Houseplants can help sell your home..

What now? Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that spider plants have some mystical power that bends the will of potential buyers in your direction, or that a parlour palm can seal the deal.

Or actually, maybe we are. 

We have talked often about how to dress your home to maximise its appeal to potential buyers, from decluttering to scatter cushions, and houseplants are actually an important part of how you make your house look like a home someone else would want to live in.

Why? Well, the houseplant trend may have kicked up a gear during lockdown, when everybody wanted to make their home office a more attractive and healthier space in which to spend their days, but it’s a trend that has turned into a lifestyle statement, and today you’d be hard-pressed to find a beautiful home on TikTok, Pinterest or any TV interior design show that doesn’t have its fair share of houseplants in prime position.

Houseplants bring two clear advantages to the home:

1. They bring colour and texture and vitality to any space in which you place them
2. They actually make us happier and healthier. Spending time near them can lower your blood pressure, decrease your heart rate, reduce mental fatigue, and aid concentration (hmm, definitely a good pick for a home office, then)

Houseplants are an easy, inexpensive way to add style to a room without committing to a major makeover. Many are known to act as air purifiers, and the time we take to care for a houseplant, no matter how limited, is proven to be good for your mental wellbeing. Trust us – the first thrill is not killing it, the second is when it throws out a new leaf. Suddenly you’re a plant mum!

Which houseplants are best for the beginner?

Most houseplants actually require very little attention, and certainly no complicated care routines. Indeed, some houseplants are very hard to kill. 

Sansevierias, or snake plants (also known as mother-in-law’s tongue), is a sculptural, green and yellow-leaved plant with a vertical habit, making it easy to fit into relatively small spaces. All it needs is direct daylight and a cup of water every couple of weeks. It’s also one of the best air-purifying plants you can have, making it perfect for a TV room or home office. 

Another easy plant to love, and care for, is monstera, or Swiss cheese plant. These give us big, glossy leaves in a rich, dark green and only ask that you remember to water them on a weekly basis. They can actually cope with their soil almost drying out – but this lack of care would ensure they produce no new leaves, and may even lose some of their vibrant green. Water regularly and place in a spot where they see daylight and they’ll reward you with new growth, and those fresh, mint green curls of leaves are wonderfully exciting to see appear.

A third plant we love, for its sheer feathery impact, is the parlour palm. You can find these large or small – and the large ones certainly know how to grab attention. Parlour palms aren’t only low maintenance, but need to be kept out of direct sunlight, so they’re perfect for adding a pop of colour and interest to an otherwise dull corner. They need watering only when the top 2cm of their compost is dry, and even less frequently in winter. An occasional feed in summer and they’ll reward you with fresh growth and new, vivid shades of green.

So – can houseplants help you sell your home? All things being equal, we would say yes, they certainly can help!

Eddie – Friday 10th February 2023. (Picture used – Blossom Flowers in Chorlton).