Spring is a great time to start getting your property ready for sale if you’re thinking of moving home. To make sure that you get the most from your sale, here are five things that you should do to get ready for your sale and make sure that you get the best price for your property.
1. Clean and De-clutter
Make sure to do a good clear-out, before your property goes on the market, to make it as attractive as possible to potential buyers. Box-up items that you don’t use regularly and pop them in storage. You’ll come across various items that you no longer need, so make a trip to the local charity shop with these or sell them on eBay. This will save you valuable time before you have to move house too!
When you’re cleaning, try to look objectively at your home and see it through a potential buyer’s eyes. In particular, make sure you wash windows and curtains, dust the blinds, clean the skirting boards, kitchen appliances, and tidy wardrobes and cupboards. Move any furniture that might not have been moved for years and clean behind and underneath it.
2. Fresh Coat of Paint
You want potential buyers to picture their own furniture and household items in your home, so by decorating neutrally you increase your chances of selling. Neutral colours can also make small spaces appear far bigger and they allow potential buyers to imagine how they could inject their own personality into the property.
3. Maximise Space
Move your furniture around to maximise the feeling of space and light. That huge sofa bed, for example, might best be replaced, at least temporarily, with more compact seating!
4. Clean Flooring
Flooring an entire home is expensive, so you don’t want a buyer to feel that they need to replace what is currently there. If you have carpets, make sure to give them all a good hoover, remembering to get into the edges around skirting boards and cupboards. If there are stains or stubborn marks on the carpet, consider hiring a cleaning firm to shampoo the carpets. It’s amazing how an older carpet can look good-as-new when it’s been given a good clean.
5. Tidy-up the Garden
If your property has a front garden, it is the first thing that any potential buyer will see. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so maximising your property’s kerb appeal is vital to helping potential buyers fall in love with your home. Sweep-up any leaves or debris left over from the winter months and try to get wheelie bins out of sight.
Give the lawn a cut and remove any weeds, especially ones that are coming up through the paving. If you’re struggling to find the time to do these things, have a look on ‘Gumtree’ for a gardener who can come in for a few hours before you put your house on the market and before the estate agent’s photographer arrives to take pictures for the schedule. A cheap way to inject some colour into your flower beds is to buy some spring classics such as daffodils or tulips.
Next Steps
If you are thinking of selling your property and want advice about what the next steps are, have a look at our article about 9 Things You Must Do Before Getting a Pre-Sale Property Valuation.
If you would like some more advice about how best to present your property for sale, get in touch with our experts today by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0345 646 0208 and one of our friendly, experienced valuers will be delighted to talk you through how to get the best possible result from your property sale.
You can also instantly book a free valuation appointment online by following this link.
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