Savvy agents recognize opportunities for sellers to make cost-effective home improvements to attract more buyers. Most homes have at least one unused nook or corner. Showing sellers how to best use flexible living spaces helps agents generate more leads and sell more homes.
Inspect the Premises
Staging a home is crucial to get the best possible price. Buyers need to imagine themselves living in the house without personal distractions from the sellers. Clearing out personal items makes more room to maximize open spaces. Work with homeowners to clean out the clutter and create neutral living spaces. Find niches to transform into a home office, entertainment center, playroom, breakfast nook, reading area, and other useful spaces buyers want in a house.
Versatile Home Office
Since work at home became the new normal during a pandemic, many people prefer working remotely. A versatile home office creates a place to pay household bills, work on homework with kids, and work peacefully. Consider using a hallway, closet, or kitchen niche to create a functional home office. Use space-saving ideas, such as shelving and compact seating, to maximize the space without overwhelming the rest of the room. Paint the walls a different color and add artistic touches to create separation. Dividers are an affordable way to turn one room into two living areas.
Dynamic Entertainment Center
Quarantining during a pandemic made people explore more home entertainment options. Gaming, movies, and music became favorite ways to pass the time. With the streamlined technologies of today, a wall can be turned into a family entertainment center. Some sellers might have the components around the house to transform a wall into a place for watching television, playing games, and having online business meetings. Encourage homeowners to make the most of the technologies they have by integrating them and putting them on display to attract buyers.
Fun-Filled Playroom
Mudrooms, porches, enclosed decks, lofts, and basements can also be renovated into a fun-filled playroom for little ones. Keep building regulations in mind when homeowners put up walls or create another room. Maintain a list of local contractors to recommend for painting, electrical work, and more. Encourage the contractors on the list to refer their clients when they need a real estate agent to generate leads in the future.
Breakfast Gathering Spot
A pantry, hallway, or kitchen niche is the perfect spot for a breakfast nook. An open room divider between the kitchen and living space is also ideal for a gathering spot with just a few stools and shelving. Another option is a portable cart with stools to use as a seating area near the kitchen or dining room. Places to congregate are increasingly popular post-pandemic as everyone starts to entertain at home again. Understanding the current housing market is crucial to sell more homes and get more listings.
Escape Into a Book
Many people rediscovered the joy of reading during the pandemic with hours to fill and nowhere to go. Escaping into a book is also a way to unwind after a long day. Use a quiet corner to create a reading niche with cozy seating, direct lighting, and artistic photos. Make sure this space has an electrical outlet for audio readers. Include a creative description of the area with photos to help buyers imagine themselves reading there. Betters Homes and Gardens® affiliated real estate agents have access to professional images to make their listings stand out from the crowd.
Organized Storage
As more people lived and worked at home during the pandemic, storage space became a valued feature. Add organized storage to an attic, basement, laundry room, or wall with shelves and compact furniture. Folding chairs and tables help turn storage space into a work area where all the tools are within reach on shelves. In addition, having a place to store necessities and do household projects helps attract more buyers.
Indoor-Outdoor Living Space
The pandemic trend of indoor-outdoor living spaces is here to stay. Homeowners discovered the value of having an enclosed or semi-enclosed room for barbecuing, working out, and entertaining without combating bugs or the outdoor elements. Decks can be transformed into added living spaces with a temporary or permanent enclosure based on the homeowner’s budget and local building regulations.
Learning how to use flexible living spaces to market homes helps agents stand out from the competition post-pandemic. Buyers want more places to entertain, work, and support their lifestyles. Agents who help sellers recognize this trend and make affordable changes help sell more homes at the best possible price, meaning future referrals.
