When you put your property on the market, buyers will be visiting and eagerly looking around so you need to make an effort to show your home at its best. Don’t leave it to buyers to imagine how good it could be – show them! Decide on your property’s best assets, and show them off. Here are some of our top tips on how to sell a house, by getting your property market ready.
First glance
First impressions are vitally important, and many buyers will make a drive-by visit to your property before deciding whether or not to arrange an actual viewing. By paying attention to the visible outside of your property, you could capture the imagination of a potential buyer who would otherwise have walked on by. Make them want to see more. Some things to consider are:
- Mow the lawn
- Trim hedges/ other overgrown greenery
- Remove weeds
- Remove rubbish or debris
- Consider giving windows and doors a fresh lick of paint
- If it’s the right season, put some colourful pots or baskets outside your property.
These tips apply to the back garden too!
Living areas
- Get rid of clutter Your family photos, art projects made by your children, and holiday ornaments gathering dust may be extremely important and sentimental to you, but their presence makes it more difficult for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. By boxing up clutter, distinctive features such as fireplaces and big windows can be appreciated more easily.
- Increase natural daylight The more light the better! It really adds a sense of space to a room. To maximise light levels, pull back curtains fully, and remove photo frames or vases from window sills.
- Keep rooms well ventilated Regularly open windows to let fresh air in! You might not notice if you’re living in a property, but fresh air really makes a difference to buyer opinion of a property.
- Keep extra noise to a minimum Turn off the TV and Radio, which can be really distracting during viewings.
Space and order
A big part of the house buying process, are buyers being able to visualise themselves living in a property and they will want to look everywhere before making a decision. It’s important to make an effort with every space in the house to give them the best possible chance.
- Kids’ bedrooms This might seem like a thankless task sometimes, but trust us. Keep toys organised, and box up any that ‘overflow’ available storage space. Also make sure that clothes are put away.
- Don’t forget Spaces like the loft and built in cupboards are easy to overlook, but as buyers will be looking at everything, it’s important to get them organised too.
- Make beds This is really important. Making beds and dressing them nicely takes only a few minutes, but can completely transform a room.
Bathrooms and WCs
- No to mould Make sure your windows are open long enough to get rid of any excess moisture. If mould has already accumulated on bath or shower sealants, consider replacing them.
- Clear away any children’s bath toys, shampoo, sponges, bubblebath, and all of the things that have a habit of accumulating in bathrooms
- Put out clean, dry, folded towels
Kitchen
- Clean and polish all surfaces, fittings, handles, cupboard fronts, and appliances
- Clean the oven, and any integrated appliances included in the sale
- Make sure surfaces are clear and free from clutter, including the sink and draining area
- Let in a blast of fresh air to get rid of any stale cooking smells. It might be a cliché, but it’s a fact that the smells of fresh coffee and baking bread are the most appealing to potential buyers
- Pet bowls should be cleared away
And on the subject of pets…
Finally, you love your pets but potential buyers may not be so keen. Ask a friend or neighbour to take care of them during a viewing so that they don’t distract (or scare) potential buyers from viewing your property.
Pssst… our spring offer is still on, so until the end of June we have 0.5% selling fees, and a 2% reduction in lettings fees.
If you would like to take advantage of this offer, and our industry expertise to help sell your home, then give our friendly team a call on 0208 304 0997
