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Prepping your current home for selling

Jun 13, 2018
Prepping your current home for selling

To give yourself the best chance of selling your home as quickly as possible for a great price, you’ll want to present it in the best light for viewings as well as when the photographs are taken.

This should make it more appealing to potential viewers who look at your property online. To help you get your home ready, check out our top tips:

Think like a buyer

You need to be as objective as possible. Taking off the rose-tinted glasses can be a challenge but it can help you spot areas of your home that could be improved. Try to inspect your property both inside and outside, making notes. When a prospective buyer views your property, they’ll want to imagine themselves living there. Your family pictures and sentimental touches can often have a detrimental impact, so it’s worth removing these at the beginning.
If you're struggling to be objective and think like a buyer, it's worth speaking to your estate agent for any tips and tricks to make sure your home is as appealing as possible.

Spend time improving the exterior

The outside of your home will be the first thing that prospective buyers see, whether they do a drive by or actually come inside for a planned viewing. Ask yourself, does the paintwork need freshening up? Is your garden well-kept or could it do with some TLC? Bushes and hedges might need to be trimmed back and weeds may need to be pulled up if you want your home to have kerb appeal.
Depending on the time of year, you could consider having hanging baskets and flowers in pots by your front door. If you don’t have your windows cleaned regularly, you may want to tackle them yourself or call in a window cleaner. If pathways are uneven or there are loose bricks or slabs on your drive, it may be worth getting them put right. This should help you give a good first impression.

Get rid of clutter

You’ll want people viewing your current home to envisage themselves living in the property, filling it with their furniture and belongings. The sooner it can feel like home to them the better, as they’ll be more likely to put in an offer. To enable this, you should try to remove as much clutter and personal belongings as you can. This might mean taking down framed photographs, children’s drawings and hiding other mementos that mean a lot to you but won’t hold value with someone else.
If you have a million and one toys in your home and garden, or some excess furniture, it could be worth storing the majority out of sight in your shed or garage.

Clean, clean and clean some more

Ideally, you’ll want your home to look immaculate not only on the day photographs are taken  but for each viewing. This isn’t always easy, especially if you have a busy household. Try and give your home a deep clean, dusting your skirting boards, cleaning your oven and getting rid of any cobwebs. Once you’ve cleaned your whole home from top to bottom, the key is to maintain it as much as possible.
Before any viewing consider hiding any laundry, pet beds, food bowls and cat litter trays. It can be wise to have air fresheners and candles to try and create a pleasant aroma and atmosphere. If possible, it could be beneficial to have pets or children (or both) elsewhere during viewings so that potential buyers can look around undisturbed.

The essential finishing touches

You want to make sure you’re presenting your home in the best possible light. With this in mind it’s so important to check that everything is in full working order, such as all the light bulbs in the home and any faulty taps. Even doors that stick or windows that don’t lock properly should be fixed to ensure it’s a positive experience for any prospective buyers. This also extends to the paintwork. If you forget to touch it up, it could well leave a negative impression on the buyer. Small things like this can have a big impact, making it vital that you stay on top of them.

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