Ten easy-to-follow guidelines to give your property the market edge.
1. Get a handle on price
Find out the maximum potential value of your property. It’s pointless spending £20,000 on improving a property if it will only add £10,000 to the sale price. Use local ads and estate agents to gain a feel for the price you’re aiming for.
2. Choose your moment
The best time for selling is spring and autumn; the market slows down during late summer and over Christmas and New Year. If a property is sold while the market is buoyant, it’s much more likely to attract the asking price.
3. Keep it clean, keep it simple
Prospective buyers will often visualise their possessions and furniture in your home. A clean and spacious environment helps them do this. Keep wall colours plain and light with the odd splash of colour on accent walls or furnishings to assist in adding space and interest to your rooms.
Coloured bathroom suites can also look very dated. Consider an inexpensive plain white one which will never go out of vogue.
4. Smells like teen spirit
Avoid strong food odours – don’t cook smelly food before a viewing as the smell will linger. The smell of toast, bread or fresh coffee is said to provide a welcoming feel to a home.
5. Up the garden path
You may not be green-fingered but your future buyer may be an avid gardener. Consider a quick trim and strim before a viewing. Planting grass seed a couple of weeks before will also perk up your lawn. A trip to your local nursery or garden centre can also bring colour and interest to your steps, ledges and patio in the way of potted plants, sculptures and window boxes.
6. Lie low, Fido!
Ask friends or relatives to look after any animals during viewing periods. Not everyone is a pet lover and some may even be allergic.
7. Personal touch
Although clutter is best avoided, consider the addition of a bunch of flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit to a room to provide a little colour and fragrance.
8. Finish that DIY job
It’s time to screw that handle back on, fix that broken window catch and replace that cracked tile. Revitalising a bathroom with a green leafy plant and new taps, shower curtain and light pull can be done very cheaply via your local DIY store.
9. Authenticity sells
Period fireplaces, ceiling roses, corniches and any original fittings can add thousands of pounds to a home’s market value. Consider restoring these. And if you do, make sure you do it properly!
10. Be polite!
Selling your home is a professional transaction. If a buyer makes a comment or remark that you would normally find rude or offensive, rise above it – if they buy the house, all well and good, you may never cross paths again. However, if you lose your rag and they leave in a bad mood, what’s to say they won’t tell others? Bite your tongue and be as polite and courteous as possible.
Ten easy-to-follow guidelines to give your property the market edge.
1. Get a handle on price
Find out the maximum potential value of your property. It’s pointless spending £20,000 on improving a property if it will only add £10,000 to the sale price. Use local ads and estate agents to gain a feel for the price you’re aiming for.
2. Choose your moment
The best time for selling is spring and autumn; the market slows down during late summer and over Christmas and New Year. If a property is sold while the market is buoyant, it’s much more likely to attract the asking price.
3. Keep it clean, keep it simple
Prospective buyers will often visualise their possessions and furniture in your home. A clean and spacious environment helps them do this. Keep wall colours plain and light with the odd splash of colour on accent walls or furnishings to assist in adding space and interest to your rooms.
Coloured bathroom suites can also look very dated. Consider an inexpensive plain white one which will never go out of vogue.
4. Smells like teen spirit
Avoid strong food odours – don’t cook smelly food before a viewing as the smell will linger. The smell of toast, bread or fresh coffee is said to provide a welcoming feel to a home.
5. Up the garden path
You may not be green-fingered but your future buyer may be an avid gardener. Consider a quick trim and strim before a viewing. Planting grass seed a couple of weeks before will also perk up your lawn. A trip to your local nursery or garden centre can also bring colour and interest to your steps, ledges and patio in the way of potted plants, sculptures and window boxes.
6. Lie low, Fido!
Ask friends or relatives to look after any animals during viewing periods. Not everyone is a pet lover and some may even be allergic.
7. Personal touch
Although clutter is best avoided, consider the addition of a bunch of flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit to a room to provide a little colour and fragrance.
8. Finish that DIY job
It’s time to screw that handle back on, fix that broken window catch and replace that cracked tile. Revitalising a bathroom with a green leafy plant and new taps, shower curtain and light pull can be done very cheaply via your local DIY store.
9. Authenticity sells
Period fireplaces, ceiling roses, corniches and any original fittings can add thousands of pounds to a home’s market value. Consider restoring these. And if you do, make sure you do it properly!
10. Be polite!
Selling your home is a professional transaction. If a buyer makes a comment or remark that you would normally find rude or offensive, rise above it – if they buy the house, all well and good, you may never cross paths again. However, if you lose your rag and they leave in a bad mood, what’s to say they won’t tell others? Bite your tongue and be as polite and courteous as possible.