An estate agent’s guide to the perfect show home

May 17, 2021

Creating the perfect show home is an art form that few manage to perfect.

It might seem like a simple task at first. A few scatter cushions here, a tasteful painting there, and, voila, you’re done…

…but then things get complicated. How do you make a home that’ll appeal to everyone? Is it possible to keep the house clean while viewers traipse their mucky shoes all over it? How do you craft a look that’s striking while remaining inoffensive to the conservative taste of a potential buyer?

These are only a few of the problems you’ll have to consider while you dress your show home up to be sold, but a thousand-and-one head scratchers will make themselves known as you move from room to room.

To give you a hand, we’ve come up with a few design tips that’ll turn your drab looking prospect into a show home that’ll sell in no time.

Upholstery is your friend
A show home should impress from the moment a prospective buyer walks through its doors. It should convey a sophisticated yet detached atmosphere, and much of this comes down to the upholstery you choose to fill it with.

High-end upholstery from companies like SM London strike that exact balance, giving your viewers a taste of opulence that’ll have them signing up for a new mortgage before they leave the house.

Behold the bed
Beds are a potent symbol of luxury and relaxation, so make sure the king size comfort wagon in your show home looks fit for royalty.

Explore bedding sets and experiment with colour combinations, contrasts and complements to find spreads that look instantly welcoming.

Mind the smell
It’s almost a cliché that estate agents will fill a show home with scents to tempt and tantalise prospective buyers, but they do so for a good reason.

Smell is intricately linked to memory, not least because the sensory experience created by smells travel around a huge portion of the brain.

According to Harvard University, ‘Odours take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory.’

So pumping that show home with childhood smells could be a sure-fire way to make a sale.

Maintain balance
Balance is one of the key principles of effective design – without it your show home will look like a lame one trick pony.

When kitting out even the smallest space, make sure it screams versatility. That means plenty of space for work and leisure, a bedroom for children, and a dining area that can entertain guests.

The average home is as multifaceted as the people who live in it –make sure you convey that when you’re selling one.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Buying Alone? What Solo Buyers Need to Know Before Making an Offer on a House

Figures show that solo buyers accounted for 36.9% of Barclays’ mortgage completions in June 2026, as more people chose to step onto the property ladder without a partner beside them. Choosing independence over waiting for a joint purchase has doubled over the last 50+ years, with solo first-time buyers doubling from 15% before 1980 to…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

How to Make a New-Build Living Room Feel Less Like a Show Home

An empty new-build living room can be surprisingly difficult to furnish. The walls are freshly painted, the sockets are in place, and there is nothing to remove before decorating begins. Yet once the sofa arrives, the room can still feel unsettled: too bare in some places, awkwardly crowded in others. The answer rarely involves buying…
Read More →
Breaking News

Mortgage Borrowing Dip

Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £3.9 billion in September, from £4.2 billion in August, below the previous 6-month average of £4.9 billion. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases decreased to 53,400 in September, below an average of around 58,800 over the previous 6-months. Approvals for remortgaging increased to 42,600…
Read More →
Breaking News

Autumn Budget 2026: Property industry reaction

Following today’s Autumn Budget, reaction from property industry experts on six key areas for the property market. First-time buyer support: The £4.7bn Your First Home equity loan scheme, supporting 70,000 buyers, alongside the introduction of a new First Time Buyer ISA. Inflation and borrowing costs: The extension of the fuel duty freeze, household energy support…
Read More →
Breaking News

Can you legally BAN Halloween Trick or Treaters?

People who dread the annual knock of trick-or-treaters may have more power to keep Halloween callers away than they realise. As millions of children prepare to take to the streets on October 31, a property law expert has explained what homeowners can do if they do not want strangers walking up their path or knocking…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What the sector need to do differently to give first time buyers a chance

By Peter Hawley, Director, SOWN (part of LRG) The mortgage and property sector needs to stop assuming that younger buyers are either ready to buy outright or not ready at all. For many, the reality is somewhere in between. They may have stable employment, a deposit and a strong desire to own, but still find…
Read More →