First Impressions Count

The importance of kerbside appeal cannot be expressed enough, what people see when they look at the front of your property for the first time, or see a picture of it on an estate agents brochure, will often determine if they arrange for a viewing or cross you off their list, and move on to the next property.

The little things you can do make all the difference, if the front door has faded or flaking paint then give it a new coat of paint, fix the broken latch on the gate, check the fence, are there any loose slabs or paving?

Clear away any weeds or dead plants, cut the lawns and hedges, try to keep dustbins out of view, if you have any outside lights make sure the bulb works especially for winter or evening viewings, a bright well lit approach to the front door is far more welcoming.

Clean the windows and the window frames, stand on the pavement and take a look at the front of your property try to view it from a potential buyers eyes, do the curtains or blinds match and are they clean?

A weekend spent doing all of the little jobs you’ve been putting off for a while will make all the difference in getting people wanting to view your house.

Inside the House

So now you have gone to all that hard work on the outside of your property its time to tackle the inside.

There are four basic areas that you can use as a checklist to get your property ready for selling:-

a) Maintenance     b) Clutter     c) De-personalise     d) Tidy up

Maintenance

A lot of potential buyers would have allowed a budget for redecorating a new home in their own taste and colours, some would want a new kitchen or bathroom as soon as they move in,

But to the majority of buyers these improvements would have to be carried out over a period of time to help spread the costs.

So a house that seems to have a lot of maintenance issues would be very off putting to buyers with limited spare funds.

A dripping tap, a damp patch from a leaking pipe, a door that sticks, none of these would be a serious problem individually but they start to add up in the mind of a potential buyer.

Clutter

Its surprising how much clutter we collect and leave it on show like it’s a work of art or family heirloom, how many items are in your house right now that you have not used for months or maybe years?

Clear the bric a brac from the mantelpieces and shelves, clear the work surfaces from the kitchen, slim down your books, videos, cd’s have just a few well chosen items on display.

Depersonalise

You may need to help buyers imagine that they are living in your home, they may find this difficult to do with all your family photographs and evidence of your hobbies and interests around them, so store them away and try to leave a blank canvas for them to picture their lifestyle in your home.

Try to arrange for someone to take the dogs for a walk when you have a viewing, we may be a nation of animal lovers but most only love their own pets and not other peoples.

Tidy up

This may seem obvious but you would be surprised at how many people leave dirty pots and pans in the sink, uneaten food on the table and clothes all over the bedroom floor, even when they are aware that potential buyers are coming to view.

Hoover up the pet hairs, put air fresheners in the toilets, clean towels in the bathroom and make the beds, a clean and tidy house will give the impression of a well looked after house which could bring a quick sale.