential buyer walking into your home and feeling the exact same way. If you can re-create a high-end hotel experience in your house, buyers will swoon. After all, you’re not just selling a home, you’re selling a lifestyle! Here are some tips to captivate buyers by utilizing proven examples that provide the vibe at the classiest hotels.
1. Glam up your entranceway
Photo by Houzz
First impressions are king!!! That’s why hotels spend so much money on lobby design, the way the look, feel, smell, and make you feel.
At most fine hotels, you walk into an area with a beautiful, round, elegant table with a huge spray of flowers on it, which automatically provides a very welcoming, comforting feeling. Most of the time there is a water feature providing a soothing water sound in the background.
Your buyers can get that same emotion when they step into your house: Re-create that lobby atmosphere in your entryway by adding a table with an overflowing vase of flowers, lamps, and possible some seating. The thing to remember is not to overload the area with furniture, less is more. You want to show off your space, not overwhelm buyers with too much stuff.
2. Declutter your personal belongings, but leave a personal touch
You need to depersonalize and declutter your space to appeal to as many buyers as possible. But you don’t have to clear all of the beautiful things that give your home its personality; you can use your treasured objects to charm potential buyers.
One of the things hotels try to do is make it feel like the home you always wanted, “Think about your home as an experience. Showing off your space beautifully so they can imagine their things in your home. It leads them to be more interested in the property, you are essentially staging your home to be sold.
Create interesting focal points by having some historic books out on a table. If you have a beach home, maybe the story you’re telling is about exuberance, happiness, and a coastal vibe, so build upon that.
One rule of thumb in the design world is to only have two to three objects on every surface—five, maximum, if it’s a very large surface. That’s the ideal number that doesn’t distract from the eye, and it’s very reminiscent of a fine hotel room. Mostly an odd number of objects is best.
3. Color matters- In this game neutral wins
Bold bright jewel tones are popular right now, but before you paint these beautiful overwhelming colors on the walls you’re leaving remember this; the colors you love may not be the colors others love. Most upscale hotels prefer neutral yet luxurious palettes harmonious shades such as warm creams, grays, taupes, rich browns, and even black.
And potential buyers want the same—rather than a house with walls they know they’ll have to immediately paint over. If you want to paint the house to increase the resale value then go very neutral.
4. Engage potential buyers with plush bedding
For an elegant look, replacing the duvet covers and pillow shams in the bedrooms with hotel stripe bedding, all-white linens embroidered with one stripe of color—and a couple of throw pillows that tie-in.
In upscale hotels, the duvet is almost doubled back over at the end of the bed, which looks so welcoming, You could do that by putting two or three inexpensive duvets into one duvet cover. Immediately, you’ll get this really thick, fluffy duvet.
5. Everyone loves a Spa Day- Provide that feeling in your bathroom
If you plan to redo one of your tired bathrooms before listing your property, stick to classic materials. Just make sure to keep a soothing, simple palette of whites. When you do all-white towels, hand cloths, and washcloths, you’ll create a very spalike feeling. Roll your towels as they do in hotels to provide that spa-like atmosphere.
6. Create the illusion of space with lighting and proportion
If you’re challenged with a dark space or low ceiling, mirrors are the easiest and least expensive way to create an illusion of depth and light. Incorporating glass side tables and coffee tables also open up space. Glass helps buyers see the vision of the room.
Finally, a gorgeous hotel-like home needs the right lighting to bring it to life, consider new lighting, or wall sconces. When you walk into a room that’s beautifully lit, it makes the space feel much more inviting and comfortable.
7. Continue the vacation vibe outside
Photo by Francesca Morgan Interiors
Transform your backyard/patio space with comfy seating and a separate space for dining so that buyers are reminded of alfresco dinners on hotel patios. Set up white candles in large hurricane lamps and casual vases of fresh flowers for an added touch of luxury.
If you have the ability to do flowing, sheer white drapery on the doorways that are going out to that area, do it, it is quite reminiscent of vacations at hotels. The lighter you can keep the colors for outdoor furniture, the better. If you’ve got a dark weave, then top that with white or light cushions. You don’t need to replace all of your furniture, just give it a new updated fresh feeling with new cushions and pillows.
Even if you’re not on the beach, look to the outside to see what you can bring inside. It is all about the atmosphere you are bringing to your buyers!
