Preparing your Home for Sale
When it comes to selling your property, it is vitally important to make sure that it is shown in its best light to ensure that the best possible price is achieved.
If you are selling your home to buy a new one it is easy to rush the preparation of your existing dwelling, whilst wrapped up in the excitement of the moving process.
A property may need to be sold as part of a deceased estate and in our experience the “dress to sell” process can be very emotionally draining.
Cashing in on your investments? It may be worth investing a little more to increase the return from your asset.
Regardless of your reason for moving or selling our team at Church and Hawes have put together a simple but effective check list that will help you prepare beforehand:
1. Clean everything, and then clean it again
This is one of the best things you can do to prepare. You want to clean everything. The tops of all those cabinets, pull out the sofa, everything. If you have already moved out, then obviously this is going to be much easier, but if you haven’t then you might want to consider hiring a professional cleaner. As Church & Hawes also let and manage properties we have an extensive contractor list who could assist you with your property presentation. Our lettings team also have access to many local Buy to Let investors who are often looking to increase their portfolios.
2. Consider how your place smells
You want to be careful of what smells are lingering in your home. If it is morning, whilst you might like the smell of fried bacon, it will give your home an air of ‘fast food cafe’. One trick to make your place seem welcoming is to put a little polish onto your radiators. It will give your home a welcoming and ‘cared for’ scent. You may also want to grab a few scented candles – just be sure not to mix smells and not to overwhelm them too much!
3. Declutter
This is obviously very important. You want to be showing off your space, not all the possessions you have in it. Consider boxing things up early and moving them out to a safe space- relocate them to a friend’s house or even consider hiring some temporary storage. This will give your home an airier and more open feel.
4. Tone down the decor
You want your buyers to be able to see themselves in your property. So, while it may speak to your personality, you might want to consider redecorating and neutralising the décor as much as possible. Make it neutral and then your buyers will be able to imagine what they can do with the space.
5. Let the outside in
You want to let as much light as possible into your home, so open up all the windows, pin back curtains, and show it off. You might also want to consider putting some potted plants around, or put down some vases of flowers, and this will add to the freshness of your property.
6. Organise your wardrobes
Make sure all of your storage spaces are well organised. Storage space is a key selling point of your property and you want to make sure it is shown off at its best. So, get organised, make sure all of your clothes are hung properly, and that everything is folded and neat. Also, make sure that you remove any oversized furniture. You want everything to appear in its place.
7. Turn your bathroom into a spa
Make sure that your bathroom is looking like a calm and relaxing place. Stack some coordinated towels around. Add some scented candles, and maybe a small plant pot or two. Make sure you have coordinated bath mats and towels to give it less of a mismatched feel and put the toilet seat down. This can make a huge difference.
8. Tidy your external areas
Neatly mowed lawns, well-tended borders swept and weeded paths and driveways will give buyers a positive first impression of your property. There really is nothing like a positive first impression at a home viewing. Consider employing a window cleaner for that added window sparkle, many of our clients also consider getting their soffits and facias cleaned to really enhance their home.
Your home is often your biggest asset, we appreciate that and want to ensure that you achieve an efficient sale for the best possible price.
Looking to better understand the moving process CLICK HERE for more information.