Article by Sarah Evers, Founder Staging Your Home for Sale
Never has online presence been more important, in order to sell your Home you cannot just list it for sale without preparation internally & externally to maximise the selling price attained & the length of time your Home is on the market. If you do not have the time or you don’t know where to start, please consider using a Professional, even if it’s just for a consultation to get you on the right track!
A few minor touch-ups can go a long way towards making a favourable impression on potential buyers — and clinching the deal you want!
Put your buyer’s hat on and walk through your Home as objectively as you can, as if it’s your first time. You need to view your Home as a commercial product now, not as your comfortable home. Make notes…………
Are there areas that need de-cluttering?
Are there areas that need de-personalisation?
Are there some repairs required?
Could your home benefit from a professional clean?
21 Ways to Prepare your Home for Sale
1. Kerb Appeal – Having seen your Home online, the next step in the buyer’s journey is to drive by your Home. I cannot overstate the importance of your Home’s kerb appeal. Your Home needs to invite people in, you do not want your Home to be perceived as a “Doer Upper”, that narrows down your pool of buyers straightaway and limits your selling price.
Make sure
· Your PVC & gutters are clean
· The paintwork to your front door/windows/side entrance is in good repair
· Your windows are clean & your window treatments are aligned
· Your bins are out of sight
· There is a visible number, a working light & a letter box/postbox
· Your lawn is neat
· There is no waste on display
2. Clean, clean, clean.
3. Pay attention to smells. We can all become nose blind to the aromas in our own Homes, make sure to aerate your Home, wash soft furnishings, if you have pets you need to pay particular attention to the pet areas/bedding/dishes/cat litter etc
4. Clear out the clutter. You want to optimise your Home’s space, clutter massively interferes with this, it can also wrongly sometimes, imply a lack of cleanliness
5. Your Home’s paint colours . As much as you may love your dramatic red dining room, you need to present your Home to appeal to as many buyers as possible, so toning down strong or unusual shades to more neutral contemporary tones can work wonders, given the importance of online photographs you do not want to frighten away potential buyers with strong dark colours
6. Keep the décor simple, clean, fresh and contemporary where possible Toning down any of your more exotic or unusual pieces, pet items
7. Get rid of personal items. De-personalising your home is a must, for your own privacy first off but also to allow the buyer to envisage living there in their own right, making your home their home
8. Let there be light! Let the light flood in, have all your blinds or curtains open maximising incoming light through your CLEAN windows, ensure all your ceiling lights & lamps have good quality LED bulbs, ensure you have adequate lighting throughout your home. Use of mirrors is also key to reflect light & to give the impression of space throughout.
9. Bring nature inside. Potted plants or a few pretty buds in a vase can help bring energy into a space, fill in empty corners and even draw attention to features you want buyers to notice. Just make sure the plants are in good health (and insect-free!). There are excellent faux plants available on the market now which are very on-trend & require no maintenance!
10. Re-style or get rid of oversized furniture. Your furniture should fit & enhance the scale of the room, so get rid of any extra or oversized items that could make your space look smaller than it really is. The objective is to demonstrate space.
11. Organise your Storage spaces. Unfortunately potential buyers do open kitchen cabinets & wardrobes which I personally find very intrusive but the bottom line is as the Homeowner, you need to ensure these storage units are respectable! Storage space is a huge selling point so your Home needs to demonstrate where possible that it has plenty!
12. Your long-standing to-do list. All those little things you’ve been meaning to do but never got around to? Buyers will notice them, and they’ll detract from the value of your Home. If a potential buyer perceives your Home to be unloved, they will presume there are other more significant issues with your Home that they cannot see…
13. Do some mini-renovations. Little tweaks can make a big difference in the overall feel of a room. Kitchen a little outdated? Bathroom tiles a bit grotty? Floors need a sanding & varnish? On several of my projects we have actually painted kitchen & bathroom tiles, we have re-painted kitchen cabinets, we have replaced flooring where the flooring was badly damaged and we have used large beautiful rugs. You need to make as many things “non-issues” as possible.
14. Give each room a purpose. That spare room you’ve been using as an office / guest room /dumping ground won’t help sell your Home unless you show buyers how they can use it themselves. So pick a use (office, guest room, crafts room) and clearly stage the space to showcase that functionality. In this current marke, Home office spaces are really important to include where possible.
15. Turn the bathroom into a spa. Create the feel of a relaxing, luxurious bathroom. Dress your bathroom with fluffy towels (not for general use outside viewings!!), candles, luxurious toiletries & accessories.
16. Close the toilet! When it comes to both showing and photographing your Home, this little trick can make a surprising difference.
17. Turn the living room into a tranquil haven. Help buyers picture themselves relaxing with family and guests by grouping your furniture into arrangements/vignettes that inspire conversation. Using soft furnishings, allow your potential buyer to envisage kicking off their shoes and curling up with a glass of their favourite tipple!
18. Keep the flow going. The last thing you want is people bumping into furniture as they tour your Home; it disrupts their focus and makes your space look cramped. Do a dry run as though you’re seeing your Home for the first time and tweak anything that interrupts the “flow.”
19. Introduce Fresh fragrant aromas Never mind brewing coffee or baking bread, I love the fresh fragrance of a newly washed floor, a scented candle like “Fresh Cotton” or “Linen” or a scented Diffuser. There are some very nice plug-in air fresheners too
20. The little touches that make a house a home. Help your buyers see themselves in your home by adding deliberate vignettes that showcase how your home can be lived in. An inviting armchair and a tray with a coffee cup and book can turn that empty corner into a reading nook. Pretty soaps in a decorative tray can make your tiny half-bath more appealing.
21. Pops of colour & focal points of interest. Draw buyers’ eyes towards any special features with bright colours or accents like plants. Beautifully but simply style your Mantelpiece and any console table, coffee table, side table or bedside locker. The use of Wall Art & Mirrors is really key to dressing every room.
Please do not hesitate to contact me @0871337038 with any questions
Many thanks Sarah
Staging Your Home for Sale
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