The goal when selling a home or business is to make a great deal when the buyers close on the property. The trade-off is happy buyers and a chunk of money in your pocket. While there are plenty of differences between selling a home or a business, there are also several similarities you need to focus on to be successful in both endeavors. The first thing you might think of in the selling process is the tedious amount of work that goes into keeping the place showroom ready so that anyone can drop by at any time. On the other hand, something you might not think about too often is the role that artwork can play in selling a space. In 2018, the global art market was valued at over $67 billion. Providing carefully selected artwork found in a prestigious art magazine could add some major aesthetic boosts to a home or business.

Prospective clients may struggle to visualize the potential of a home if they step into a space of four bare white walls, but adding artwork can change this. Research has proven that if we visualize the future we want, we are more likely to make it happen. As a seller, take that step out of the equation and offer an example of what a house could look like now! Make it a picturesque page from an art magazine and you are more likely to spark an interest in the clients. They won’t be able to deny the place’s potential if it is set right in front of them.

The art doesn’t have to be expensive or out of a fancy art magazine, but use those sources as examples. Use the artwork to create an image or a view. Portray a particular lifestyle you know most interested clients will be living. Clients need the house or business brought to life to see its full potential. The art can make a space feel more luxurious. The benefits of artwork aren’t just for the eyes either — great art pieces inside a home or business can actually increase its resale value, leading to more money in your pocket!

So when you get ready to sell, heed the advice from the tips below about adding artwork to your selling process and keep your place clean and livable.

Strengthen Your Business Brand or Home Image

Office branding is all about creating that image. This can be applied to homes as well. To make your house stand out above the other houses that are for sale, its image needs to be fresh. Branding needs to be recognizable under any circumstance. It needs to capture the essence of the company (or what you are trying to present of your home), to the point where anyone who either steps into the building, sees a product, or receives a service will immediately associate their experience with the business. For a home, it is about making the rooms cohesive. They need to fit together like puzzle pieces to create the overall masterpiece, the house. A client shouldn’t walk from one room into the next feeling like they entered an entire new Earthly dimension.

Branding is often underrated, but pick up any art magazine and you’ll instantly recognize a theme that separates each magazine from the rest. Branding is highly important to the success of a business and, even more so, if you are trying to sell your business. People are more likely to invest in something that is well established and known rather than a business struggling to get on their feet. Branding encompasses more than just adding a few decorations that can be ordered through an art magazine. Good branding is the epitome of creative design. It means shaping the business dynamics, changing the infrastructure if it demands it, and then adding the decor to put polishing personal touches on the overall image. It is the key to establishing a business’ or home’s unique identity.

If we pause to take a look strictly at office branding, there are three main people who benefit from closely managing a business’ image.

• Employees: A well designed and thought out space for employees to work in will improve the work environment. This will further increase productivity. When people feel comfortable in their environment, it allows them to relax and think creatively. Ways to keep employees in the loop while branding includes asking for their opinions in the process, creating open spaces to collaborate, and purchasing ergonomic furniture for comfort. These small gestures not only make the employees happier, but they will also encourage them to be more loyal and have respect for the company. The employees will take pride in their workplace and nothing makes a business more distinguished than reputable employees who are recognized by consistent branding.
• Clients: This goes back a little bit to visualizing the image so a client doesn’t have to. Again, take that step away. A client looking to purchase a business will appreciate and remember a polished looking company. Branding creates a cohesive image — much like the one you want to create with the multiple rooms of a house — that a client will recommend to others.
• Business Owners: Whether you are selling the business or just keeping it to yourself, do not underestimate the power of branding. If employee productivity and loyalty increases, the business will only prosper. The energy employees put out translates over to the clients and positive energy will only breed a positive increase in clientele.

After seeing the benefits office branding has on businesses, it is easy to see how creating a unique look for your house can help it stand out. People like a sense of uniformity. A home should be a haven with a polished and comfortable look. Showcasing a dab of abstract art, might just be what is needed to entice clients to choose your house over others.

How to Strengthen Your Branding: Focus on Design

Whether a home or business, a quaint two-bedroom home with pillows fluffed or a bourbon bar stocked with the best brands you can find, you need to prioritize its design before putting it on the market. Focus on the strengths of what your property has to offer and accentuate those qualities with art.

When it comes to homes, one of the most important places to sell is the kitchen. Make it look like something straight out of an art magazine. Kitchen design is important because it is where most entertaining takes place when homeowners have people over. A spacious and welcoming kitchen floor plan can raise the resale value tremendously. Consider long open counters so you have space to cook or a bar for you to entertain while you cook. Another option is to feature an island that allows people to congregate in the center of the room while snacking on delicious food. When the design is selected, add personal touches with the art. A vase on an island warms the space up. A wall hanging draws attention to that side of the room. A design running through the backsplash can set the tone of the space. Take advantage of the cabinets and piece together some designs outline in your local art magazine.

Instead of a home, you might be trying to sell that carefully constructed bourbon bar. Nothing personalizes the feel of a bar better than hand-selected artwork. People enjoy walking into old taverns and perusing the old photos of history. The black and white portraits that dot the walls give a nostalgic feel. Not only are they fun, but they can offer a brief look into the history and how it was like in the past. Some places even include pictures during the time the bar was built to personalize the space even more.

It doesn’t matter if it is a house or a bar, the thing to remember is that the important selling points on both places is found in the small details. Anyone can prep a space and take care of the big things. The upper hand comes when time is taken to explore the options artwork has in producing a polished appearance. Artwork is what makes an ordinary plain space feel human and livable.

Additional Selling Tips: Keep Your Home or Business Clean

While artwork can give your space the extra edge, the way to make it really pop is to keep your space clean. This way, if there are sudden clients who randomly drop by, the space is always ready, always presentable, and always showing off its desirability. A clean space nicely contrasts and brings out any of the artwork or custom designs you choose to implement while developing your branding. If you flip through an art magazine, artwork is usually placed against a mundane backdrop to draw out its colors or features.

In addition to presenting a polished appearance, keeping a clean workspace or living area is better for your health and the health of potential buyers. Keep every space as clean as Catholic school classrooms. Hotels, in particular, understand the importance of keeping spaces clean. They see a high turnover rate of people who can bring in all kinds of bacteria. Germs and fungi live everywhere, but regular cleaning can combat these pathogens and keep inhabitants healthier. By killing these germs, the indoor air quality improves as well. Vacuuming regularly also picks up accumulated dust and dirt that could cloud the air. Carpet cleaning is also necessary, especially if you have pets. A good carpet cleaning company will scrub out unsightly stains.

Cleaning also extends into psychological effects. Studies have shown that an organized house eases the mind. It is more comforting and inviting to stay in a place that is not cluttered. A disorganized or messy house can lead to feelings of anxiety, which causes a person to feel restless. It is safe to say a clean house will let you rest easier at night and contribute to improved sleep quality.

Cleanliness is important if you want to bring out the small details your selling space offers. It highlights a better living environment. As icing on the cake, regular cleaning presents a polished appearance that will become associated with clients with your home or business. In the case of hotels, regularly cleaning is seen as a huge selling point. If there are ever hotels for sale, they are more appealing to clients if they have a good reputation for maintaining clean rooms.

The Art of Selling Your Business or Home

Selling a business or home is an art itself. It may not be as simple as picking up an art magazine and wishing your space was in line for the next featured story, but with a little work, you can stand above the competition. First and foremost, focus on your personal branding. This will make your space unique and recognizable to potential clients. Part of selling and making a good deal is just putting yourself on the market and becoming known. Brand yourself so that you make your employees happy and let the business prosper from there. Everybody will win.

Once you have a signature brand and style, zoom in on the personal design. This is where that pesky art magazine will come in handy. Add small details and touches of artwork to draw out the positive features your space has to offer. Remember, everyone can conquer the big things when it comes to selling, but it is the tiny details that set you apart.

Keep everything clean. Cleanliness will help make the small details of artwork pop, but the real benefit is in the creation of an overall polished appearance. Regular cleaning also makes for a healthier work environment and correlates a positive association when clients recall the space. They will likely lean towards a cleaner outfit to purchase.

Lastly, don’t question the power of art. Even if you don’t think about it often, it is what makes us human and that is the key to selling a place. Make it feel welcoming and human to live in.