A buyer’s guide to home-hunting

We all know that first impressions count – whether it’s meeting someone, staring at the gleaming car in the showroom or looking at a lovingly-prepared plate of food!

And the same applies to houses. Buyers will have an opinion as soon as they set foot through the door – the décor may or may not suit their palate, the furniture may not be arranged how they would do it themselves, or the kitchen cupboards might not be to their taste.

All these things can be easily remedied, but the size of the rooms is something that cannot be readily altered – unless the buyer already has plans to ‘knock through’.

Leading independent estate agents and valuers Harrison Murray say the tip is for prospective buyers to challenge themselves to looking beyond those first impressions.

Take a step back and don’t let what you believe to be a lack of space frustrate you. There are many tips you can put into practice which create the illusion of more space.

- When you have a small kitchen, every inch of space counts. We probably all have more gadgets than we need or use, so put them away out of sight and leave worktops clutter-free. Making the most of drawer or cupboard space, and installing space saving ideas like tilt-out bins is a great move. Shelves and racks can also address the storage issue.

- There are plenty of things you can do to create the illusion of space and add more square footage visually to a modest-sized living room. Arrange furniture diagonally, as viewing a room from corner to corner lengthens it. Even something as simple as repositioning the sofa could make a big difference.

- Choose your décor carefully. Lighter/ neutral colours for walls and furniture will create a feeling of space, where darker / bolder colours may bring the room in, making it feel smaller and less welcoming.

- Mirrors are a great way to reflect light and trick the eye. Placing a large mirror in a narrow hallway will instantly make it feel larger and lighter.

- Bedrooms can easily be cluttered, as dressing tables seem to be a catch-all for those items you meant to put away in their proper place. Pay careful attention to your choice of colour scheme, and keep pictures on walls and ornaments/ lamps to a minimum. If its not needed, don’t use it. If storage is an issue, beds with built in drawers are an excellent space saver. A tip for a child’s room – if you have more than one child – is to use bunk beds with lots of storage.

- Flooring is an important but easily overlooked area. Lighter colours for flooring – either wood, tiling or carpeting – work on the same principle as wall décor. Limit the number of rugs, as they draw the eye and can make a room appear smaller than it is.

Harrison Murray commercial director Nick Salmon said: “We all know that first impressions count, and as a seller that is very important. However, buyers sometimes need to look beyond what they are initially presented with and view the potential of the home, where a few easily applied techniques can add to the apparent square footage.”