Presenting your home for sale is essential to attracting a buyer and achieving the best possible price. It is arguably the single most important aspect for you to focus on.
Get it right and buyers will be buzzing. However, pay little attention to the way your property is presented and you risk unnecessarily wiping out thousands of pounds in value.
You should not be daunted by this prospect; here are our three steps to creating the right impression when staging your home for photos and viewings.
1. Declutter
2. Maintain
3. Clean and Tidy
Declutter
Our homes are not only where we live, but where we store all of our possessions. Too many pictures on the walls and ornaments on display will distract buyers from the space you have, making rooms appear smaller than they actually are. You should keep reminding yourself, you are looking to move and so at some point, you will need to box everything away and even dispose of items you will not be taking with you. So do it now, rather than later.
You are trying to create a blank canvas for viewers to appreciate, so store all non-essentials in the loft, garage or shed.
You should also consider self-storage facilities where appropriate. This can be a simple and cost-effective solution for storing bulky items that are cluttering your home.
Maintain
Market research tells us that the majority of active buyers have a preference for buying a home that requires little or no effort to move in. For some, the prospect of decorating or carrying out overdue maintenance on a property after they have moved in is too much to take on. So, you should create the perception that your property is ready to go and hassle-free. The same is also true of unfinished projects.
Over time paintwork will get marked and deteriorate, so by freshening up specific areas with a coat of paint may seem trivial, but can set a very positive impression to your buyer.
Bold colours, Aertex walls and ceilings are a particular pet hate for buyers. These may be bigger jobs to tackle, but in some instances can remove a potential obstacle that would prevent buyers from considering a home. Don’t forget to replace any light bulbs or spotlights that aren’t working, buyers may conclude that there is an issue with the electrical system if too many are not working.
There is a common misconception out there that all buyers will want to put their own stamp on a home when they move in. Beware, this is rarely the case and you may restrict your audience by thinking this way, so best get the property maintenance up to date.
Before taking on any work, please give us a call for advice as we have many years of experience in what will or won’t be of value to buyers.
Clean & Tidy - inside & out
This is probably the most important of all to get right. Before any photos are taken, a thorough spring clean throughout the property should be carried out. If this task seems too demanding, consider hiring a professional cleaning service to take care of it. This could pay dividends later, especially if you have pets.
Older carpets can be given a new lease of life with a vax clean to remove stains and create the impression that there are years left in them yet and will also remove pet odours.
You should pay particular attention when cleaning to consider the following, which often get overlooked by homeowners, but not buyers:
- Cobwebs on ceilings and light fittings
- Dusty blinds, window sills and skirting boards
- Lime scaled shower screens and showerheads
- Mouldy silicone sealant and grouting around showers and baths (if it has perished, it should be replaced)
- Greasy ovens, hobs and extractor hoods
- Dirty kitchen units and doors
- Mossy paving slabs and patios
When its time for buyers to come and take a look around it is equally important to appreciate what they may smell. Strong odours from smoking, cooking or pets are particularly influential in deterring buyers from a property. We all become accustomed to our surroundings and so you should not assume that your property is odour free.
Try and tackle the cause of any strong odours rather than masking it with excessive air freshening. If buyers are hit with overpowering air freshener when entering a property, they are instantly alerted to a potential issue.
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