Top 5 tips for selling your home

When getting ready to market your home, there is so much going on, sometimes it's easy to forget the most simple things, these can have the biggest effect. This is here to help you take stock and make sure your home is ready for the open market....

Tip 1 - First impressions count

Kerb appeal makes a lasting first impression - most buyers know if they are interested in the first few minutes of arriving to view.

• Make any minor repairs to broken door handles, slipped tiles, and broken doorbells.
• Make sure the windows are sparkling clean.
• The Grass is cut and neat at the front and the driveway is jet washed and clear.
• Pop a clean doormat out for people to wipe their shoes.

These may seem like small things; however, they all add up to the first impression before a potential buyer even walks into the home.

Tip 2 – Clear and clutter free

Floor space is more space. When someone is looking at your home, let's try and make it easy for them to see the space and how they may layout their furniture.

• Clear any bulky, unused furniture.
• Get rid of all the excess stuff that has accumulated in every nook and cranny. Put it in storage, sell it, give it away, or bin it.
• Don’t take it too far with depersonalization, it's ok to leave it feeling like your home, not a characterless hotel room!
• In the smaller spaces, the hallway or box room, think about using mirrors to allow the light to travel, making the spaces feel bigger.

The main point here is to make it easy for people to see your home through what could be taking their attention away

Tip 3 – All the smells

A fairly simple one, who is not attracted to something that smells nice…it heightens our senses and relates to positive thoughts

• Bad smells are the single biggest turn off for prospective buyers. Don’t just cover them up, fix the source of the smell. Clear drains, wash bins, open windows, air the kitchen from old cooking smells, get rid of furniture that is embedded with cigarette smoke, and wash any grimy bed sheets
• Could you even bake some cookies for that sweet smell for viewings? Maybe just some fresh coffee

At least make sure the people viewing don’t associate a bad small with a bad experience.

Tip 4 – is everything working

When you are looking at buying a car, you expect the windscreen wiper to work and the door to open, no different from a house.

• Do all the doors open easily with fixed door handles?
• Check and fix all lights or missing bulbs
• Get the leaky tap sorted
• Make sure the garage door opens

Let's not give a buyer the wrong impression that the home is not looked after and that there could be deeper issues.

Tip 5 – A lick of paint

For such a small cost, this can be a game changer.  Specifically, in certain rooms…

• Whitewash the bathroom to show off its cleanliness and sharpness.
• Touch up the kitchen to give the feeling of freshness
• If possible, change any dark paint to light colours to help the property feel bright and spacious.

These are so simple, yet so effective in presenting your home and helping it achieve the maximum value.

If any of these tips have been helpful or you are looking for more advice, click here for a property valuation.