When you finally make the big decision to sell your home, it is important that you give it the best possible chance to be snapped up as soon as it goes on the market. The property market is unpredictable and if buyers in your area are thin on the ground, then you want to make sure your property stands out above the rest.
So how do you go about making your property more attractive to buyers? There are actually some really easy things you can do that won’t break the bank and may also increase the final price you receive for it:
Make a Good First Impression
Increasing your curb appeal is the first way to make buyers more interested in your property. Many homeowners simply think about the inside of their home when it comes to viewings, but the outside is important too.
Many homebuyers make up their mind about a property within the first few minutes of approaching a house, so make sure the first impression you make is a good one. Keep your lawns cut and your front garden tidy and make sure the exterior walls of your property are clean and fresh.
Be Objective
One of the trickiest things for homeowners to do is to see their property through the eyes of a potential buyer. The collection of shells you brought home from your last holiday may be special and sentimental to you, but to a buyer they will just make a house look cluttered and unkempt.
The same applies to interior design and furniture – although the buyers would be able to change all these if it came to them actually buying the house, it is harder to imagine the potential of a home if you don’t like the look of it at a viewing.
Take pictures of the main rooms in your house, and the gardens, and ask friends and family to give an objective view on what you could change to make the property more appealing.
Price Fairly
When it comes to selling a property, the price is usually the biggest problem for the sellers. Many people will be selling to move up the property ladder into a bigger home, so will want the best price possible, and others will just overvalue their property due to sentimental reasons.
It is important to have your property valued so that you can price it fairly before putting it on the market. The majority of buyers will pay what a house is worth, but the problem comes when they think the house is overpriced. Price your house reasonably from the start and buyers will find it much more attractive than any others they are interested in that have been priced too high.
Clean and De-clutter
Not only does a clean home look smarter, but it will also look more spacious, helping buyers to imagine how they can use the space more easily. Tidy all the rooms up and clear away any clutter – remember not to just throw everything into a storage space, as viewers may want to look in there too to gauge how much space they would have.
The kitchen and bathroom will be the hardest rooms to clean, so start with them and scrub all the surfaces and tiles. Hoover all the carpets in the property and sweep any wooden floors so dust doesn’t gather anywhere.
Decorate
We don’t mean completely renovate your house and spend a fortune, but sometimes a splash of paint here and there can really make a big difference when it comes to selling your house. Choose neutral colours, as it will help potential buyers to picture how they could turn the space into their own.
Throw away any old rugs and carpets and put a coat of varnish on any visible floorboards. Just a few small touches will transform a room and help buyers to envision the house as their own, and don’t forget about the exterior walls of your house too, as they are the first thing prospective buyers will see.
