How to prepare an unusual home for sale, Declutter and depersonalise apartment property, House selling

How to prepare an unusual home for sale

5 May 2025

Edinburgh is an absolute treasure trove for beautiful homes, with a plethora of different styles of architecture, from grand Georgian mansions and stunning Victorian villas through to modern minimalist properties.

Architecturally unique homes can have a huge appeal, but they can come with complications when it comes to buying and selling. In this guide, we’ll look at some of the most important things to think about when preparing your special property for sale.

Celebrate the character, don’t cover it

There’s nothing worse than going into a beautiful period property, expecting to see gorgeous ceiling roses and coving, only to discover that a previous owner has covered everything in plasterboard or striped out period features altogether. If your home has character, embrace it! These features should be selling points, not something to shy away from.
Buyers looking for architecturally interesting homes will want to see the cornices, sash windows, fireplaces — whatever it is that makes your home special, so celebrate the character and make it a focal point.

One simple way to do this is to keep the rest of the decor quite neutral. If you have a beautiful fireplace with original tiling or stonework, for example, don’t distract from this with fussy wallpaper or rugs — keep the surrounding space in simple, sympathetic colours and allow the tiles or stone to shine.

Source: Unsplash

Declutter and depersonalise

You might assume that if you’re marketing a large property, there’s more justification for having a decent amount of clutter and decoration, but the truth is that just because you have the space, doesn’t mean you should fill it. It comes back to our point above — you can’t do justice to a space, no matter how large, if you’ve filled it with ornaments, family photos and knick-knacks.

Instead, focus on curating and styling your decor more intentionally to create a home that is aspirational, taking inspiration from tips like ones posted on Homes & Gardens. Take bookcases as an example — if you’re selling an older property, it makes sense to pack away all the modern, tatty paperbacks and style your shelves with interesting antique books. Clear worktops and sideboards from clutter and instead use them to display vases of fresh flowers or captivating art pieces that compliment the age and style of the house.

Source: Pexels

If time is of the essence

If you don’t have the capacity, financially or mentally, to think about preparing your period home for the market, or you particularly need a quick sale, then there is another option to selling in the traditional way. Cash buying services like We Buy Any House could be the answer if you want to avoid the need for viewings completely, and would rather have money in the bank and a fixed, secure completion date.

Energy efficiency and maintenance fixes

Unfortunately, older properties often come with issues that can make them costly to heat and maintain. Make sure you do an audit of your home to consider where there might be scope to upgrade and improve energy efficiency, which we’ve covered before at Edinburgh Architecture. Balance this with what’s cost-effective in terms of keeping the sale profitable and what is going to boost your EPC rating.

Some quick fixes with high impact could include:

• Draught-proofing doors and windows – Add self-adhesive strips, door brushes, or keyhole covers to prevent heat loss.
• Insulating hot water pipes and tanks – Cheap and easy to fit, foam tubing and jackets retain heat and save money.
• LED lightbulbs throughout – Swap out halogens or old bulbs for efficient LEDs; a low-cost update with immediate benefits.
• Reflective radiator panels – Pop behind radiators on external walls to bounce heat back into the room.