Buyers can be so easily ‘put off’ or dissuaded from considering a property, even when it could be perfect for them, by the smallest thing. What then can you do to get your home ready to sell that might increase its value, decrease the time it spends on the estate agents’ books and help you to transition to a new property? To answer that question, here are five top tips for getting your property ready to sell.
Tidy Up the Garden
Outdoor space affixed to a property, and whatever form it takes, is an assert. Then, whether it takes the form of a balcony, sprawling acres, yard or humble rear or / and front garden, making the most of it matters.
Hence, containing any rubbish and doing away with any overspill, cutting back hedges, mowing the lawn, keeping any garden furniture clean and consigning any toys, bikes and equipment to the garage or shed are all a must.
Meanwhile, and for even more tips, tricks and ideas on how to make the most of your outdoor space(s), give the ‘Top Gardening Tips when Selling Your Property!’ article featured on Home Seller a read.
Get On Top of Those DIY Jobs
How many of us spend years living in a home of half finished jobs or surrounded by intended DIY do-ups? More of us than would like to admit, no doubt. The funny thing is that whilst getting the jobs done would no doubt improve the quality of our homes and time spent within them, many of the jobs do not get done until we are ready to leave. That said, because people for the most part don’t have much extra time to set aside for DIY jobs, those viewing properties look for a home where there is the minimal amount to get done.
Then, it is definitely worth viewing your home before any potential buyers and do so looking, room to room, for any lingering, half finished or abandoned DIY bits and bobs that need completing or tackling.
De-Clutter
De-cluttering is not just a task that needs tackling to get your belongings from one property to another. De-cluttering ahead of letting in viewers is a must to secure a quick sale without compromising on the price of your property. Hence, self storage, is well worth thinking about, not just as a means of good organisation and easing the stress when you do move, but in order to get a property looking its best in order to sell it.
When moving items into self storage remember to be brutal with personal items as well as big ones; buyers want to be able to visualise their own personal items in a space, not discover a mass of someone else’s. That said, be careful not to go too far and create an impersonal, hotel look that could leave buyers cold; the trick is to ditch the teddy bear collection, but keep the odd personal touch that enable potential buyers to imagine their own personal items in the room, and warms the heart without overwhelming the senses.
Meanwhile, items that should be self stored also include any bulky furniture permitting sellers to make use of only that which fits the scale of the room in which it is placed and is useful. It is also important to de-clutter closets, cupboards and any spaces that ‘snoopers’ or buyers who like getting a good thorough look at a place are likely to nosey. If someone opens a closet to find an organised and clutter free assortment of things inside they are more likely to see the space (however big or small) as functional and imagine their own belongings fitting in just as neatly.
It is Never Too Late to Spring Clean
Spring cleaning is not just about getting a home clean and tidy, it also provides the perfect opportunity to re-jig or rethink a space in order to make it appear bigger and give it more scope. Further, giving a good and thorough clean is also an opportunity to de-clutter along the way and start amassing items for putting into storage ahead of the big move.
For tips and tricks as to how get the most from a spring clean whilst also spending as little time and money as possible (without cutting corners), The Property Scene blog post: ‘How to Spring Clean with Minimal Effort and Minimal Cost‘ provides a fantastic resource.
Don’t Decorate it; Stage It
Often those selling their home fall into two distinct camps: those who open their home up to viewers ‘as is’ and so rely upon the imaginations of said viewers to do the work for them, and those who go to the other extreme and gut a home in order to create ‘a blank canvas’ for viewers. Surprisingly perhaps, both approaches can be equally detrimental to your chances of snagging a decent sale.
The fact is, viewers often view many properties and so cannot afford to invest the effort and time it takes to start visualising the potential of every room or home they step into. Then, to help them and to help sell your property ultimately, it is important to think carefully about ‘the look’ your home, decor and furniture creates.
