Home Staging Tips: How to Choose Just the Right Welcome Mat
As any real estate agent will be happy to tell you one of the most important things about the aesthetic appearance of any home is its “curb appeal”, the impression it makes from the outside before potential homebuyers make it across the threshold. The entrance to your home is a big part of that and something as seemingly simple as choosing just the right welcoming outdoor rug or doormat can make a big difference!
Is a Welcome Mat or Rug Really That Important?
The rug or mat that welcomes people into your home does more than just look attractive. It has a second, pretty important purpose as well – it helps protect your floors inside from all the dirt, dust, mud and debris that people would otherwise track through your home as they made their way through it. A simple doormat can save you hours of cleaning time and help prevent damage to your floors.
Choosing the Right Kind of Welcome Mat
There are a few things you might want to keep in mind when you are picking a new rug or mat to welcome home buyers into your home. Here are just a few of them:
How much “foot traffic” does your entryway get? If yours is a busy household where people are coming and going all the time a very flimsy welcome rug is probably not going to last for more than a few weeks and you will need to look for something a little tougher. Is your entrance enclosed or open to the elements? If yours is a very open entrance and your new welcome mat will be exposed to the elements then you need to pick one that can stand up to that extra demand. A light cotton mat is not the best choice for an entryway that sees lots of sun or lots of rain! Check the traction! One of the worst possible things that could happen is that if a visitor to your home, or indeed someone who lives there, slips and falls because the welcome mat you chose does not have any traction underneath and is a slippy accident waiting to happen! Whatever type of mat you choose remember to check the underside to make sure that there is some kind of grip underneath to keep it in place. The look. Your welcome mat offers a great opportunity to make the entrance to your home more attractive and set the tone for what a new visitor will see when they come inside. There are literally thousands of different options out there and even though it is only a very small element of your home’s overall decor it is still worth spending a little time shopping around to find just the right look! The material. These days you can find doormats and welcome rugs that are crafted from all kinds of different materials. In addition to rubber, linen, cotton and vinyl you can also find eco-friendly mats made from cork, rope and even coconut matting.
Shopping for a Welcome Mat
There are probably dozens of places, if not more, that you can check in your local area alone for just the right welcome mat or rug. Often even the local hardware store will have at least a few options for you to consider.
One big trend these days though is to opt for a personalized door mat or welcome rug. You can find some wonderful choices that are one of a kind pieces in online marketplaces like Etsy or eBay and although you are likely to pay a little more there than you might at the local store, you will be getting something that suits your home perfectly.