Selling your home can be a stressful time for anyone, so to try and make things a little easier Rob Cuffe, Director of Philip James Manchester, has suggested his list of top tips to sell your home.
1) Whenever we do come to take those all-important marketing pictures, ensure your property is tidy to enable us to get the best marketing pictures that we can. After all, we are trying to show off your property to its next owner. Here at Philip James, we can provide a free property staging service to optimise the appeal of the photos.
2) First impressions count – whatever the first things that a buyer will see are; make sure they are in as good a condition as they can be. Tidy the garden, mow the lawn, maybe repaint your front door to give it a fresh and welcoming feel. If your property is an apartment, try to make the journey to your front door as pleasant as possible; tidy the post in the hallway, make sure potential buyers don’t have to fight their way past a bike just to get to your door.
3) Try to make sure the sealants in your bathroom and kitchen are clean with no black mould. If necessary, have them replaced. It makes everything look fresher and more attractive, which will help when potential buyers view your property.
4) We all know that decoration and choice of colours is a very personal element of styling your home, but you want someone to imagine themselves living there and your choice may not match their aesthetic. If you have dark or very vibrant colours it is often prudent to repaint in neutral tones to allow a buyer’s imagination to run wild.
5) Those porcelain kittens that were a present may look very cute, but along with other knick-knacks that everyone gathers over time they clutter your home in the eyes of a possible buyer. Start to pack now and store them away to give a clean and neutral image.
6) Lighting is very important. As an agent (and more importantly a buyer) there is nothing better than walking into a property and seeing well-lit rooms. It instantly makes a property more appealing. So maybe fit some more up to date fittings with brighter bulbs if any rooms need a little lift.
7) If you have pets, make sure they are out of the house if possible. Some people may love animals, but they could be more interested in your pet than the property; some may dislike animals, so will not take the time to view the property in detail; while some could be allergic to animals and a reaction is the last thing you want as it could put them off entirely. Remove all pet toys, pet bedding, food bowls and remember most of all to remove any litter trays as they are unsightly.
8) It may sound a little silly, but try not to cook strong-smelling foods before you have viewings. Research done a few years ago said that the smell of fresh bread was the most attractive smell to new buyers as it smells homely. Other people swear by the smell of freshly baked cookies. No-one has recommended curry, fish or burnt toast! You could leave out some fresh flowers or use a discreet fresh-scented room fragrance.
9) If you have a back garden, a courtyard, a yard or even just a balcony; make it look inviting. Ensure there are no loose slabs or pieces of decking. Tidy it up and if necessary add a couple of plants and maybe even an inexpensive table and chair set. Outside space needs to be treated like an extension of the home, so don’t neglect it.
10) Finally, buyers like to see a clean and tidy property. You might think that this does not need to be said, but you might be surprised. Do the washing up, put away the shoes you normally kick off as you walk in, throw away last night’s take away and pick up the stray sock next to the laundry basket. Whoever walks through the door on the next viewing needs to be able to think they are coming home.
Good luck!
If you are thinking of selling your home, get in touch with us and see why we are market leaders.