Once you have decided that you are going to sell your home, there is a lot of work to do. This can be an emotional time for many vendors, but there is a lot of work to do to ensure that your home appeals to as many buyers, or as many of the most likely buyers, as possible.

When preparing your home for sale, it is best to focus on the needs and requirements of the buyer. Yes, this has been your home but from this point forward, meeting the preferences of the most likely buyer is more important, because this will increase the likelihood of attracting buyers and receiving offers.

Start the sales process by decluttering your property

When it comes to preparing your home for sale, it is important to start by decluttering the property. If you haven’t heard of decluttering or you are unsure as to why it is important when preparing your home for sale, here are some of the key benefits of decluttering your home before placing it up for sale:

·        A decluttered home is easier to clean, which is vital to impress prospective buyers

·        A decluttered home is more spacious, which is more appealing to buyers

·        A decluttered home has fewer of your personal belongings, making it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home

These benefits all have a role to play in selling your home, so it makes sense to take the time to declutter. Decluttering can be time-consuming depending on how large your home is and how many belongings you have. Make sure you allocate enough time to the process.

Also, many people find decluttering their home to be a challenging process. This can be an emotional time, and the thought of throwing away items and mementoes is often upsetting. If you struggle with the choice between keeping items and throwing them away, consider giving items to charity or selling them, as this may make it easier to say goodbye to items you have cherished but which serve no real purpose for you anymore.

Redecorate and give your home a fresh look

It is understandable that many vendors decide to redecorate their home before selling it, as this helps to create a fresher and more contemporary style. There is no need to carry out major renovation work before selling the property, but there is no harm in freshening the place up.

However, it is important to ensure that you decorate with buyers’ tastes in mind, not your own. It is usually best to decorate in a neutral style rather than going for an eye-catching style or colour. When you make your home memorable in this manner, it is usually memorable for all the wrong reasons, so feel free to play it safe when you redecorate your home in preparing it for a sale.

Don’t forget the outside of your property

It is perfectly natural to focus on the inside of your home but don’t forget that prospective buyers form a first impression of your home when they are outside. Make sure your garden area is tidy and presentable while you need to ensure that your roof, window frames and doors are in excellent condition.

You may not be able to persuade prospective buyers to purchase your home when they are outside but you can lose their interest. Kerb appeal is very important when it comes to selling your home, so allocate time for outside work.

Carry out repair work

If you have a list of repair jobs that you haven’t got around to finishing off, now is the time to get to work. Don’t fixate on major issues because to a prospective buyer, small problems can stick in the mind and cause them to worry about larger issues that may be present in your home.

If you are looking to add value to your home, these options are worth considering if you have the time and money to implement them before you place your home on the market:

·        Improving the central heating of your home

·        Installing double glazing

·        Add a new kitchen appliance

·        Add en suite facilities to a bedroom

·        Ensure there is good quality insulation in your walls and lofts

·        Extend the property

If you are preparing your home for sale, you should also call on the services of a skilled and competent estate agent. At Hunters Castleford, we aim to take you from start to end of the process, and we look forward to helping you present and sell your home. Get in touch with us by calling 01977 232 800 or come in and visit us to see how we can help sell your home.