Ten things you can do to make the selling of your home more simple
Selling your house isn’t always plain sailing, and there’s often more to do than you may originally expect. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work!
But have no fear, all of the effort will be worth it in the long run. Before you put your home on the market, anticipate these 10 steps to ensure that your selling experience is as positive as possible.
Choose the right estate agent
Do your research to ensure you’re happy with the estate agent that’s representing you. They should be there to support you through this time, but also to do most of the hard work for you – you’re paying them for a reason!
Find an estate agent that is knowledgeable in the area you are marketing, to ensure a good fit.
Improve the kerb appeal
First impressions really do count. The exterior and surrounding areas of the home are the very first thing prospective buyers will see, and they need to make a positive impact.
A fresh lick of paint on the front door and a well-kept garden make all the difference when it comes to judging this book by its cover, and investing just a little in the outside of your property could be the difference between a sale or no sale.
Take home price indices with a pinch of salt
With so much in the media at present based around the rise and fall of house prices, it can be difficult not to get sucked in.
Try not to pay attention to this too much, as house prices are a very individual thing affected by more than just overall inflation.
Don’t be worried by complications such as shared ownership
If you bought your home through a shared ownership scheme and are now ready to move on and look for another property, don’t be scared.
If you’re looking to move to a new-build home, your developer should be there to support you through the entire process. Property developers such as Aster Homes offer a complete start-to-finish service to ensure the selling of your property runs complication free, without a hitch.
Touch up scuff marks
Scuff marks may seem like a minimal issue, but you’d be surprised by how many little things may put off a prospective buyer.
Scuff marks scream lack of care, and if the walls and doors aren’t cared for, it may lead buyers to wonder what else may not be quite up to scratch.
Declutter
This may be a pretty obvious suggestion, but decluttering your home can make the world of difference when selling.
Decluttering opens up spaces and can create an overall sense of more room within an area, as well as appearing neater, cleaner, lighter and airier all at the same time.
Neutralise colour schemes
We’re not talking about a complete decorative overhaul here, as this would probably be rendered pointless due to the fact that your buyers will no doubt want to decorate the place to their own taste anyway.
However, a fresh lick of paint never hurt anybody, and neutral warm tones tend to work best.
Keep garden boundaries clear
Ensure that your garden boundaries are up to scratch to avoid any potential disputes. Garden fences should be placed correctly, and shrubs and bushes should be trimmed to ensure you are keeping within the boundaries of your home.
This also helps to show the potential buyer exactly what space they have to play with outdoors, as well as indoors.
Be storage savvy
Some items are just better off in storage when you’re selling your home. Anything that you describe as ‘spare’ definitely shouldn’t be there, and neither should inappropriate items such as bikes in the hallway or old furniture lurking around.
Ensuring as much space is as clear as possible is key in this instance, and it doesn’t hurt to remove some bits and bobs whilst the viewing process is taking place.
Scent from heaven
Bad smells are quite possibly the single biggest turn off for any prospective buyer. Ensuring everything is sparkling and clean should help, but you should also remember to check drains and bins for no nasty surprises.
Of course, you can also add a pleasant aroma, by baking fresh bread or cakes to fill the house with a homely smell!
Do you have some other home-selling tips of your own? Be sure to share them with us by commenting below!
