Preparing your home for sale

Making the right first impression is crucial to ensure your prospective buyers fall in love with your property as you did when you viewed it.  Attention to detail is everything.  

Our experience shows that a well presented home not only sells faster but for a better price. Whether you prefer to use our open house service or would prefer us to escort viewers individually, we can help you to prepare your home by offering guidance and access to approved maintenance contractors.

Buyers will often draw conclusions about the way you have maintained the property based on the amount of effort you put into showing it when you come to sell it. If it doesn’t look clean, tidy and well looked after, they may well think that other more fundamental maintenance to electrics, roofs and boilers has not been done either.

Here are some tips to consider before anyone visits.  These steps should be taken early before marketing photos are taken and maintained throughout the selling process.

Outside

• Curb appeal is really important (first impressions count!) Paint/clean the front door and make sure the front garden is immaculate
• If you have a communal entrance or hallway, ask fellow occupiers to keep it clean and clutter free
• Tidy the garden, cut the grass and bring in any washing
• Be ready to move your car off the drive if you have one
• Put your bins away

Clean and tidy

• Clean your home, paying special attention to the kitchen and bathroom – make the taps shine!
• Clean the windows inside and out
• Open windows to air the property and clear any smells that might linger
• Clear away the clutter – if you’re serious about moving then you’ll need to pack to move - why not start now and clear out the things you really don’t want to keep?
• Clear the hallway of coats, shoes (and bikes!)
• Tidy surfaces - in the kitchen, put away all food, packets and washing up
• Children’s toys in children’s rooms are okay, box up small toys
• Clear away all paperwork
• Hide wires/chargers
• Replace any blown lightbulbs
• Straighten pictures

Bedroom / Bathroom

• Clear the tops of wardrobes and under the beds – if your home looks like you can’t fit in it any more, it’ll put off buyers
• Things that you might not do religiously every morning now need to be done. Make the beds every day and put away clothes
• Use clean bedlinen
• Clean bath/shower and toilet
• Store away toiletries

Dress the property to impress

• De-personalise the property as much as you can. You want prospective buyers to be able to imagine their furniture and belonging in your home.
• Too much or the wrong furniture in rooms can put buyers off. Give each room a purpose. Bedrooms should look like bedrooms, and the living room like a living room!
• Plump up pillows and cushions
• Consider filling vases with fresh flowers
• Clear fireplaces or considering lighting them for viewings

For viewings, ask a friend or neighbour to look after your pets and small children. This is a good idea so they don’t get stressed particularly if you are having an Open Day with lots of viewings in a short period of time.

Try and remember what the property was like when you first saw it – what things attracted you and what things did you notice that needed changing or taking care of.

Following these tips will make sure that any issues are resolved and will help highlight your property’s best features.