Everybody when selling their property wants to sell quickly and for the best possible price. To ensure you are maximising your opportunities to achieve this takes careful planning and thought – it’s not luck that makes it happen!
We are pleased to offer you some help and advice in preparing the house to be turned into a well presented and marketable property. You do not need to carry out all of the points below but we hope that you find some of them useful.
Disassociate yourself with your home: The first step is to say, “This is not my home; it is a house – a product to be sold just like any item found on supermarket shelf.” (although we do realise that your house is more important than food)
- It is important to make the mental decision to let go of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours. Being able to view the property in this way will be a huge help when finding a buyer
- Picture yourself handing over the keys to the new owners, if we have done our job well, this will happen quite soon!
- Don’t look backwards and be sentimental - it’s time to look toward the future and move on with your life (this will depend on circumstance)
De-Personalize: Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past personal artefacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there! You don’t want to make any buyer ask, “I wonder what kind of people live in this home?” You want buyers to say, “I can see myself living here.” Think about who your house buyer will be and see it from their point of view, consider what would you expect to find when viewing a property and apply this to your own home
De-Clutter: People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven’t used it in over a year, do you really need it?
- If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
- Remove all books from bookcases
- Pack up those knick knacks
- Clean and clear off everything from kitchen worktops to create a sense of space
- Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a cupboard when viewings are taking place
- Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway
Always remember that prospective buyers on a viewing are there to look at the house, not its contents.
Rearrange and tidy wardrobes and kitchen cupboards: Humans are naturally curious and as such you should expect viewers to potentially open wardrobes and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out on them! Think of the impression it creates if a buyer believes everything is well organised and orderly within the house. People are more likely to buy from someone like this as it says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well.
Rent a Storage Unit: Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?” or “that was a small room”
Remove/Replace Favourite Items: If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. Once you tell a buyer she can’t have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary
Make Minor Repairs
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles
- Patch holes and touch up walls
- Fix any leaky taps inside and outside the property
- Fix doors and drawers that don’t close properly
- Consider painting your walls neutral colours, especially if you have a taste for vivid colours! (Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the house with the orange bathroom.”)
- Replace burned-out light bulbs
Make the House Sparkle!
- Wash windows inside and out
- Clean out cobwebs
- Clean baths, showers and sinks
- Polish any chrome taps and mirrors
- Vacuum daily and always before a viewing takes place
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures/fittings
- Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odours are a no-no!
Scrutinize
- Go outside and walk to the end of your garden path. Stand there and think to yourself, would you want to go inside? Does the house look welcoming and inviting?
- Stand in the doorway of every single room in the property and imagine how your house will look to a potential buyer
- Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense and looks pleasing to the eye
- Make sure window coverings hang level
Check Curb Appeal: If a buyer won’t get out of their car because they don’t like the exterior of your home then it doesn’t matter how nice it is internally. You’ll never get another chance to make a 1st impression!
- Keep the pathways clear and tidy
- Mow the lawn and trim any hedges/trees
- Paint faded window trim (or ensure that windows are clean!)
- Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion.
- Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number
The steps outlined above are noted from experience and research shown on selling property efficiently. Please look upon this with an open mind in view to helping you understand what the Estate Agents have spent years trying to understand. If you follow these simple steps you shouldn’t have to worry about silly offers being made and you should achieve a better asking price and be less frustrated with your property sale.
