Make selling your home easy
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| If you want your property to sell for the maximum amount,
it's essential that you spend time ensuring your property
looks its best. |
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| This needn't cost a fortune - simply cleaning and sprucing
up the most tired parts of a house can often make a big
difference. If you're lucky, investing £500 could
add £5000 to the resale value of your home.
Below is a room by room guide on how to maximise your
property's saleability. Start by looking at our general
tips for selling, then our advice on how to make each
room look attractive.
General tips for selling
Before your home goes on the market, take the time
to assess your property objectively, looking at it first
from outside, then moving from room to room making notes
on which areas could be improved. It's a good idea to
ask a trusted friend or family member for their opinions
too, as when you've been living in the space for a long
time you can often overlook problem areas.
Whatever the size and value of your property, there
are some basic rules to follow when selling, which will
help to maximise its sale potential.
First impressions - before a buyer has even stepped
inside they have already formed an impression. A well-kept
garden, pathway and fence and a freshly painted front
door are immediately appealing whereas a scruffy outdoor
space with a litterbin outside the front door will turn
many prospective buyers away.
De-clutter - never underestimate the appeal of a tidy
property. Buyers can quickly be turned off properties
simply because they are disorganised. Remember when
you're selling a home you're also selling a lifestyle.
If you've accumulated too much junk over the years,
use selling as a good excuse to finally get rid of it.
Clean - Dust and clean thoroughly from the top to
the bottom of the house, from cobwebs on the ceiling
to crumbs and stains on carpets and rugs. Remember to
wash down paintwork and clean windows. If you're short
on time, call in a professional cleaning service.
Natural Colours - research shows that despite recent
trends in interior decorating, most buyers prefer natural,
earthy colours rather than bright, bold shades. From
the wide range of paint colours available, magnolia
is still the top selling colour.
Painting walls a pale plain shade maximises the feeling
of light and space and also enables buyers to imagine
their possessions in the property.
To prevent rooms looking too bland, use strong colours
for accent walls or cushions and accessories.
De-personalise - remove personal items, such as family
photographs and children's drawings, which may distract
potential buyers. Buyers should be looking at your property
and not your possessions so hide these items until the
property is sold.
Maintenance - it pays to keep on top of minor repairs
throughout the year rather than waiting until a job
is beyond repair and in need of a complete overhaul.
In the long run, regular maintenance saves money. However,
if you discover that a major job needs doing when the
time comes to sell, it is usually worth paying to put
it right as it could otherwise have a disproportionate
effect on the value of the property.
Finish off small DIY jobs such as touching up chipped
woodwork and replacing washers on dripping taps.
Lighting - the right lighting can significantly improve
the mood of a room. Choose a variety of different lights
to suit the particular space, from downlights and lamps
in the living room to task lighting in the kitchen.
A room looks much cosier with a few table lamps rather
than bright general lighting.
Scent - it may have become something of a cliché
to bake bread or grind coffee beans just before the
arrival of a potential buyer but scent undoubtedly plays
an important role in creating the right impression.
Most buyers simply like the smell of a freshly cleaned
and aired room. Open the windows every day to bring
fresh air into the house. Choose cleaning products with
a 'natural' rather than a harsh chemical smell.
Avoid cooking foods such as fish or curry before a
viewing as the smell will linger.
If you have pets then it's a good idea to take them
out during viewings or to ask friends and family if
they can look after them temporarily.
Fresh flowers and a bowl of fruit will brighten up
a room and provide a pleasant scent. However, make sure
you replace them regularly as rotten fruit and wilting
flowers are not attractive!
Organise rooms so they each have a specific purpose
- this will help make the property more appealing and
let buyers see the property at its full potential.
Before investing a large amount of money doing up
a property to sell, find out its maximum potential value.
It's pointless spending £20,000 improving your
home if you'll only add £10,000 to its sale price.
Look in local property papers and estate agents to find
out the asking price for similar properties on your
street.
Market the property with your 'ideal buyer' in mind.
If you're selling a flat in the city, your ideal buyer
is likely to be a high flying professional with little
time on their hands. The buyer will be looking for all
mod cons and a property that needs little maintenance.
Whereas a four bed detached home in the country will
probably appeal to a family who prefer traditional fixtures
and fittings.
It's worth remembering that the best time for selling
properties is in the spring and autumn and that the
worst time, because the market slows down considerably,
is during late summer and over Christmas/New Year. If
you sell your property while the market is at its most
buoyant you're much more likely to get your asking price.
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