Why planning to sell should start years in advance
Kirsty Mcluckie says last minute fixes may be too late
Anyone who has ever sold a property knows that the day that it goes on the market is usually the day that it looks better than it ever has before.
Paintwork has been freshened up, pet hairs and suspicious carpet stains have been forensically removed and all clutter banished.
Seeing a property I own like this has always made me think twice about selling, or at least regret the years spent living in it when it wasn’t at optimum viewing condition.
We exclaim at how much bigger the place looks when you can actually see the kids’ bedroom floors and marvel at how much brighter the interiors become when the windows are spotless.
For most of us, I suspect, the frantic clearing and cleaning of a house before it goes on the market is a last minute task, but according to Jennifer Campbell of Galbraith, if we want to maximise the appeal of our homes to potential buyers we should be thinking months, if not years, ahead.
She says: “Even if homeowners have no immediate plans to move on, if you know that you are not in your forever home then some simple steps should be considered to optimise your investment when you come to selling in a few years’ time.”
The exterior landscaping of a property is the most important element. She underlines the need to maintain a property’s façade including the roof, render, guttering, fascias, boundaries and entrances as buyers will be deterred from viewing a property if they have the impression that it has not been maintained throughout.
Creating privacy and security is one way to improve the appeal, but while fencing, stone walls and gates can be spruced up in the weeks before a sale, planting seedling trees to act as a border and provide privacy from neighbouring properties or a busy road could take years before having the desired effect.
Equally time consuming is establishing a mature garden by planting perennial flowers and evergreen shrubs and creating seating areas for morning, noon and evening dining. Campbell’s advice is to invest in a landscape gardener if you are not green fingered.
She says: “The outdoor space should be considered as an extension of your property, a place you can go to relax, entertain friends, dine alfresco and play with the children. It’s an important space, so it should be cared for alongside your interior.
“If you take the approach that you are always adding value to your property when you are improving the outdoor space, be it garden maintenance, planting or painting, then you won’t go far wrong.
“It offers an indication of what viewers can expect when they go inside. Nine times out of ten this helps to secure a premium above the asking price as people are happy to pay a bit extra to ensure they don’t get hit with pending maintenance bills.”
I’m reminded of the past owners of historic properties who planted slow-growing trees along a private driveway, which would only reach their full potential perhaps decades after the original owner was long gone.
While most of us don’t have that kind of foresight, keeping in mind the added value of longterm projects should pay off when it comes time to sell, as well as creating a pleasing outside space during your tenure.