TIPS FOR HOME SELLERS

When prospective buyers come to view your home, they want to be able to imagine themselves living there. People often buy with their hearts as much as their minds, so they want to feel the house is generally welcoming.

Nothing is more off-putting than a lot of personal clutter or stale smells, for example. But by taking a few simple steps to improve the presentation of your home you can greatly improve your chances of a sale, and maybe even increase the value of your home into the bargain.

Patch up the paintwork

You probably won’t want to re-paint the whole house unless it’s in a much neglected condition, but do invest in a pot of paint or two for those areas that are damaged or grubby. For the purposes of selling, a neutral colour is always best – so resist that shocking pink or emerald green!

Clear the clutter

The more clutter you have in a room, the less spacious it seems. So clear away everything you can without going so far as to make it look as if you don’t have a life or personality at all. If you have any particularly bulky furniture, consider putting it in storage and maybe replacing with smaller items.

Make essential repairs

It’s easy to end up living for months or years with a loose tile or worn carpets. Try to see your home as a stranger would see it and fix all those little problems inside and out. Pay attention to the garden – keep the lawn cut, the pathways and patios clean and weed free, and any bushes tidy and trim.

Clean and polish

Nothing makes a better impression than a house that positively sparkles with cleanliness. From waxing wooden floors to polishing door knobs, it’s important to make the effort to achieve a pristine appearance. Don’t forget to get the windows cleaned so that your home feels as light and airy as possible.

Get the right atmosphere

The biggest deterrent for buyers are bad odours. You need to do more than just use an air freshener to cover them up – get down to the source by sterilising bins, clearing drains and keeping up with the clothes washing. Make sure the whole house is well aired, and if you have smokers, check that fabrics are not impregnated.

Add some attractive touches

A simple vase of flowers can transform a room. Or if you have some cramped areas, think about introducing a wall mirror or two to give an impression of spaciousness. Brewing a fresh pot of coffee before viewers arrive is not only welcoming, it fills the house with a pleasant aroma.

All these may seem like rather insubstantial improvements, but they have been proved to make a remarkable difference to the saleability of a property.