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So, the time has come. You’ve decided to put your home on the market, and are already looking at your next purchase. Brewing fresh coffee, setting out beautiful bouquets of flowers, and pulling out the bread maker are tricks that every man and his dog are aware of, but with modern buyers becoming wise to selling techniques, is it really enough? Our experts have put together a comprehensive guide to ensuring your home is ready to sell.
We all want to achieve the most for our beloved homes, but are you really making every effort to get over and above the asking price? Our dedicated team are urging sellers to think outside of the box when it comes to home staging.
SORT OUT YOUR STORAGE SPACES
Ensuring that your storage spaces are clean for potential buyers to have a good look into may sound like a no-brainer, but these spaces are normally forgotten about by sellers. As a little industry secret, if you take out half of what is inside every storage space and clean up what you leave, the result is a bigger looking, neat and tidy space. Every buyer is looking for good storage – make the most of what you have to show them!
WHILST YOU’RE AT IT, CUT OUT THE CLUTTER…
It’s the oldest trick in the book, but so many people don’t pay any attention to this important rule! Buyers are expecting to see clear-cut, well-presented spaces, and each room must have a purpose. Hide, store or otherwise destroy anything that doesn’t add to a room’s persona.
PACK UP THE PETS
Whilst Fido might be a delightful edition to your family home, or Felix’s litter box un-noticed by your feline loving family, buyers can, and often do, notice if a pet is present in the home the moment they open the front door. Not everyone is an animal lover, and even families with pets can be put off by the presence of something as simple as a dog bowl in the kitchen. Our advice would be to send any pets to another location whilst you are showing your home.
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR ESTATE AGENT
You hired a specialist team to sell your home – it’s important to get them involved in every step of the sale! Ask your agent about the different people who intend to view your home; get the best possible understanding of them, and alter the interior to suit. For example, if you know a family is coming to view your house make it as child-friendly as possible. For a young couple, minimal and modern decoration is the best choice.
FIX UP THOSE FORGOTTEN PROJECTS
Whilst we wouldn’t advise doing a huge makeover on your home before selling, we do encourage our sellers to make all of the small repairs and improvements that will, ultimately, make your home feel fresh to potential buyers. Try sorting out little things; replacing the caulk and grout in your bathroom, replace light bulbs that no longer work, and clean your windows and frames for a clean and neat appearance. Don’t forget to open the curtains too – The amount of natural light that flows into a home is an important ‘deal breaker’ for buyers!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT – GO OUT INTO YOUR GARDEN
‘Curb appeal’ is a phrase that we hear all of the time, but it’s not to be sniffed at. When a potential buyer arrives at your property, the very first thing they see is your frontage. This, more often than not, includes your driveway, gardens and the front façade of your home. Check and repair any garden gates or fences, clear paths of weeds and make the entrance to your home inviting with some freshly planted pot plants. If the outside of your home needs attention, don’t scrimp in this area. It can even be worth putting aside a small budget to really get it looking pristine before you even enter the market. This is your first step to engaging with a buyer – make it count!
A good estate agent will play a very important part in managing the sales process, and should be ‘on hand’ to help provide you with their expert sales knowledge. If you’re in doubt about whether or not you are making the most of your home, be sure to contact our team here. We pride ourselves on our ability to give the best advice to our sellers when it comes to showing off their homes in the best possible light.
Our Midlands based estate agency’s expert team are aiming high in order to achieve results for our clients, and to really make a difference in the property market. To see some of the prestige properties listed with us, visit our sales page here.
