SECRETS OF SELLING YOUR HOME
With an ever changing property market, it is no surprise that homeowners nationwide are obsessed by the topic of whether or not they should sell. But talking and doing are two very different things, so a little expert advice might help reduce the stress should you decide to sell your property.
It is a fact that most vendors forget they should be actively selling their house. When you are selling your car you clear it out, clean and repair it and maintain this until a buyer is found. That car is probably worth about 5% of your home’s value, but estate agents find that most people will not put the same amount of effort into selling a property.
Some people’s attitude is that they have a special home in a highly desirable area and their neighbour’s house sold in a say, so why should they bother? The main reason is that you should always maximise the property’s value. And, because for most of us the above scenario doesn’t apply, you need to put real effort into it. The usual excuses of “we don’t have any time”, “we haven’t got any spare cash” or “we just didn’t get around to it” are all fine if you want to stay on the market for a long time or get less money for your home.
The average house doesn’t actually need that much effort or money to transform it into a saleable and desirable property. You must identify the problem areas and think of the type of person your buyer is. First, step back and imagine you have never seen the property before – look at it with a fresh and critical eye. What pleases you when you view someone else’s property – what makes you want to run out the door. Try and put yourself in the mind of your potential buyer and you will see what needs to be done with the house and with many problems there are quick, easy and inexpensive solutions.
THE GOLDEN RULES:
- Clean everything – from windows to the dog basket
- Tidy up, sort out and store things away – if you don’t have the room, use storage outlets. It isn’t too expensive and so worthwhile. If you are overflowing from your home, the buyer will immediately think that this will happen to them too and be put off.
- Do not ignore the exterior of your home or communal areas if you live in a flat – they are the first thing the buyer will see.
- Allow viewings at the viewers convenience – you must make it easy for them to view your home.
- You love your dogs and cats but your buyer may not, no matter how cute. Leave those introductions to the second viewing.
- Ventilate, make beds, keep toilet seats down, remove hair from the bath and have no knickers on the radiators or shirts hanging from the curtain poles.
All this costs next to nothing and if you really do these well, you are more than halfway there. On many occasions, I have seen average and unexciting homes sell for good prices just because these rules were followed.
ONE STEP FURTHER:
And if you are really feeling inspired there a few slightly more involved things you can do:
- Think about furniture layout – ensure the rooms are not crowded.
- Define the spaces – if it is a bedroom make sure it doesn’t look like a storeroom.
- Tone down personal or distinctive décor.
- Adapt the style of décor to your potential buyer.
- Replace or remove very tired or old furniture.
- Use background lighting and accessories to create a feeling of ambience
With any luck you should now be ready to go on the market. So get the board up! |
