If you’re a housebuilder tasked with creating an estate of 200+ houses, you’re not going to have the time to look at each property in isolation to consider how to make it warm, welcoming and unique yet perfectly suited to its buyer.
However, there are some ways that you can instil a sense of luxury or an air of uniqueness through the fixtures and fittings you choose throughout.
Of course, larger fixtures, such as an entire kitchen or bathroom suite can have a huge impact on whether a potential house buyer will fall in love with a property; however, it’s still worth going to town on the smaller things…i.e. the finishing touches.
For instance, think of the difference in appearance if you fitted chrome plug outlets and light switches instead of bog-standard white plastic ones. Maybe even consider brushed steel or rose gold finishes to be absolutely on trend. This extends to door handles and door plates, should these be required to finish ‘the look’.
That said, if a room isn’t one that will be shown off, i.e. the utility room, integral garage or attic/cellar, it’s not worth wasting money on anything other than standard fittings. It’s certainly a wise move to invest in high-spec finishing touches, but only if they’ll be noticed.
Think how much better it will sound to a potential purchaser if every lighting solution in the property was LED. The selling point of lower electricity bills is something that will appeal to everyone.
Consider also the property’s security options. Though new houses must include a certain level of security when it comes to the fittings and locks on windows and doors, it would be very much welcomed by the purchaser if these elements were the next level up, so to speak. It may also be a condition of their buildings and content insurance, that the property’s security specifications exceed the sector standard.
The same goes for any alarm system fitted to the house and how secure any garage or outbuildings are. Whilst you, as the creator, won’t likely be living in the properties you build, consider those who will; if you go to town on the small extras, you’ll not only attract more buyers, you will be able to recoup any loss in your margin from installing these finer finishes by raising the overall sale price.
The property’s heating system is another factor that could make or break a house sale. In this article, we talked about the rising popularity of energy efficient electric heating systems…with the focus this winter on the scale of energy price rises, this is one area where home-owners and renters alike will be keen to have an opportunity to save or protect themselves from huge bills.
What about the taps? Do you simply fit the first ones you come across? Consider adding those with useful additional features, such as instant boiling water. Think about which finish best complements the kitchen chosen/planned.
The flooring can also be a deal breaker with house hunters. Cheap laminate no doubt does the job, but you get what you pay for. It looks functional and feels as you’d expect underfoot. Hardwood flooring or wall to wall carpeting can make empty rooms appear luxurious.
It doesn’t matter how trendy, extravagant or grandiose a family’s furniture/belongings are; if they’re set against a room made up of cheap-looking elements, they will simply appear at odds. Including slightly more expensive finishing touches could make a real difference to the overall price and desirability of a property.
Electricals Online offer electrical switches and outlets in different finishes. Take a look at our range.