Selling your home can be stressful, we get it. However, there are ways you can make the process a little smoother and easier.
If a potential buyer steps into your home and gives off good vibes from the get-go, it’ll put you at ease. And how exactly do you guarantee those good vibes? Make sure your home is feeling and looking spot-on.
So, what are the best ways to boost your home’s chance of selling?
1. Cleanliness is holiness
First up, ensure that your house is clean. This may sound obvious, although it’d surprise you how many people forget it. No-one wants to step foot into their potential dream home and notice thick layers of dust or sticky fingerprints. Now, it may be the case that you’re generally not a neat-freak or heavy-duty cleaner. That’s ok. It’s normal. However, on the run-up to your house viewings, just make a little extra effort to dust, hoover and wipe down surfaces. Remember that the smell of a house can put off potential buyers, too. Spritz a little bit of air freshener before a viewing, and maybe wait until after to cook your scrambled eggs. A ten-minute spring clean can make all the difference! It’ll certainly be a lot easier if you follow our next step…
2. Keep ‘stuff’ to a minimum
Secondly, you need to stay on top of de-cluttering. Start getting rid of junk you don’t need – even if you’re not guaranteed a sale yet. If you start the de-cluttering process whilst house viewings are going on, just think about how much easier it will be on moving day. Plus, the less ‘stuff’ you have lying around, the better your buyer will be able to envisage themselves in your home. It is crucial to make your buyer feel as though they can make your house theirs, and they won’t feel like this if you old birthday cards and kid’s toys are strewn about the place! Think of a viewing as showing your buyers a ‘blank canvas’.
3. Keep people to a minimum too
This is rarely discussed but can be a big deal to potential buyers. Have as fewer people as possible in the house during viewing, if possible the estate agent may be the only one to accompany buyers on the tour. This will not only put viewers at ease but will allow them to actually imagine themselves living in your home. This is such an important factor in viewings. No-one wants to visit their potential new home and be greeted by three screaming kids, a couple of dogs and your partner shouting to ‘keep things down!’. Keep it peaceful and quiet, and the buyers will be much more likely to make decisions in your favour.
4. Don’t forget about the outside
So, you’ve got everything on the indoors in check. Now, it’s time to sort out the exterior. Buyers will want to look in your garden, so mow the lawn and dig out the weeds. You don’t have to have a garden worthy of the Chelsea Flower Show, but just make sure it’s presentable! This, of course, includes storing away any kid’s toys into the shed and tidying up gravelled sections. Another thing to look out for is bird droppings on your garden furniture! This may be even more crucial if you have an apartment with no garden but a balcony that’s open to nature’s… elements.
5. Impress buyers before they’ve got to the front door
Boost your home’s ‘kerb appeal’. You want your potential buyers to be impressed before they even step foot through the front door. Freshen up your fences with a lick of paint, spruce up your hanging baskets and tidy up your gravel. Even the smallest things can make a difference. If you have got a house-full, make sure all your cars are parked elsewhere for the evening. Give your buyers a place to park on your drive – they’ll feel so much more at home already.
