Turn My House To Sold: Magnificent Master

Having a magnificent Master Suite is essential when preparing your home for sale!

Most sellers will dust, vacuum and make the bed. In today`s market, that is just not enough!

Buyers are very educated when it comes to home buying. They have done their research and know exactly what they want.

The master is no longer a place just to sleep. It must offer many amenities for relaxation and luxury.

To give your house a competitive advantage, the master must present itself as a serene sanctuary. There are three key areas that sellers must attend to in order to make the best possible impression on sellers.

The bedroom
The bathroom
The closet

So grab a cup of coffee … or whatever, and take a look at how you can make your master the most memorable room of your house.

The Bed Room

The most important feature of the master suite is the bed area. The room, and the bed, of course! In today`s market, it simply is not enough to have the bed “made”. Even though your furniture is more than likely going with you, the bedding must be luxurious and inviting to buyers.

It is important to create a fantasy setting for your buyers. You want them to envy you and to believe that if they buy your house, they, too will have your lifestyle.

So what should this fantasy space include?

A bed
Lighting
A place to sit and relax
A dresser or armoire

The Bed

A sumptuous bed with fresh, crisp bedding. If your bedding has been laundered repeatedly, it is probably showing some signs of wear. Even if it still looks “nice” to you – you may wish to buy something fresh.

The intent is to create an inviting bed similar to those you see in magazines or upscale hotel ads. What is important is to keep it in scale with the size of the room. If you have the space, indulge in big, soft and fluffy.

Have plenty of throw pillows and coverings with lots of different textures. Use analogous colors for a more serene look.

A secret of the luxurt bedding industry is to put one or even two comforters under the bed spread to make it look even more luxurious for photoshoots. You can do this for your open houses!

The longer buyers stay and look, the better it is to have them believe they want your lifestyle.

Let your buyers secretly desire to stay. Make them wish they were alone so they could lie on your bed!

If your room would look cramped with this style of bedding, don't do it! It is more important to give the illusion of lots of space. Instead, go for something more tailored, sophisticated - but still luxurious.

The photo on the right presents an inviting bed without all the fluff. It uses a very tight color range and relies on subtle patterns and textures for visual interest.

It is modern and gender neutral.

To pull something like this off, the rest of the room should match.

Keep it sparse, neutral and modern.

To give the illusion of even more space, stick to a light, monochromatic palette. Beige or pale grey are in-offensive neutrals suitable for most buyers.

Lighting

Once you have the bed designed, the next step is to add some beautiful control-able lighting. If you are lucky enough to have an exceptional view or private balcony, leave the window treatments open for viewings. However, that doesnt mean you get to pass on lighting!

If you are not lucky enough to have a dimmer on the main fixture, install one, or use lower wattage bulbs to help create a serene mood. The main fixture should be something stunning – like a chandelier. Flush hardware store ceiling mounted fixtures and $60 fans have got to go! Whatever you chose to install, it should add drama and excitement. It should also evoke the feeling of luxury.

Pot lights should all be working and have the same wattage and color temperature.

Add lights beside the bed for more control of levels. In the photo above there are three options: standing, table and suspended. Standing or suspended lights allow for more visual space as they do not require side tables. This is a great way to maximize a small master!

Whether on tables, floor lamps or suspended, this lighting should coordinate with the ceiling fixture and be as luxurious as you can afford. Remember that at least these table/floor lamps will be going with you.

Seating

I would suggest that the third most important feature is seating. A cozy spot to unwind from the day, or just to relax and catch up on some reading.

You have all seen it in the magazines and TV shows. A proper master has some place to sit and relax.

Something plush, possibly with an ottoman and a small table for a lamp, book and beverage.

Given the choice between a seating area and a dresser or armoire, go with the seating!

After all, your spacious closet has enough room for all your clothes and accessories, right?

Furniture

If you have met the above suggestions and still have room in your master, Congratulations! You have a spacious room to boast about!

Keep furniture pieces to a minimum. One beautiful dresser or armoire should do it. The more empty space, the more luxurious and relaxed the room will feel.

If you have gym equipment, an exposed TV (i.e.: not in that one armoire) or anything else that is less than superbly attractive in the master, now is the time to relocate it or store it.

The Closet

Your master closet should be neat, clean…and half empty. That’s right! Pack away any clothes you will not need for the next few months and put it into storage.

Why do this? A half empty closet gives the illusion of abundant storage space.

If you do not have a closet system, now may be the time to set up something ingenious. Use pretty designer boxes, bins, baskets to contain small items. Adjustable shelving or a chic dresser are great to neatly store the items you will need for the next few months. The less visual clutter the better!

Take a look through magazines or Google “closet organization’ to get some ideas that will work for you.

The key thing is to make it look amazing – and if you have to spend money to do that, make sure it is something you can take with you – that is: opt for boxes or dressers over building a built in rack, built in shelves or other storage solution that will stay with the house.

You can negotiate as to whether adjustable shelving stays or goes with you.

The Bath

While there may be less you can do in the master bath, unless you already planned to renovate or change fixtures, there are still some important things you can do to make this area more relaxed, luxurious and spa-like.

First off, clean every inch of the room. Remove anything that is not attached to the walls or floors to make this easier. All surfaces should have a washing, scrubbing or polishing. Go to extremes and clean all the nooks and crannies – including the floor bolts and covers of the throne. Check the paint for any water droplet outlines from splashes in the sink and bath area and near towel racks. Don’t forget to clean the cupboards, drawers and medicine cabinets! What you may no longer notice, buyers will more than likely zero in on.

Clean all lighting fixtures and make sure all bulbs work and match for wattage and color.

Once you have cleaned from top to bottom, be very selective as to what you return to the room. Any items for personal hygiene should not be put back on the counters.

If you absolutely need an item, store it in the closet or cabinet – in some pretty boxes or containers so the storage looks neat when buyers look.

What should be out are some new (fluffy) matching towels. Stick to white or one shade of a neutral to evoke a spa-like feeling.

Some pretty soap in a dish (or coordinating ceramic pump), cut flowers or a healthy green plant and some lovely new candles are all that should be out during showings.

These hints will help you present a well coordinated master suite. If you can achieve this, you will be ahead of most other properties in your area.

If you are putting your home on the market, creating a coordinated master is important before listing. If your home is not showing to the level expected from today’s market, you may have a challenge selling your house fast. If new interior design isn't something you wish to consider right now, we can help.

If you have come to the realization that it is time to move right now to have a better life, but your house isn’t ready for market, we can help.

If you are juggling too many responsibilities to sell your house yourself this fall, then there are people who specialize in the sale of properties "as is" - usually within a week to resolve the situation quickly.

Next time we will look at how to sell your house in the fall.

So thanks for reading my post. I'm so glad you're here!

And I really look forward to getting into more great stuff in future posts -- so that you can

Turn Your House To $OLD!

Feel free to ask me any questions through the contact info below. I would be very happy to help.