When buyers are coming to view your home, you want to do everything you can to show them your property’s potential, and it’s crucial you present your home in its best possible light. To help you prepare, here are 7 things you should do before selling your home.
To prepare your home to sell;
- Declutter
- Fix any repairs that need to be done
- Spruce up your garden
- Sort out scents
- Make use of additional space
- Play down your pets
- Add value to your home where you can
- Hire a quality estate agent to help you along the way
1.Declutter
First and foremost, you want to declutter your home to help prospective buyers imagine where their furniture and personal items will go. Rooms that look too packed and busy can also make a room feel smaller. It might be a good idea to consider renting some extra storage space to keep unnecessary items until you move. Alternatively, you could always just pack things that take up a lot of floor space into a suitcase.
Hallways are just as important as well, as they are the entryway to your home. Be sure to keep them clear of shoes, coats and other clutter when you’re due to receive viewers.
But it’s equally important to try to strike a balance – remember people often buy into a lifestyle. Try and show them your home life at its best.
2. Fix Any Repairs That Need To Be Done
Small outstanding repairs can be easy to ignore when you see them every day, but some buyers can be put off at the idea of any DIY, so run a quick maintenance check throughout your home, make a list of quick fixes and get the tool box out.
Do any broken bulbs need replacing, are there cracked tiles which need fixing or is there a loose door handle that needs to be tightened? Although these things may not be a big deal to you, they have the ability to put off a potential buyer, so it’s always better to get the job done prior to their arrival, just in case.
3. Spruce Up Your Garden
Now more than ever buyers are looking for outdoor space and giving your garden a facelift can go a long way to attracting buyers and adding value to your home. In fact, according to a study carried out by Saga, a garden is among the top three features potential home buyers look for when choosing a property to buy.
So, when you’re preparing to sell your property, it’s a good idea to get your outdoor space in tip top shape. Mow the lawn, pull out any ugly weeds, pick up the dog’s toys, and perhaps add some decorative touches to your garden to make it more appealing.
There are lots of easy-to-grow varieties out there, such as lavender, marigolds, daylilies and Aquilegias.
Here are some more helpful ideas for sprucing up your garden before selling.
4. Sort Out Scents
Before you can start to think about adding nice smells to your home, you’ll want to eliminate bad smells as a priority - think toilets, mustiness, pet beds, rubbish bins, carpets, etc. Usually, you can’t pick up on smells in your own home because you’re used to them, so ask a friend or neighbour to give you an honest opinion. Performing a deep clean prior to putting your home on the market will give you a good base to build on.
Once your home is nice and clean, you can then start to bring in the nice scents like citrus or pine. But remember, you don’t want to go overboard - a subtle approach iskey.
If you need some help deciding which scents to have during a house viewing, here are 10 tried and tested smells that are likely to help sell your home.
5. Make Use Of Additional Space
It’s important to show buyers how they can create additional space in each room to demonstrate how your property might work for them, without the expense of carrying out any structural work. The less work a prospective buyer has to do to the house, the more attractive it is to them.
6. Play Down Your Pets
Don’t get us wrong, we love pets, but unfortunately not everyone feels the same way. If you have a dog, it’s a good idea to send them to the groomer’s for a professional clean, as a house that smells of pets can be a real turn-off for some buyers.
7. Add Value To Your Home Where You Can
There are a number of ways you can increase the likelihood of selling your home, and one of the biggest ways is adding value to it. This can be done in a number of different ways, for example:
Installing Double Glazing
Double glazed windows are far more energy efficient than traditional window fittings, plus they keep the noise out and are easier to maintain.
Convert Loft Into A Bedroom
An extra bedroom can add up to 15 per cent to the value of your home, especially if it’s a loft conversion. Most lofts can be converted, but it’s worth getting an architect or builder to double check before you start.
Installing Central Heating
Installing full gas or oil heating to your property could also add to the purchase price of your home.
Consider An Extension
Adding an extension onto your house is one of the most expensive options, but could offer the biggest return on investment, and can add up to 23% to the value of your property. Always make sure you have planning permission before you go ahead with this kind of work and you will also need building regulation approval afterwards.
8. Hire A Quality Estate Agent
As well as doing everything you possibly can to show your property in the best light, you need to hire a quality estate agent to help put your property in front of the right people and ultimately, sell it.
At Harris & Birt, we offer imagination and innovation in our approach and firmly believe we add great value to your sale by ensuring your home is seen by the right people, in the right place at the right time. We will ensure that your property is showcased correctly to appeal directly to suitable purchasers.
We work in partnership with our clients to ensure their house will sell, including exposure to leading property portals (zoopla, rightmove etc), eye catching sale brochure with high quality professional photography, “Matterport” 3D virtual property tour, prominent window displays in our showrooms, direct advertising on social media channels and much much more.
Learn more about our sales service here.
We are Harris & Birt: One of Wales’ leading practices of Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents offering professional expertise throughout the residential, commercial and rural property industry across South Wales.
Written by Kate for Harris & Birt.