We, at Homesite normally give you tips buying property. But what about if you are trying to sell – how can you maximise its appeal, especially in today’s more competitive market. Below are some simple tips for making it shine without spending a fortune:
1) Kerb appeal is incredibly important. If it doesn’t look good on the outside, potential buyers may not even bother to go inside:
Wash and clean external doors and windows.
Trim the hedges.
Sweep away the leaves.
Remove any weeds.
It is also worth considering repainting the front door and replacing the door furniture if looks a bit tired. It’s amazing what a difference it makes if the entrance area looks clean and well cared for.
2) Hallways: They set the tone for the entire property. If they are dark, dirty and cluttered, any potential buyer will begin their viewing with a negative mindset.
Make sure there are enough hooks and cupboard space to remove clutter.
Replace any out of date light fittings and if the space is a bit dark, consider increasing the wattage of the bulbs.
If it’s a bit cramped, put up a mirror to give the illusion of space.
Hallways take a bashing, so freshen up the paintwork.
If the carpet is really worn, cover the offending areas with a rug, or, if it is really bad, consider replacing it with some inexpensive carpet.
3) Sitting-rooms: They should look clean, comfortable, inviting and spacious.
Give the place a really good clean and possibly even a fresh coat of paint (neutral colours are best).
Buy a magazine rack and throw away any unwanted back issues.
Family photos should be packed away during the sales process. Any potential buyer/renter wants to imagine the house as their property, which is harder to do when there are hundreds of pictures of your family staring at them from every wall and table top.
Almost all the property magazines and TV programmes tell you to de-clutter and that’s for a very good reason – it makes the place looks bigger, brighter and better, so put all those ornaments in a box, ready for your impending house move.
It’s the principal room in the house, so if the carpet is stained and worn, replace it.
If it’s dark, add an extra table light or a freestanding one – multiple light sources always look better than a single ceiling light.
Put some flowers on the mantelpiece.
4) Kitchens: A kitchen should look clean, up to date and have plenty of storage space.
Give it deep cleanse and a thorough tidy up.
Like every other room, decluttter it and remove excess items from cupboards – it will make them look bigger
Get rid of any of those straggly, half dead looking plants and herbs that commonly sit on the windowsills. Replace them with fresh flowers.
A cheap way to update a kitchen is to replace the cupboard doors and/or the handles. You can also replace a battered worktop with a relatively inexpensive one from a DIY store, or everyone’s favourite Swedish shop.
5) Bedrooms: These are all about cleanliness and storage.
Make sure they are super clean.
Need I say it – declutter and put away all those family photos.
Part-empty cupboards – as with kitchens, this can give the impression of generous storage space.
Buy some under-bed storage boxes – you can get them with wheels – then fill them up with any excess clutter.
Keep bed linen fresh and spruce things up with a throw and some cushions.
6) Kids rooms: These are often a problem area.
Take a a deep breath and then give it a major clean and tidy.
Take any posters down.
Paint over any lurid colour schemes.
If the kids won’t co-operate, offer them money and an on-going bonus for keeping the place tidy.
7) Bathrooms. These need to look and smell clean. The viewer will be thinking about whether they would want to take a bath in your bathroom, so try and make it as appealing as possible.
Make it shine.
Use fresh smelling cleaning agents.
Get rid of any mould.
Rinse down sinks and baths after every use.
No hairs, no toe nails!
Put excess cosmetic bottles in a cupboard.
Polish the mirror.
Chuck out the carpet if you have one and put down some tiles.
Buy a new bath mat.
Get out the best towels.
8) Garden: It should look clean and tidy and easy to maintain. If it’s a mess, it will appear hard work.
Have a general tidy-up, sweep up the last of the winter leaves and cut back any dead plants.
Do the weeding.
Keep the grass neatly trimmed, as a well-cut lawn will make the whole garden look better.
Plant some fresh spring flowers.
Trim the hedges.
Replace any broken fence panels.
9) General points.
Smells are important, so air out the house after cooking spicy food.
Smoke outside.
Give the dog a bath and wash their bedding.
Finish off all those DIY jobs you’ve been postponing, because otherwise it will make your home look badly maintained and that is a HUGE turn off.
And finally, don’t turn the thermostat up too high or too low. The temperature can have a very real impact on the comfort of a buyer and can easily put them off a property.