Designing for Resale – Interview with Brisbane Real Estate Agent David Farrell

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with David Farrell, a local real estate agent, and the principal of David Farrell Real Estate!

David holds a wealth of knowledge about Brisbane real estate, and as a result of the job he is often one of the first to notice trends and changes in the market.

We had a simple goal for this interview – to give our readers insight into how different design choices can affect their homes resale value and provide insight on ways to maximise your return!

Design Choices that Improve Home Resale Value

Firstly, we wanted to know if David had noticed any home design features that boost a home’s resale value.

“Layout is paramount” David explained.

“People love large, open spaces. If the home has an open floor plan, high ceilings, and a seamless transition to the outdoor living spaces – it will typically do well on the market!”

EXPERT TIP: If you want to maximise resale value, consider the popularity of open floor plan living, and the lifestyle enhancements offered by seamless indoor-outdoor connectivity.

What Design Choices Make a Home Harder to Sell?

“The houses that are the hardest to sell tend to be the ones that don’t follow the open, spacious layouts I described previously. Houses which have lots of small poky rooms will typically not perform as well when they are on the market”.

Why does this harm resale value? David explains:

“These layouts make the resale process very difficult, as sellers struggle to come to grips with the fact that the layout (something which is intangible) can have such a detrimental effect on the market value of their home if they get it wrong”.

EXPERT TIP: Whilst tangible features such as a home’s location and size are important in the resale process, it is important that homeowners consider intangible features, such as the liveability of their home’s layout.

It is common practice for homeowners to base their home’s value on sale prices for houses that are comparable in location and size, however there are other factors, such as the layout of a home, that can make your home more or less valuable than properties that seem near identical.

What Residential Design Choices Excite Real Estate Agents?

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of a good layout and neutral tones.

What provides excitement to me, is the knowledge that the home is going to appeal to a wide range of buyers, and therefore achieve a more satisfying result for both the buyer, and the seller.

Having said that, curves and archways are currently popular, and the Mediterranean feel appears to be making a comeback!”.

EXPERT TIP: Whilst trends come and go, there are some safe bets when it comes to designing a home that will retain its resale value. If you want to make sure your home will retain its value into the future you should be considering neutral tones, open floor plans, and a focus on indoor-outdoor connectivity!

What Architecture Trends Do You Expect Will See a Surge In Popularity Over Coming Years?

“I have absolutely no idea what the future will bring.

In recent years we have seen a massive boost in the importance placed on office and study spaces.

Maybe we will start to see homes advertising 2 or more offices or study areas?

With crime being a current hot topic, maybe there will be more attention given to the quality of security a home offers?”.

EXPERT TIP: Whilst some design features tend to stay stable (open floor plans, indoor-outdoor connectivity) – trends tend to be a response to market and community needs. The trends which are likely to retain their value into the future are trends which are a response to changes in lifestyle.

For example, a home office is likely to be a good investment given the world’s shift towards work from home.

Design for Personal Aesthetics, Or Resale?

“It really comes down to being aware of what most people want, and understanding how it is that any of your personal choices deviate away from that.

It is then a case of deciding what is more important to you – protecting resale value, designing based on your personal aesthetics, or some sort of middle ground”.

EXPERT TIP: Trends in residential design may be very different to your own personal design aesthetics.

The key here is to gain a realistic understanding of how each choice you make will affect the home – both in resale value, and personal enjoyment of the home, and working out what the perfect balance is for you.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to home design – every person, and every home, is different!

Key Takeaways

We would like to thank David for giving us his insight into the topic of the Brisbane real estate market!

Here are the key takeaways from this interview:

• If you want to maximise resale value, consider the popularity of open floor plan living, and the lifestyle enhancements offered by seamless indoor-outdoor connectivity.
• Whilst tangible features such as a home’s location and size are important in the resale process, it is important that homeowners consider intangible features, such as the liveability of their home’s layout.
• Whilst trends come and go, there are some safe bets when it comes to designing a home that will retain its resale value. If you want to make sure your home will retain its value into the future you should be considering neutral tones, open floor plans, and a focus on indoor-outdoor connectivity!
• Whilst some design features tend to stay stable (open floor plans, indoor-outdoor connectivity) – trends tend to be a response to market and community needs. The trends which are likely to retain their value into the future are trends which are a response to changes in lifestyle.
• Trends in residential design may be very different to your own personal design aesthetics. The key here is to gain a realistic understanding of how each choice you make will affect the home – both in resale value, and personal enjoyment of the home, and working out what the perfect balance is for you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to home design – every person, and every home, is different!

If you want to learn more about David Farrell and his business or are looking for an agent experienced in Brisbane real estate to sell your home, you can visit David Farrell Real Estate by clicking on the hyperlink!

If you are looking for an architect who can help you navigate the difficulties of balancing personal aesthetics and resale considerations, you can contact us!