Grand ideas to sell home
Following a few of a TV expert’s tips can add a small fortune to the price you get for your house
TV Kevin’s tips can help you get best price for your house
WE ALL know a lick of paint and a good tidy-up can help boost the price you get for selling your house.
But there are other things you can do to improve the bottom line.
Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud says it’s important to stop seeing your home as your own and think of it as a blank canvas for someone else.
To do that, he suggests being utterly ruthless. Here are his six top tips for maximising the sale price:
1 REMOVE YOUR PERSONALITY FROM EVERY ROOM
“If there’s anything that suggests the house is yours, remove it,” said Kevin. So, anything personal – like photographs and knick-knacks – need to go.
2 DECLUTTER YOUR HOUSE – PROPERLY
When buyers come to look around your house, they will look everywhere, including inside storage spaces, so be prepared for that.
“Make sure that when someone opens your cupboards or drawers, they’re not crammed full of stuff because that will suggest the house has no storage and is too small,” he said.
“But if they open the cupboard and see 15 items beautifully folded on the shelves, they’ll think, ‘I could fit in, and if I live here, I will live this lifestyle’. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it. To do this, you may have to hire a storage unit to store all the things you will be taking out of your home.” “Clean the house – thoroughly,” said the designer, writer and TV presenter. “Clean the carpets and refresh the walls, too. You don’t need to repaint them, you can take a white kitchen scourer and a bucket of mild soapy water, and gently buff the surface of any scuff marks and clean the paintwork. Use a sponge and soapy water on gloss paint, and this will totally refresh your doors and skirting boards.”
4 CLEAN THE WINDOWS
Kevin insists sparkly glass will make the house look brighter and more beautiful, and will increase the amount of light in the house.
5 DISGUISE UGLY VIEWS “Stick on window frosting (you can buy it in DIY stores) if you
have a dull view, eyesore, or a lack of privacy,” said Kevin. “Just cover the lower half of the window with this, so the visitor will see the beauty of the window and the view.”
6 SPRUCE UP THE GARDEN
“Do something with the garden,” he said. “Tidy it up, remove any clutter, add a few plants to any beds that need them and add some greenery to a window box.
“It will cast beautiful shadows and give the impression of the outside being connected to the inside, making the house feel larger. If you have a sense of connection to the outdoor space, the home will feel bigger. And if you give the impression that the garden is easy to maintain and looks after itself, people will be more attracted to it.”
Make sure that when someone opens your cupboards or drawers, they’re not crammed full of stuff