Preparing your home for sale
Presenting your house in the best possible light will not only attract more buyers, but most likely also the best price. Indeed some home owners even employ professionals to ‘dress’ their house ready for sale.
So – ‘first things first’ –
1. First impressions.
‘First impressions DO count’, so make sure your home creates a good impression from the very first stepyour buyers take.
So make sure:-
– Your front garden is clean and tidy. Mow the lawn and treat it to some ‘feed and weed’. Clear the weeds from the path or graveled areas. Park that smelly wheelie bin somewhere else for the viewing or get it cleaned!
Repair any obvious faults like cracks in the render of broken rainwater pipes.
– Your entrance hall is similarly a ‘first impression’ and so again should be clean, tidy; well lit and painted a light colour.
2. Inside.
– Clean and tidy. (This should describe every room!).
– ‘De clutter’. You’ve seen it on TV (or your friend’s house!). Too many belongings or items just lying around will make rooms appear smaller than they actually are. Dispose of any unwanted items NOW in readiness for your move.
Pack away items you want to keep but which are not essential. You will need boxes when you move so it is a good idea to acquire these now and store such items into labeled boxes which can be stored out of sight.
When you think you have ‘de cluttered’ – look again and ‘de clutter’ some more!!
– Eliminate cooking and pet smells, and ensure that rooms are pleasantly warm and comfortable. The much suggested smell of fresh ground coffee or just baked bread, is probably a bit dated now (though some swear by it), but some fresh flowers to brighten some rooms would be a nice touch and add the right fragrance.
– Clean all the windows to maximise the light. If your house is particularly dark, repaint the walls in a light colour and install modern LED lighting.
– QUITE PLEASE – Turn off the TV, video games etc. Noise will distract your viewers.
Individual rooms: –
– Bathrooms
– should be absolutely spotless as well as tidy. Re-grout tiles if necessary and renew the white seals around baths and showers if discoloured. If you have an old cast iron bath, you can recoat it with a specialist DIY painted coating.
Get rid of those nearly empty bottles of shampoo etc. and only leave the bare essential items on the shelf.
– Kitchens
Again the kitchen should be spotless and neat and tidy. Clear all work surfaces (and the morning’s washing up!) and leave a bare minimum of essential items.
Clean the oven! (Yes I know and I’m sorry, but this is a must!). ‘Oven pride – complete oven cleaner’ comes highly recommended (read the instructions!).
Old Kitchens can be ‘refreshed’ for only a reasonable outlay. Modern work surfaces, floor covering and new unit doors (or even just door handles); can transform a kitchen. (I can vouch for this from personal experience – another great ideal from my wife!).
– Bedrooms
Ensure that beds are made and that there is no clothing/laundry on view. Bribe your kids to tidy up their rooms! A few toys are OK but if viewers can’t walk into a messy room, they may remember it as being much smaller!
– Conservatory
If you have a conservatory then again, make sure all the windows are clean and the room tidy. If it has not been used (e.g. over the winter), then air it out.
In summary, your house should be clean and tidy, light and airy.
3. Outside.
The garden, like the rest of the house, should appear tidy and well kept. There is a joke that goes along the lines of “You know you’re a lazy person if you try to mow your lawn, and find a rusty car!” A car may be a bit much – but that old bar-b-q you have been meaning to dispose of for years or perhaps old bikes (etc) – get rid of them now!
Don’t let Prospective buyers leave thinking about the money they will have to spend ‘reclaiming’ your garden back from the wild!! They should instead, see themselves relaxing in your garden with a drink and ‘nibbles’. (So perhaps place a comfy chair and table in the garden would ‘set the scene’ – weather permitting of course).
4. On the day of the viewing –
Remember that many people are daunted or embarrassed at the idea of looking over someone else’s home. Don’t talk too much and let people view at their own pace.
It’s a good idea to stand outside each room that you are showing, rather than following your viewers in. Too many people will make the room look smaller, and the viewers will appreciate not being ‘harassed’. They may even like to look over your house again alone (but lock away your valuables – just in case!).
You may love your cats or St. Bernard! However some people don’t have pets or are even allergic to them. If possible take the pets out of the house and make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed.
