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Tips to Help You Prepare your House for SaleGuide to How to Sell My Own HomeHow to Prepare Your Home for Sale• Preparing the Inside of your Home • Getting the Outside Right • Preparing Your Home on the Day of a Viewing Selling your home is always a big occasion, and finding a suitable buyer who doesn't back out can often seem a big challenge. There a few easy things you can do to tip the odds in your favour, however - and it is surprising how many people just don't bother. By preparing your home for sale in the right way, you can easily give yourself an advantage over the majority of other sellers. Think about it this way. If you went to a car dealer looking for a new car, you'd expect the cars on sale to be fully valeted and with no trace of their previous owner, wouldn't you? Homes are just the same. By making your home a bit more like a show home, you will have a much better chance of a quick, easy sale. Don't worry - this isn't as hard as it seems. In fact, all that's required are a few, simple changes. You'll be amazed at the difference they will make - and so will potential buyers. Preparing the Inside of your Home Get your home ready for sale before you get it valued by any estate agents (if you're using one). That way, you will get the best possible valuation and any photos in your property's details will look as impressive as possible. Here's how to do it. Throughout Your Home Thoroughly clean and tidy everywhere in your home. Have a really good clear out and de-clutter as much as you can. Then do it some more. Don't just be tempted to shove all the mess into your cupboards - potential buyers will often look in cupboards to see how big they are. If your cupboards are full to overflowing, any potential buyers will assume that they are too small and will be discouraged. Personal possessions such as photographs, ornaments and other knick knacks do not help sell houses. Pack as many away as possible so that the places where they stood are clean and empty. Remember: potential buyers want to imagine your home with their stuff in - they don't want to have to mentally remove all of yours. Less is more - the less clutter you have, the more spacious your home will feel. This is just what you want. Get the Details Right Are your interior door handles or light fittings looking a bit past their best? Replace them. Are there any half-finished DIY jobs lurking around? Finish them. Is your bathroom lino well past its best-by date? Replace it. Is the sealant around your bath or shower mouldy or discoloured? Scrape it all out and redo it. Do you have any walls painted in 'interesting' colours, or in need of a fresh coat of paint? Repaint them in a neutral colour. The point of all this is that for relatively small amounts of money and time you can significantly improve the appeal and class of your home. It may seem like hard work at the time - but when potential buyers are viewing your home, they will instantly be attracted by these details and will be much more likely to make a quick decision to purchase your home. Does Each Room Have an Identity? Each room of your home should have a clear identity - and that doesn't include 'box room'. If your spare room has turned into a storage area, clear out all of the boxes and other junk - put them into storage, into a friend's garage, into a skip - anywhere but inside your home. Give the room a quick coat of neutral-coloured paint if it needs it, and then put a bed and perhaps a small wardrobe or chest of drawers into it. Don't go overboard with the furniture - you'll just make it look cramped. You should take this approach throughout your home. Make sure each room has the right furniture in to define its identity - but get rid of anything that makes it seem 'cosy' or cramped. Potential buyers want to see space for their own furniture, not evidence that the rooms aren't big enough. One final point is that some rooms are worth more than others. This may not seem to make any sense, but it's true nonetheless! Bedrooms are generally worth more than offices and definitely more than playrooms. Likewise dining rooms are preferable to nurseries and playrooms or hobby areas. If you're lucky enough to have a conservatory, make sure it looks like one - not like another storage area. It's a simple fact of life that presentation is everything - most of what's described above can be achieved without major expenditure or work. All that's required is for you to look at the inside of your home as a visitor would - impartially. Don't be afraid to put some of your furniture and belongings in storage and use preparing your home for sale as an opportunity for a thorough clear out. You are moving, after all. Getting the Outside Right "First impressions last" is one of the oldest clichés around - and that's because it is true. Just as it applies to people, it also applies to homes. House-selling experts reckon that potential buyers start to make their buying decisions within 15 seconds of arriving at a property - probably before they even step inside. Maximising the 'kerb appeal' of your home is vital if you want a quick, profitable sale. As your potential buyers arrive at your home, they will consciously and subconsciously be influenced by its appearance, so it's important you get it just right. The good news for most people is that this doesn't involve much work - just a little planning. The Garden If you've got a front garden, make sure you:
You might see toys and mess as evidence of a fun, lived-in family garden - but potential buyers will just see it as untidy and poorly maintained. The Front of your Home Just like your garden, the front of your home speaks volumes about you and creates an instant impression on your potential buyers. Make sure the front of your home is clean - you may need to wash it down (especially if it's painted) and make sure your windows are sparkling clean too. Clean windows also help on the inside, making rooms seem lighter and brighter. If your windows or front door aren't looking their best, consider repainting them (although make sure you do a good job). Brass door 'furniture' like handles and letterboxes can also be cheaply and quickly replaced for an instant facelift, and any outstanding DIY jobs to the outside of your home should be completely and neatly finished before you put it on the market. One final suggestion is to clean out any blocked gutters - they can usually be seen from the ground. Buyers will see blocked gutters as sloppy maintenance and a potential problem for them to deal with. Preparing Your Home on the Day of a Viewing If you've followed all of the advice so far, your home should 95% ready for a viewing at the drop of a hat. All that remains is to put the finishing touches to your preparations and get ready to reap the rewards.
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