Colder, darker days can be more challenging when presenting a property, especially if you’ve been following summer’s advice of throwing the doors wide open and showing off your garden, but fika can become your secret weapon when hosting viewings this winter.
While potential movers will be interested in the bricks and mortar, they are equally as likely to fall in love with a lifestyle that you purvey and even you as a person, so it’s good to tap into the heart as much as the head. And what better way to welcome people to your home this winter than with a hot drink and a cake?
Rather than batten down the hatches, take a leaf out of the Swede’s book and embrace fika. It’s the latest Scandinavian trend that celebrates all things cosy and warm, coming hot on the heels of Danish hygge and Dutch gezellig.
The Swedes certainly know a thing or two about making the most of the winter months and fika is easily transferable to us here in the UK. Fika is the tradition of stopping for a cup of coffee and something sweet to eat with friends – less formal than a British afternoon tea but more organised than grabbing a latte on the go.
Fika is considered such a ritual in Sweden that many professionals have a fika break written into their contract but it’s a daily routine that takes place in homes, workplaces and factories across the country.
Not only will a mug of coffee and a pastry break the ice during a viewing – and provide comfort when coming in from the cold – offering fika will also give you a head start when it comes to the olfactory department.
As this Real Homes survey reveals, appealing scents upon arrival can help conjure up sales success, while Ideal Home reported that the smell of cats is one of the most prominent reasons why people deem a viewing ‘disgusting’.
Your home will smell divine if you have a freshly brewed pot of coffee on the go and just-baked kanelbulle in the kitchen (kanelbulle are cinnamon buns, which are reputed to be the Swedes’ favourite fika snack).
How you present fika can also help set an inviting scene. An Italian-style ‘moka’ stove-top coffee pot always looks attractive and there is something mesmerising about pushing the plunger down on a traditional cafetière. If you have a pod coffee machine, using a capsule display and giving someone a choice of coffee is another nice touch – and it may make their visit to your property more memorable.
Don’t fret, however, if you only have a kettle and a jar of instant coffee. Place your emphasis on serving your drinks in chip-free mugs or even in a set of on-trend, double-walled glass coffee cups. You could even decant your milk and sugar into a jug and bowl to really up the ante.
While we have mentioned home-baking, we understand not everyone has the time or skill to whip up a Swedish fika feast. If you want to be authentic, Totally Swedish offers a superb selection of sweet treats that can be delivered to your door, or simply pop down to your local supermarket and buy a selection of fresh pastries.
Whatever treats you have, artfully arrange them on a plate instead of offering them to people straight out of the packet. And why not follow the lead of interior design stylists and display all your fika essentials on a Scandi-inspired wooden tray? Add a candle and some winter-themed napkins and you’ll have won over viewers in no time.
If you are getting ready to show your property this winter and would like advice about the local property market, please contact us today.
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