When you walk through your front door, what’s one of the first things you see? We’ll guess it’s the staircase.
Are we right?
In the vast majority of UK homes, people step over the threshold to be greeted with the hallway and stairs. Which is why – especially if you’re trying to sell your home – it’s essential that they look their best.
Here at Square 1 Balustrades, we understand just how important stairs are to a property. And, as specialists in balustrade systems and handrails, we like to think we know a thing or two about how to make them look great.
A practicality, yes, but also a great way to add style, personality and so much more to your home. Stairs are a key element and their ability to increase the value and appeal of your property, should not be underestimated.
How to make the most of your staircase
- Repaint – this is a great ‘quick fix’. If you’ve got a tired wooden staircase, give it a new lease of life with a fresh coat of paint. Either sand and re-stain with a wood treatment or, better still, introduce colour. Try white for a classic, elegant look or mix it up by keeping your banister in natural wood and painting your spindles a different colour. Just remember not to go too garish with your shades – whilst you might love purple, potential new owners may not be quite as keen!
- Use glass – to really transform the look of your stairs, swap dated wooden spindles for modern glass balustrades. Not only is this a great look which will immediately update your home’s appearance, but it is also a fantastic way to allow more light to flow through. The result? Your space will feel bigger, cleaner, and instantly more stylish.
- Go horizontal – give your home a real edge over other properties on the market by making it stand out. How? Break with tradition and go horizontal with your balustrades by using a wire rope system. Durable, low maintenance and effortlessly on-trend.
- Handrails – do you have particularly steep stairs? Don’t let them put people off buying your home. Consider fitting an additional handrail directly to the wall. This will not only increase safety, it will also offer people support on both sides and make negotiating the steps much easier. Don’t forget that the handrail is also one of the areas that takes the most wear, so check it’s in a good state of repair. If it’s seen better days, it could be worth replacing it – a steel handrail can work brilliantly with glass, wire rope systems and wood.
- Add a carpet runner – regardless of the style of your home’s interior, adding a new stair runner is a great look. A chance to inject colour and personality, without being too overpowering. And, even if it’s not to other people’s taste, it won’t put buyers off as it can be easily removed.
- Clever lighting – the right lighting can really enhance a room, creating a more inviting and interesting space. A cleverly positioned lamp in your hallway is far more welcoming than the harsh glare of a ceiling light. You could also consider handrail lighting – check out our recent blog on why you need a handrail lighting system (add link) to find out more.
- Add under stair storage – let’s face it, you can never have too much storage and having a place to stow items out of sight can be a real selling point for a home. So our top tip here? Don’t let the awkward space underneath your staircase go to waste. There are lots of ways you can add interest and storage – fit shelving, install cupboards or drawers, even something as simple as fitting coat hooks helps to create valuable storage and makes excellent use of otherwise wasted space.
Let the experts help
Think your stairs could be pulling down the value of your home? Up their appeal with help of our friendly experts here at Square 1 Balustrades.
Take a look at the range of balustrade systems we have available, including steel and wire rope systems and our handrails. And for further information, or to talk to one the team, simply fill out our contact form, email mail@square-1balustrades.co.uk or call 01489 583371. Together we can take your stairs to the next level!
