8 top tips to get your home sold fast
The housing market is having a tough time, but there are ways you can get a speedy sale. Director of Lemon and Lime Interiors, Elaine Penhaul, shares her advice
1 CLEAR THE CLUTTER!
Aim for a de-cluttered look without creating a clinical space. People buy homes, not bare walls! Potential buyers often can’t visualise your home without your possessions; they want to see the space available and how their furniture will fit into the room. Arm yourself with a black marker pen and boxes and put your items into three piles: Skip, Store and Show. Starting this process early will give you a head start for when you move into your new home.
2 GET OUT OF THE WAY
Give potential buyers time and space to look around. Avoid letting your family loose in the kitchen, for instance! Remember: as soon as your house goes on to the market, it ceases to be fully your home and becomes a financial investment. Treat it as such, and the time and energy you have devoted to getting it looking amazing will be repaid in getting a quick sale for your maximum price.
3 OUTSIDE SPACE
Remember the garden. We all know how important ‘kerb appeal’ is when selling your house, but don’t forget that the garden is also central to the overall look of your home. Many families these days consider the garden to be an extra room for dining, chatting and playing.
4 CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION
Look very carefully at what else is on the market in your area in your price bracket. How does yours compare? Drive past them for a clearer idea of the competition.
5 PRETEND TO BE YOUR BUYER While you view houses to buy, use this as another chance to learn what you need to do to sell. Walk around your house and write down the strengths and challenges in each room.
6 WORK WITH YOUR ESTATE AGENTS
– THEY ARE THE EXPERTS Do some research: look on the property portals Rightmove and Zoopla, and talk to several estate agents to decide who you think will be the best one to sell your house. Ask what they think is the most likely profile of the people who will buy your property. The competition is tough, so you need to appeal to buyers as much as possible.
7 PHOTOGRAPHS
Great photography of your home will certainly get people through the door. These pictures are your shop window, so be selective. In this digital world, the first port of call for house hunters is usually searching online. Good-quality images enhance your property and help it to stand out. This is the moment that buyers will make instant decisions on whether they like the house or not.
8 CLEAN, CLEAN AND CLEAN
AGAIN Clean and tidy your house every day it is on the market so that it feels fresh and ready for viewings at any time. A fresh lick of paint in a neutral colour can also make a world of difference. Repair any cracked tiles, open the windows regularly and freshen up the bedlinen, too.