The Kärben Composite
Apeer’s Asa McGillian introduces the Kärben Hybrid Aluminium Entrance Door Collection – a high-performance entrance door that features...
Read Full ArticleHayley Barker of Hurst Doors says those selling their house are looking to make affordable changes to the kerb appeal of their homes that might make the difference to them selling or not selling in a highly competitive property market.
With mortgage rates still high, Rightmove says home-sellers still need to price more aggressively to secure a buyer, especially those with a pressing need to sell. This is a trend, the property website says, will continue through 2024.
“It is definitely a buyer’s market,” says Hurst Doors’ Hayley Barker. “This creates a challenge for those people who need to sell their homes. If they can, they will wait until the market picks up again, yet the number of homes for sale is still at a six-year high, with a good supply of three and four-bedroom family properties on the market.
“But they are competing for the attention of fewer buyers, with demand 13% lower than 2019.”
Improve without spending too much
This creates a headache for those wanting to sell, because – as any estate agent will tell them – they want to improve the look and feel of their properties with as small a spend as possible.
“We’re not talking new kitchens and bathrooms,” Barker says. “We are looking at those small wins that help encourage prospective buyers over the threshold for a viewing.”
It also means that in this scenario, homeowners won’t be looking to replace the windows. This is more likely if they choose to stay, rather than move or they are looking to improve a property once they’ve moved in.
Barker says: “The entrance door can provide a significant win at a relatively modest price point. A new entrance door could be all it takes to give the extra kerb appeal the home needs to attract attention.”
Tapping into the trend for aluminium doors, Hurst recently launched its Designer Range.
Developed to emulate the appearance of aluminium, the offer has been carefully curated by Hurst to support its customers in tapping into the demand for the aluminium aesthetic – but at a more accessible price.
It features four different styles, including solid and glazed options, which Hurst has paired with a contemporary and carefully selected colour palette, maximising design reach, with a choice of flat colour finishes in greys and black, plus Hurst’s wider colour offer.
“The range emulates aluminium finishes with almost every shade of grey that you can imagine, including Slate Grey, and Basalt Grey, which is a new addition to our offer. We also have a Dusty Grey and Silk Grey,” explains Barker.
“Greys are popular on contemporary doors (but not the only colour available), while the finish on our new Designer Range emulates aluminium powder-coated finishes with a slight stipple-effect, rather than being completely flat, with a low sheen.
“We’re also matching it with a contemporary range of glass options, for example minimalist etched finishes, which contribute to a very clean simple and ultimately contemporary aesthetic, creating an opportunity to up-sell a complete offer to the end-user.”
Sales campaign
Hurst has also developed a fully integrated composite door retail sales campaign to help drive sales to its customers.
At the centre of this is a new ‘You’re Home with Hurst’ 65-page lifestyle brochure, which is filled with stunning lifestyle imagery. It features Hurst’s extensive range of composite door styles including Classic, Cottage, Contemporary and Designer collections, plus its wide choice of furniture, colour and glass options.
It also explains door performance in simple and easy-to-understand terms, with additional explanation of performance delivered in short professionally created videos, accessed via a QR code.
Production
The new range and marketing support is complemented by investment in the manufacturing process, including the addition of a new beam saw and two edge-banders to its state-of-the-art facility.
And the specialist composite door manufacturer has invested significantly in its glass offer, as a key part of its strategy to support retail sales, with more than 40 different glass options available across its ranges.
“A new entrance door can put some of the control back in the seller’s hands,” Barker concludes. “We’ve created the product, the tools and the infrastructure for our customers to take advantage of that.”
For more information please visit www.hurstdoors.co.uk, email info@hurstdoors.co.uk or call 01482 790790.
Picture: Hurst Doors have ramped-up its production of front doors and the range of colours available.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
12th February 2024