You’ve decided to sell your home, but the market is tough and you want to ensure you get the best offer you can secure.
For the best shot at getting the price your home deserves, you need to do some preparation. You may love your home as it is, but potential buyers will be seeing it for the first time. They’re not emotionally attached to the house, but you want them to be, and quickly.
To spruce up your home and ensure it makes the best impression, follow these guidelines.
Inspect your home as if you were a stranger
For a start, do a walk-about in which you imagine you’re a potential buyer, seeing your house for the first time. Do a thorough inspection, looking for broken items, neglected areas, any signs of insect or rodent damage, any leaks and so on.
Separate yourself from the home. Let go of it emotionally by imagining yourself handing over the keys to a new owner. Then you’ll be able to approach it more objectively.
Do minor repairs
Fix the problems that you’ve so far managed to work around while living in the home. Potential buyers will be testing out taps, light switches, plugs, doorknobs, drawer handles and the like, so fix and replace all those things you’ve been meaning to get around to for ages.
Clear the clutter
Make the space seem larger and more inviting by clearing clutter. Messiness distracts viewers from a home’s unique selling points. So go about de-cluttering. Clear that area where you dump your mail, your umbrellas and your outdoor shoes; hide any toiletries strewn about in the bathroom; ditch any broken things.
Store bulky items away
Make the space flow. People need to feel like they can move in a space freely, rather than bumping into items as they walk around. Do you really need that sleeper couch for the next few months, while you try to sell it? If not, store it away.
Larger furniture items can make rooms appear smaller. Your furniture should fit the scale of the room, so store away anything too bulky.
Remove personal items
Get rid of the evidence that you live in the house, as far as possible. You’re trying to help the potential buyer imagine themselves in that space, not you in it. Clear photo frames from shelves and walls, make bookshelves less cluttered and leave only neutral artworks or mirrors on walls.
Do mini makeovers
Old curtains, duvet covers and fittings can date a space, while small tweaks can give a room a fresh feel, at a relatively small cost. Consider getting new cushion covers and bedspreads, replacing worn rugs and fitting the kitchen with more modern cupboard handles.
Small details can make a big difference. Think pot-plants, towels to match the bathroom mat, fresh flowers in a vase. You get the picture.
Get smart with storage
Buyers may open and close cupboard and drawers to check if the home has enough storage space to meet their needs, so keep things as neat, tidy and uncluttered as possible. It might be wise to invest in smart storage solutions, like boxes and dividers. Any excess items can be placed in storage until you’ve made the sale.
Spring clean
Give everything a really thorough scrub. Do a big clean, of windows, patios, carpets and so on. Dust the blinds, clean appliances and get your curtains professionally cleaned.
There may be certain grubby areas you’ve become used to overlooking. Common examples to look out for are handrails, doorframes and light switches.
You may want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service, especially if your time is short.
Consider repainting
Once you’ve made your walls less cluttered, you may see gouges and nicks that need filling. You also need to make the space look like that from a catalogue. White is often considered too bland and cold, while brighter colours may be seen as too bold. Neutral is best.
Make the home smell good
On show days, treat your home as a showroom. Smell is one of the strongest senses. So get rid of odours and don’t cook things like bacon or garlic, which some find offensive, before you show your house.
Everyone loves the smell of fresh-baked goods, like biscuits or bread. Smells that many people associate with comfort and warmth are vanilla and cinnamon. Not a baker? Consider a home spray, oil or candle with a vanilla or cinnamon scent.
Style the space
Imagine you’re getting your home ready for a magazine shoot. Make each space look ideal for settling in to.
Have a tray with a book and biscuits next to your favourite armchair. Place fresh soaps and toiletries next to the bath. Place colourful fresh fruit and flowers in key positions in the kitchen and dining room. Set the colourful cushions on the outside chairs. You’re going for an emotional impact.
Don’t neglect the outside
First impressions count, so make your entrance welcoming. A few pot plants and a new welcome mat might make all the difference.
XtraSpace specialises in providing affordable, secure storage spaces, ideal for storing clutter and personal items while your house is on show. For more information, contact us at XtraSpace or browse our list of branches.