Love at First Sight: Home Edition

People wait their entire lives to experience the feeling that comes over them when they’ve met “the one”.  Will you know immediately? Will it be love at first sight?  

When it comes to making a commitment the natural human response tends to lean on emotions to guide decisions, and this is also thought to be true when choosing the right home to purchase.

 “Your home is an extension of who you are and where you are in life, so naturally home buying becomes an emotional experience,” explains Jim Dohr, president of Coldwell Banker Gundaker.  “A good Realtor should be sensitive to this, but should also counsel their client to make a smart investment.”

A study conducted by BMO titled The Psychology of House Hunting found that 80 percent of prospective homebuyers know if a house is the right one for them the moment they step inside. With this in mind, sellers should make the entry point to their home set the tone for the rest of the showing.  Here are a few tips to sprucing up a foyer for the best possible first impression.  

Create a focal point.  Focus on one main display that will immediately catch the eye of your guests and then accessorize the rest of the foyer around it.  Try a beautiful floral arrangement, an accent wall or a bright colored console table.

Do the unexpected. Most entryways are home to a staircase, which are all pretty basic for the most part.  By replacing the banister you can automatically transform your stair case in to a modern piece of art.  Another way to make it pop is by painting the stair risers an enticing color. 

It’s all an illusion.  By strategically placing a large mirror in your foyer, you can achieve the illusion of a larger space.   Potential buyers will have this thought in the back of their mind as they tour the rest of the home.

Dazzle your guests.  The entryway is the first impression of your home, so why not go big? This is the perfect spot for a grand chandelier to hang.  With so many options available for chandeliers these days you will be sure to find one that matches your style, whether it’s modern, classic or even vintage.

February isn’t just a month devoted to Valentine’s Day love, but it’s also when the spring real estate market begins to bloom.  When it comes to shopping for a new home, there’s no better feeling than finding “the one” that pulls on your heartstrings. 

Coldwell Banker Gundaker, the leading residential real estate brokerage company in St. Louis, operates 19 offices with 1,500 sales associates serving metropolitan St. Louis and east-central Missouri. Coldwell Banker Gundaker is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company.  For more information, please visit www.cbgundaker.com.