Selling Tips
Helpful hints and tips to help you achieve the best price for your home.
Curb appeal
They say you can only make one "first impression" and people usually form their first impression within 30 seconds. The front of your house is a good place to spend a little extra time and money. Plant flowers, trim bushes, weed, pick up leaves, repaint your front door, replace tarnished house numbers or a dented mailbox, get a brand-new doormat, park your old car somewhere else.
Clean
Your home must sparkle! Spring Clean your house from top to bottom before putting on the market. Having a weekly cleaning service while selling is probably a pretty good investment. Make sure your windows are clean inside and out too.
Eliminate Clutter
This may be the hardest rule of all! We love our clutter - it reflects our memories, hobbies and values. But it doesn't sell homes! Clutter makes homes seem smaller and disorganized. (Have you ever noticed that the really expensive stores seem to have expansive, clutter-free layout, while "cheap" stores are often a jumble of merchandise?) Even the ancient practice of Feng Shui has, as a central focus, the elimination of clutter.
Neutralise
Neutral colours sell. It's a fact. try to convey an image of quality and neutrality. Potential buyers walking through your home want to imagine themselves as the owners. If you use styles or colours they would never select, you've just turned them off. Stay high-quality, but neutral is safest.
De-personalize
Remove objects that your potential buyers won't be able to identify with. For example, political and religious items may turn off whole groups of buyers, because they cannot "imageine" your home as their home. Buying a home is an emotional decision and you want potential buyers to make an emotional connection with your home by being able to "see" themseleves in it.
Pets
Always keep your pets under control. try confining them to a specific area. Although you may love your pets, they can be off-putting to other people and smells can be offensive, so make sure there are no lingering odours in furniture or flooring and if there is, get them cleaned before you sell.
Define each area
Buyer need to know what each room is for, so that they can decide where they will place their own items. Sell the lifestyle and you'll sell your house.
Lighting
Make sure you have adequate lighting in every room, use subtle mood lighting to create the right atmosphere in each room check your bulbs work.
Accessories
By using the right accessories, you can enhance your roooms and create a feeling of unity by using harmonious colours. use mirrors to reflect light and space, use plants and fresh flowers to bring life to rooms and add natural fragrance.
Bedrooms
Never underestimate the importance of bedrooms; it's the reason 60% of people move home.
A bedroom adds more value than a study or storeroom, so make sure every bedroom has a bed.
Concentrate on the master bedroom
It's adult buyers who pay for the property, so impress them with new bedding and curtains.
Look at the layout, buyers must be able to walk around the bed or they think the room is too small.
Don't forget storage
It's particularly important to female buyers. Built in MDF wardrobes can cost as little as £200 and by adding classy handles to give a stylish finish.
Buyers aren't so bothered about children's rooms, but they must be clutter free and tidy, so bribe the children to keep their rooms immaculate.
If you need to re-tile bathroom or kitchen
Why not tile over the existing tiles? By using the right adhesive, it will allow you to tile onto a flat surface and you wont have to worry about reparing the wall after the old tiles have been removed.
Loads of rubbish to get rid of?
Old toys, carpet, even furniture all needs to be disposed of, but by doing a deal with your neightbours you can share a skip and share the price.
Know all you can about your home
With the new homebuyer packs about to become a legal requirement, it would be a great idea to have small pack ready for your viewers to check, full of information about when the wiring was changed, the boiler was serviced and when the double glazing was done (ensure you comply with the new FENSA laws). If you live in an old house, know your history, buyers love it.
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