10 Tips to Help You Sell Your House

Richmond Harvey’s 10 tips to help sell your house

Would you sell a car without giving it a quick wash and brush up? No, so why do it when trying to sell your home?

Getting the buyer to connect with your home, to imagine how it will suit their family and lifestyle, is not just luck; it’s about creating the right environment so they can’t resist it.
It’s extremely important that each room appears as it is intended to be used. Imagine the mindset of a potential buyer of a three bedroom house seeing two bedrooms plus a storage room!
And why do vendors think they are doing potential buyers a favour by showing them their home? It might take multiple viewings and can be wearing but it has to be done at a time convenient to the buyer not just the vendor.
To sell your home in today’s marketplace follow these few simple tips:

1.  Good landscaping will transform the exterior look and feel of your home and give you a higher price. Hire a landscaper or do it yourself.
2.  Your front door is the centrepiece of your kerb appeal so repaint it in a tasteful colour. Update the outside lights and put potted plants on either side of the door.
3.  The entrance hall creates a first impression… make sure it is the right impression. Paint it in a neutral colour, remove any bulky furniture, upgrade the lighting and if you feel you need colour add it with accessories and a rug.
4.  The wrong lighting can make your home feel dark and drab so install brighter modern lights to make your home seem sunny, cheerful and up to date.
5.  Paint colour is such a personal choice and potential buyers are likely to want to customize it themselves. If you have dark rich colours then repaint in neutral hues.
6.  Avoid major overhauls, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, but do update the lighting, install new faucets, mirrors and doorknobs if they are dated.
7.  Clutter. NO, NO, NO! How do you expect to impress potential buyers with a cluttered house? If you have outgrown your home, start packing and if you don’t have anywhere to put it then use storage.
8.  Pets – some love them, some hate them and some are allergic to them, so, if possible, on the viewing they are out of the house to prevent one of three things happening:

– Pet lovers will pay more attention to your pet and less attention to your home.

– Pet haters will feel uncomfortable, completely on their guard and rush round your property leaving as soon as they can.

– If you have a buyer that is allergic to animals, a reaction will put them off your home. Remove all pet bowls, baskets and (most important) litter trays.

9.  Back garden. The first thing people see when they walk out the back? An unkempt garden? Loose concrete slabs? Your back garden should look like a space for entertaining. If need be, buy inexpensive patio furniture, potted plants and install some outdoor lighting to tie it all together.
10.  Clean – Buyers expect to see an immaculate home with no signs of dirt. Remove last night’s Indian take away from the worktops and do the washing up! No dirty underwear on the bedroom floor. Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in “your” space, your perfectly clean home!

You’ll be surprised how big an impression these small updates can make. By the time you’re done, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
Follow these small steps to help maximise your property’s potential that will allow you to achieve a faster sale and the best possible market price for your home.