Kids Are a Key in Home Buying and Selling

Natasha Murphy called in the professionals to fit out the bedroom for sons Micah, 6, and Ethan, 3. Picture: Chris EastmanSource:News LimitedMOVE over designer kitchen and stylish bathroom. The key to bolstering your home's sales price could be a great kids' space.Marketing and real estate experts say children are the biggest factor in their parents' home-buying decisions and nothing pulls at their emotions quite like a well-designed kid's bedroom or playroom."We found that parents are so concerned about the welfare of the child that they (the child) have the largest influence over the decision to relocate and the floorplan," said Monash University marketing researcher Prof Harmen Oppewal."Even if children don't express that opinion directly."Prof Oppewal said this often meant parents were prepared to accept a longer commute to work in order to be able to afford a larger or safer home environment for their children.Brad Teal Coburg sales manager Peter Leahy said an attractive child's bedroom played on buyer emotion, particularly if the home was marketed at families or those looking to have children."If a potential buyer gets an emotional attachment to the property, sometimes all rhyme and reason goes out the window," Mr Leahy said."The emotional-type buyer will pay for that lifestyle want."But how do you get the latest look for your youngster's bedroom or rumpus room?There's a bounty of books, online blogs and stores to turn to for inspiration, but many parents are calling in professionals.Style queen Christie Blizzard, from the TV series The Renovators, said decorating for the young market was a huge trend in Australia."When I first started working on kid's spaces, I used to get asked 'is there much of a market for kids?' Now I am told 'oh my friend does this too'," Ms Blizzard said. "It seems in a race to keep up with the Jones', styling kid's spaces has become a trend all of its own."Melbourne interior designer Nicole Rosenberg, of Little Liberty, styles rooms for tots to teens.Ms Rosenberg said most professional makeovers of a child's room cost between $1000 and $4000, while a top-end fit out - including new furniture, bed linen, storage, wallpaper and light and window furnishings - could cost more than $5000.Armadale mum Natasha Murphy went all out getting a bedroom professionally styled for her two sons, Micah, 6, and Ethan, 3, who share the room.Everything in the boys' room including the arrow wall decals, the furniture, light fittings, colour scheme, floor and window coverings and the wardrobe handles were cherrypicked with the help of an interior designer.Working with a budget of $4000 to $6000, Mrs Murphy said she did not want to skimp on items such as durable carpet and a "robust" bunk bed."I wanted to save time and effort, so it was worth getting the whole designer treatment done to the room," she said.Ms Rosenberg said monochromes were the "big thing" at the moment. "Go for black and white, with hints of colour for accents," she said.Light greys and pastel hues like peach were also popular.Wallpaper could be used to create feature walls or on the ceiling, she said, but warned it could be expensive.She said parents were opting for a more sleek and neutral look to complement the rest of their home."There's also a lot of focus on fun and funky bed linen, cushions and art prints at the moment," she said.STYLE ON A BUDGET● Look for affordable brands that make colourful seasonal pieces you can afford to change every few years.● Use inexpensive pendant lights to create atmosphere.Wall decals create a wallpaper look that is less expensive and easy to remove.● Keep bed linen simple. It doesn't go out of fashion easily and adapts to changing tastes.● A lick of paint is cost effective, adds impact when used as an accent, and can be modified as tastes and trends change.● Furniture with versatile options are practical and have timeless appeal.● Source items from markets and garage sales that you or your child can transform into something interesting.● If they like it, frame it. Art comes in many forms whether it's quirky wrapping paper, tea towels or a sibling's painting● A blackboard feature wall is a novel way kiddies can draw on the walls.