Before you put your house on the market, it’s important to make sure your house is looking its best.
Here are some tips to help you figure out what to do before you sell your home and how you attract buyers attention.
- Repairs and renovations
For many people, selling their home gives them the perfect opportunity to make minor repairs and touch ups they may have been putting off for a long time. Doors that don’t shut properly, holes in walls, peeling wallpaper and leaking taps are just some of the things that can turn off buyers and are relatively easy to fix.
Renovations like bathroom or kitchen upgrades can be a great way to make your home more saleable but first be sure you aren’t overcapitalising. This is something we can discuss.
- Think about first impressions
Before a buyer enters your home, they’ve already begun to form an opinion based on what they’ve seen from the road. Take a walk out to the kerb and think about anything that could be improved.
Freshly cut lawns, a well cared for garden or hedge, clean paintwork on the house exterior and water blasted concrete and fences make a huge difference and will make the buyer feel they want to explore the inside.
- Declutter
Make the most of the space in your house. You may have the greatest space in the world, but clutter will make the rooms look smaller. Start packing excess items into boxes and store them (it’s also a great head start on packing up to move!).
Consider hiring a storage unit to house all those objects that don’t have a place in your home.
- Check out any musty smells and mould and find out the source of these. Nothing will cast suspicion faster than damp smells and mildew! Don’t think a dehumidifier and a plug in will fix the problem – buyers aren’t silly!
- Pack up personal momentos and photos.
Your personal mementos make your house a home but when it comes time to sell pack up most of your personal family photos and so on. Give buyers the opportunity to imagine themselves living in your house
- Buyers will open your cupboards and closets so make sure you take time to clean and tidy these. After all, the last thing you want is a large heavy object falling out of a hastily packed closet and concussing your potential buyer.
- Clean – Make sure your house is as clean as you can humanly manage. Clean everything from skirting boards to walls and floors and consider having your carpet professionally cleaned.
Pay particular attention to bathrooms and the kitchen.
A Word On Staging
If a house is to be sold vacant I strongly recommend you hire a staging company in your area. It’s much easier to sell a furnished house – some peoples imaginations need a little help. Empty houses can be very uninspiring and, psychologically, can leave people feeling that a house has been abandoned (even if the reasons for leaving are legit).
If you are living in the house but feel you need some advice there are a couple of companies who offer a great service (and at a very reasonable cost) by coming around and discussing what needs to be packed and stored, what furniture can be moved to another position to maximise space, light, etc. There is one I know that offers partial staging if required (furniture, paintings, floor rugs, etc). Sometimes a splash of colour in just the right place can lift a room and save it from a beige and gray death!
