Written by Denise Fowler of Staged Moves, a house ’staging’ specialist.
Preparing your home for sale has never been as important as it is now. With buyers now in the driving seat, sellers have to go that extra mile to even get them through the door, let alone get a sale.
Presentation is the key word. Too much and you make your home smaller, too little, and it looks unlived in. You need to present your property in such a way that viewers will fall in love with it and put in an offer.
Take a good look at every aspect of your home, from the front gate to the back fence, as if you were a buyer. Do not think ‘I could change that once I’ve moved in’ or ‘that only needs screwing back on.’ Make a list of everything and get them done. If you can see them, so can a buyer, and they will not pay for a “To Do” list.
By following these simple steps, you can make your property more inviting, allowing you to sell quickly and at the right price for your market.
First impressions Count:
Do you remember your first date? Did you go out with a button missing on your shirt, or your hair (or body) unwashed? No of course not, because you knew that first impressions counted if you were going to get that second date.
It is the same with your house. Doorbell not working, peeling paintwork, loose paviers, dead flowers. All this reads as unloved to the potential buyer, maybe causing them to drive on and not even stop, little knowing that the inside your home is like a palace. If you cannot get them in through the front door, you do not get the sale.
Remove any rubbish, and that includes wheelie bins. If you have to have them at the front of your house, try disguising them with some trellis or fencing.
Check your windows are clean. As our eyes are the windows to our soles, our windows are the key to our homes. Dirty windows will mean a dirty house to buyers; so let the light shine in.
