Top Tips on Preparing Your Home for Sale

Getting ready to put your home on the market? Then remember that first impressions are key, so it’s important to make sure that your home is looking its best for prospective buyers.

Follow our top tips to help your home sell for top value, fast:

Kerb appeal counts

When it comes to viewing properties, people do judge a book by its cover, so you need to make sure that your home’s cover is impressive. You don’t want a poorly maintained exterior to reflect badly on the rest of the property.

Make a point of clearing out your gutters and cleaning your windowsills; don’t be shy to give them a fresh lick of paint where necessary. Adding a couple of colourful plants or hanging baskets will also brighten the place up and make your home more inviting.

Cut the clutter

You’ve probably accumulated a lot of bits and pieces over the years but too much clutter can make rooms feel small and crowded so it’s time to get rid. Start by freeing up space on surfaces throughout the home. This means clearing your coffee table of old newspapers, pens, and loose change and transferring all the jars, utensils and appliances on your kitchen counters into cupboards. Store away bathroom cleaning and shower products and tidy coats and shoes from the hallway.

Buyers need to be able to visualise themselves living in your home, so it’s also a good idea to store away any personal items like photographs and ornaments that may cloud this vision.

Freshen up the décor

A fresh lick of paint will rid your walls of all the little marks and scratches that have built up over the years and leave your rooms looking clean and new. Avoid putting buyers off with loud and busy décor. Stick to neutral colours throughout the home to give prospective buyers a blank canvas to put their own stamp on. If your bathroom or kitchen tiling needs a little TLC then consider re-grouting or bleaching existing grouting to make the place look more vibrant.

Make your home sparkle

Giving your home a deep clean will make it feel more appealing and allow viewers to imagine themselves living there. This list is a good place to get started:

• Wash windows inside and out
• Vacuum carpets
• Wax wooden floors
• Dust the skirting boards
• Polish furniture
• Dust light fittings and pictures on walls
• Polish taps, fittings and mirrors
• Bleach dingy tile grout
• Scrub showers, sinks and bath tubs
• Get rid of cobwebs
• Clean out refrigerator and oven
• Put on fresh bedding and leave out clean towels
• Get rid of any bad smells like cigarette smoke, blocked drains or unemptied bins

Light, bright and airy

Buyers are naturally more attracted to a home with light and airy rooms. Clean windows, clear clutter from windowsills, open blinds and curtains, replace broken bulbs and turn on lamps in darker corners to make your rooms feel bigger and brighter.

Finish those odd jobs

If you’ve been meaning to get around to fixing that leaky tap, replacing that broken bulb or repairing those cracks in the wall for a while, then now is the time. When a buyer views your home, they will be mentally making a note of all the jobs they will need to make when they move in, so be sure to make any necessary minor repairs beforehand.

Don’t forget outdoor spaces

The garden is one of the biggest selling points for many buyers. Spend some time tidying up the garden by clearing away any rubbish, mowing the lawn, weeding, cutting back any overgrown shrubs and cleaning up any patios or decking to give prospective buyers an outdoor space they can picture themselves enjoying.