The charisma factor

Buyers and sellers alike wonder why apparently similar houses sell for different prices.

“Two houses of equal size and condition in the same street can have very different market appeal,” Bellarine Property managing director Christian Bartley said.

“It often comes down to what can best be summed up in terms of a gestalt principle, or the relationship between the whole and the sum of the parts.

Sometimes the whole is greater than a mere sum of the parts – but sometimes, unfortunately, it is less.”

Mr Bartley said that the effect of the superior property is similar to that special human quality labelled charisma.

“Charisma is hard to define but as far as houses are concerned it can be as simple as the overall impression created by regular maintenance and attention to detail in the presentation of the property.

“However, it is more likely to be a function of the original design concept of the house. Many people like to think they
are saving money at the planning stage and wonder why their house doesn’t end up having the impact they imagined. Good design, especially the skilful use of natural light, window placement and the correct orientation of the property adds something you can recognise but can’t always define.”

According to Mr Bartley, many people add on, or make minor changes as the need arises without taking a holistic view of their property.

“They think in terms of immediate solutions, and a particular problem area of the house rather than conceptualising the impact of the house as a whole.

“In the worst cases, money is spent and features are added but market appeal is negligibly enhanced. For example,
extending without reference to the scale of the home creates an effect that is not harmonious or flowing as a design concept, and lacks the market appeal of other houses with the same number of features on paper.

“When decorating, extending or renovating remember charisma adds to the capital value of your home.

“If the proposed changes add features only, chances are you won’t have maximised your market potential.”

For more information, phone Christian Bartley on 0410 695 325, email [email protected] or head to bellarineproperty.com.au.