Preparing Your Home For Sale
When buyers are looking for a new home, you want to do everything you can to show them your property’s potential.
Helping buyers to picture themselves living in your home not only means you receive better offers, but that you sell more quickly too. Here we share our top tips to prepare your home for sale:
DECLUTTER
Buyers can often struggle to see past furniture and personal items, and these things can make rooms feel small. Consider renting some external storage space to house items until you move, but try to strike a balance – remember, people often buy into a lifestyle. Try and show them your home life at its best.
A FRESH LICK OF PAINT
Creating the right first impression is very important when selling your property. Giving your walls a fresh lick of paint is all it takes to brighten up your room and can make all the difference when it comes to creating the right first impression.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
Buyers will often drive past a property to rate its kerb appeal before they express any interest. Tidy up the garden or
driveway, clean the windows, and give the front door a spruce with some fresh paint.
FIX, FIX, FIX
Small outstanding repairs can be easy to ignore when you see them every day, but when a buyer comes to look around your property they can make the place look quite tired. Look around every room in your home, make a list of quick-fixes and get them sorted.
Don’t Forget To Clean
Many people get so intimidated when it comes to cleaning when preparing to sell a home. You want everything squeaky clean. Here, we will help you remember what to clean, including places that are so easy to overlook because buyers will look everywhere. Don’t forget to make sure you have all the supplies you need. You’ll quickly lose motivation if you have to stop to find supplies or go out and buy them
RECEPTION AREA
• Make sure the door and all hardware are sparkling clean.
• Wipe off any fingerprints, which are quite common in this area.
• Check for scuff marks along the walls or the bottom of the door. If there is too much dirt and too many marks, you may need to repaint the door or walls.
• Clean your welcome mat or get a new one.
• Make sure lighting fixtures and light bulbs are all in working condition and that you clean and dust
them.
•Pack away unused items so there is extra room, making it look spacious.
KITCHEN
• Wipe down all the cabinets. You will be amazed just how much food splatter and grease can get on the doors and hardware.
• Clean all appliances, inside and out. This includes the entire interior of the refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven/stove.
• Don’t forget to clean the cooker hood, both on top and underneath. Make sure that the grill is clean and the light bulb is working.
• Pull out the refrigerator and clean behind it and remember to clean underneath it too.
• Don’t forget to clean underneath the sink. Take out
everything and wipe down the entire inside, including any pipes.
•Wipe down any blinds or shades and wash any curtains or throw rugs.
• Find somewhere to temporarily store any pet food, dishes and other supplies.
BATHROOM
• Common missed areas include behind the toilet and underneath the sink. Make sure that any pipes and fittings are cleaned thoroughly.
• De-cluttering your bathroom is essential. You should only have absolute necessities on display.
• Clean out under the vanity and make sure that it is organised and that you removed any unnecessary items when de-cluttering so that it appears spacious.
• Scrub the floors and clean the grout lines.
• After de-cluttering, you should have removed all personal items, but make sure that any that remain are neatly stored or organised. You might want to invest in a shower caddy to keep everything in one place.
•Make sure that there are fresh, or ideally new towels on display, neatly folded.
•Clean the fan and ensure that it is functioning.
BEDROOM
• Buy new sheets, blankets and comforters, or wash your existing ones.
• Wash or dry-clean curtains and rugs.
•Remove any stains on any fabrics.
Wipe down all furniture.
• Clean the Walls and Floors.