How houseplants can help win over buyers in Wokingham

How houseplants can help win over buyers in Wokingham

Finding ways to bring the outside in is nothing new in interior design, but this year it seems we are allowing nature to reclaim our homes.  When it comes to preparing your home for sale, you will have worked hard to ensure that it is presented to attract potential buyers, but have you considered how houseplants can help win over buyers?

Houseplant sales in the UK have been rising rapidly over the last couple of years. Cacti sales last year alone rose by 34%, and sales of Spathiphyllum (peace lily) have increased by 23%.  Plants are also a huge Instagram trend, with hashtags #plantsofinstagram and #houseplants boasting posts into the millions.  But a houseplant isn’t just an ornament that you’re adding to a room; you are changing your home’s ecosystem for the better.

Adding life

Once you have prepared your home for sale it can sometimes lack character and even feel sterile.  A home should be full of warmth, providing a welcome from the minute you walk inside. It’s a feeling that often cannot be described.  By adding foliage to a room you are not only injecting some colour, you are adding life, and giving your buyers a complete sense of home.

Helen Reeks, the Creative Development Manager at Tom Howley, suggests “Smaller plants are so versatile and easy to incorporate throughout your home décor. Populate an empty corner with a cluster of varieties or create a unique feature with hanging planters over a kitchen island. Succulents are hugely popular currently and are well suited to kitchens.”

Provide character

Neutral décor is best when trying to appeal to potential buyers, but without the correct staging your home can lack personality.  Houseplants come in all shapes and sizes and have universal appeal. They can add character to a room without distracting a buyer’s attention. When they are viewing a property you want them solely focused on how they can make it their own, rather than your interior choices.

Air quality

According to the Royal Horticultural Society there have been many scientific studies on whether houseplants can make our homes better places to live.  The results show there are two benefits, one being improved well-being, which we will come to later, and the other health.  Did you know that pollution levels have often been found to be higher indoors than outdoors?

Opening windows can help to get rid some of the indoor pollution, but with our British weather that’s not always possible.  NASA have conducted extensive research on the subject and found that there are specific plants that are effective at removing toxins and improving the air quality.  Some of our favourites at Quarters Residential include spider plants, Chinese evergreen, aloe, and eucalyptus.

Well-being

As we said, one of the other benefits of indoor plants is that they can improve a person’s well-being.  Buying a home is stressful; even with all the excitement of viewing a property, it can still make you and potential buyers feel extremely anxious.  They are filled with hope that they are going to find their next home, and you are hoping so too!

It has been found that houseplants can improve your mood and can reduce stress levels, some studies have even shown that they can improve attention span.  If they can make your buyers happier, calmer and more focused, then surely they are a wonderful addition to any home for sale?

Keeping it cool

We have been blessed to have some stunning weather over the last couple of years.  When the heat rises many of us grab our fans in an attempt to cool rooms down, but you can keep your home cool in a more environmentally friendly way.   Rubber plants are very effective at improving a room’s humidity and, as such, have a cooling effect.  Other cooling plants include Chinese evergreen, weeping fig, and also palms.

Keep it simple

To improve your home’s environment as well as its interior, our advice is to keep it simple and choose low maintenance plants.  For plants with trailing vines, hanging planters are a great choice. Glass terrariums are very stylish and are extremely popular at the moment; they are ideal for keeping thirsty plants healthy.

However you decide to stage your home, don’t underestimate the role houseplants can play in winning over potential buyers.  For more advice on how to stage your home for sale, contact Teresa on 0118 466 0292 or email hello@quartersresidential.co.uk.

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