The unspoken cues that shape how people feel about your home — and what you can do about them
In one of the most intriguing scenes of The Devil Wears Prada, you don’t hear much — just a soundtrack that sits behind a string of close-up shots. But within seconds, you feel everything.
One woman walks to work in stilettos and a silk coat. Another throws on a polyester jumper and runs for the train. You don’t need narration to know which one works for Miranda Priestly.
That’s the thing about first impressions. No one says a word, yet the message is conveyed so clearly!
It’s exactly the same when buyers walk into a home for a viewing.
They won’t tell you or the agent all the things they’re noticing. They may not even be able to put it into words initially, but they are definitely feeling things that will have a deep impact on their interest in the home and their intention to buy it.
At Presence, we’ve seen buyers fall in love with homes that were completely wrong on paper. And walk straight past ones that ticked every box. Over our many years in the industry, we’ve learned to pick up on the signs, the looks, the faces couples make between each other, to understand exactly what they’re feeling, without them needing to say a word.
So, what’s really happening that you may be missing?
Here’s what buyers are quietly noticing — and how sellers can take advantage of it.
Buyers notice how a home feels before they notice how it functions
Most sellers focus on the big, logical features: how many bedrooms, how new the kitchen is, whether the backyard is level. And those things do matter. But in the first sixty seconds, buyers are noticing something else entirely: how it feels to be in the space.
The light. The energy. The smell. Whether the area feels generous or cramped, even if it’s technically large. For some buyers, they will even feel an immediate sense of being ‘home’ – and that, above all else, is what you want! When they know, they know!
This means the most powerful tool you have as a seller isn’t a new rug or a bowl of oranges, though staging is critical — it’s the feeling you create the moment they step in.
It could be as simple as timing the light just right for inspections. Or opening a door that lets air flow in from the garden. It could be rearranging your furniture for a better flow so the space feels more open, airy and free.
It’s about creating an emotional green light. Something that says, this is where you exhale.
They notice rooms that don’t know what they are
So many homes have that one room. The ‘not quite’ space. Not quite a study. Not quite a guest room. Not quite… And buyers pick up on that. Not necessarily with words — but with hesitation.
If a room has no clear identity, it can create a moment of friction. Buyers can stop. They can question. And that pause can break the rhythm of the inspection.
We often recommend defining every space — even if you’re not currently using it that way. A second living area? Show it as one. A study nook? Make it functional. Not because buyers are unimaginative — but because clarity builds confidence.
Defining it doesn’t lock them in, after all, this will be their place to do with as they wish, but a good agent can simultaneously leverage the definition to remove any uncertainty, while also communicating the freedom to change it up and make it their own.
They notice disconnects between the inside and the outside
When buyers fall in love with a home, it usually flows. The living space spills into the deck. The kitchen feels connected to the yard. The view is drawn into the home, not shut out of it.
Sometimes, the home itself is perfectly designed — but something small breaks the connection. A curtain that blocks a tree-lined view. A sliding door that sticks. A screen door that clatters shut instead of inviting someone through.
These things aren’t major, but they’re felt. And when buyers feel disconnected, they can start mentally subtracting value.
They notice whether your home looks lived in or loved
There’s a difference. A lived-in home shows evidence of daily life — dishes, drying racks, mail piles, remote controls. A loved home is something else entirely. It’s not about being pristine or minimalist. It’s about coherence. Spaces that have been cared for, thought through, respected.
You can’t fake that energy, but you can reveal it. The scent and appearance of fresh sheets. A well-made bed. Plants that are healthy, not just decorative. These aren’t about styling tricks — they’re subtle cues that the home has been looked after, not just lived in.
And that’s the feeling most buyers are chasing even if they can’t name it.
What this means for your sale
Staging well is very important, but you don’t need to over-style. You don’t need to overthink. But when it comes to preparing your home for sale, it’s worth knowing what people really respond to — even if they don’t say it out loud.
At Presence, we walk through every listing with fresh eyes — not just to suggest tweaks, but to help you understand what buyers will be feeling and noticing from the second they arrive. Then we shape the campaign, the presentation and the strategy to create the right feeling.
Because homes aren’t just sold with data. They’re sold with instinct.
And that starts with noticing what others miss.
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