Make buyers feel at home
Tidy up the garden ...and bring some
Emerson imagine themselves in their future home.” The Taskrabbit research found 56% of homebuyers say they’d walk away if they had a ‘bad feeling’ about a property, and 28% admit they’ve written off a property purely from viewing grubby exterior features, like an untidy driveway. The good news? Making sure your house has what buyers want could be easier than you think. Here are some suggestions...
A clean, smart kitchen give a sense of how well-maintained the rest of the house is, say the Propertymark pros. Give them a thorough wash, and give wooden windows a fresh lick of paint.
The state of a kitchen can make or break a sale. Taskrabbit found modern appliances or finishes were an important feature for 39% of the homebuyers surveyed, with the same percentage wanting an open-plan kitchen, and 33% being put off by a dirty kitchen.
Propertymark says a dark room is an immediate turn-off, and Taskrabbit found bright and airy rooms were the second most important feature for homebuyers, with 63% saying it was key, and 34% wanting neutral walls, which can help a room seem lighter.
Fresh flowers on display is a welcoming touch that will make your home appear well-kept. Flowers can give rooms a lift and create a clean fragrance to greet a buyer.
Nobody has identical taste and buyers must be able to see themselves living in your space, so remove any decoration that shows too much personality.
First impressions can sway a buyers’ decision, so it’s essential to patch up any maintenance slips, such as holes in walls, broken doorknobs and cracked tiles. Taskrabbit found exposed wiring was a turn-off for 62% of viewers, while 50% weren’t happy about cracked plaster, and 36% said cracked floor tiles were a no-no.