Can you believe it’s October already! After a whirlwind of a year we head into what is many people’s favourite time of year, Autumn.

As we start to see a last Autumnal burst of colour in the countryside around us, many take this as a cue to apply a few subtle style changes to their home as its a great way of making it more attractive to potential buyers if you’re thinking of selling – or simply to give your home a bit of a refresh before Winter.

It looks like the next few months are going to bring more time spent in our homes than previous years, which gives you the perfect excuse to introduce a few Autumnal changes and make your home a more pleasurable place to be.

Autumnal changes you can make inside your home

Soft Furnishings

Summer 2020 has undoubtedly been one of the warmest yet in the south of England, full of long warm summer evenings. But with Autumn now in full swing there’s already a chill in the air and perhaps you already have the heating on.

A great way to warm up your home and make it a more enjoyable living space is to update throws and cushions – this simple addition can breathe new life into any room.

If you’re preparing to sell, we would recommend using a neutral colour scheme so that incoming buyers can easily make it their own. You can add accent colours to match the seasons and Autumn is just perfect for rich, deep dark colours to make your space more homely and cosy.

Adding texture with some chunky knitwear to continue your Hygee theme, or a new rug or some fur, will bring style, warmth and a touch of seasonal glamour to any room.

Halloween and trick or treat night as some call it, may well have to be cancelled this year amid Covid-19 fears, but we still love pumpkin themed decorative accessories.

Discover felt pumpkins which are available from Crate & Barrel Priced £5.75 – £12.36

Fireplaces

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, whether it’s functional or just for show, the colder months make this a focal point for any room. Dress it up with seasonal additions to the top of the fireplace or add a log store beside functional fireplaces. This will help sell the dream of having the fire burning to potential buyers even when its not lit.

If it’s safe to do so, light the fire before property viewings to add to the charm and highlight the character of your home.

Lighting & Candlelight

The way you light your home can have a profound effect on how it looks. The Autumn and Winter months are a great time to play with the lighting in your home so move lamps to see if you can make it more cosy and use lots of warm lighting where you can to make it more dramatic.

The perfect complement to a burning fire and the absolute best way create a cosy Autumnal atmosphere is to light some candles. There’s nothing better than the warm flicker of soft candlelight to stir up something deep within us harking back to hundreds of years of traditional lighting used by our ancestors.

Lighting candles can be done relatively cheaply as they’re available from most local supermarkets. Try layering chunky church candles next to tea lights to add a focal point to your room. There’s a fantastic selection of tea light candle holders on the internet that you can use to dress up any space. For the ultimate upgrade, use scented candles that bring an additional layer of calm to any room. At this time of year we’d recommend earthy, smoky or spicy scents to match the seasonal change outside.

Fairy lights are another way to bring some seasonal glow to a room. We love the colour choice at Cable & Cotton, these can be used just as effectively in your living spaces as they are in a child’s bedroom. A personal favourite is to pack festoon or fairy lights into hurricane vases around the room for a bit of extra glow.

Flowers

Flowers are a fantastic addition to any home, at any time of year, but they’re also a very quick and easy way to inject a splash of colour. Whether you choose real flowers or fake, Autumn bouquets in particular provide the perfect opportunity to dress them up even more with seasonal foliage that can be foraged outside.

As long as the area you’re foraging in permits it and what you are picking is safe to do so, why not collect some seasonal colour such as berries or grasses to add to your flower display – we love the combination of seasonal flowers with candlelight.

Smart Speakers & Home Automation

I’m a big fan of home automation and whilst it’s helpful to be able to ask what the time is or set reminders for most of the year, the Autumn and Winter months let you really take advantage of this technology.

With the addition of some low cost WIFI plugs you can easily control the lighting and make sure that when you venture downstairs on a cold dark morning, the lights are already on to greet you. The same is true about turning the lights off! Connecting your lighting can help you save money by giving you a convenient way to switch off all the lights in your home (including all those fairy lights you’ve just gone out and bought) or have them switch off automatically at pre-defined times of the day throughout the week.

Further expansion into smart thermostats like the Google Nest can help keep your home warm automatically when you need it to be.

Seasonal updates for the exterior of your property

Tidying The Garden

With the last of the light, Autumn is a good time to start tidying the outside of your home and preparing it for Winter. Give the patio a last jet wash and prune back plants in your garden as they start to die back for Winter.

When it comes to tidying your garden, we’re big fans of Clear N Collect, a new rake system available in Squires garden centres. This revolutionary tool saves you from the inevitable back ache that accompanies Autumn as so much time is spent clearing up leaves!

Lighting & Firepits

The weather has been fairly stable and warm in the south of England and has carried on like this quite late into the year so I for one have still been spending time outside in the garden when I can.

As the temperature drops, but you still want to spend time outdoors, consider adding a stylish firepit or wood burner to help take the chill off and add some outdoor lighting to make your outside space as attractive and welcoming as it is indoors.

Autumn Wreaths

A growing trend is the addition of an Autumn wreath. Once the preserve of the festive season, we’re now starting to see many people add a bit of style and colour to the front of their home by purchasing a kit to make an Autumn wreath or purchasing a ready made one. We love some of the Autumn wreath creations you can find on Etsy.

Just as we change our clothes with the season, updating your home is just as good an idea to help. Not only will it make you feel better as the nights draw in, it’s also a great way of ensuring your home has the best chance of finding a buyer quickly.

You can find more advice for styling your home elsewhere on our blog:

Top Interior Trends
The Best Time To Prepare Your Home For Sale