Get smart and sell your home
The housing market hots up at this time of year, so what can you do to attract a buyer?
Spring and early summer are peak times for buying and selling homes. Sellers want to get the best price while buyers hope to pay less.
So, follow our guide to making your home as desirable as possible to potential purchasers – it’s called “staging” because it’s a bit of an act. And if you are selling, this shows all the tricks.
For starters, forget about fresh bread and coffee aromas. Besides fooling no one these days, it’s hard to maintain those scents all day!
Your first task is research. Look for prices paid – not estate agents’ asks. Some agencies routinely over-value properties to get the home onto their books before selling it for less.
No two properties are exactly the same – you may need to adjust for the state of your home. Generally, buyers are likely to pay less for problems such as a messy outdoors but won’t cough up more for good points such as a well-stocked garden.
Make sure your home is clean and tidy. Buyers don’t expect a show home but a messy property could signify you’ll take less than the advertised price. Clean paintwork is important
– if you put a new coat of paint on walls and woodwork, always go for a neutral colour. Whites and beiges make the property look bigger.
Own up to obvious imperfections. Admit to carpets with burn holes – say you’ll throw them away but the new purchaser can have it for nothing if they want.
Make sure all the lights work. It’s
obvious when they don’t – failing to replace broken bulbs says “what else will I have to repair?” to buyers. They can use problems such as leaky taps or electrical sockets that are falling off walls to bargain down the price.
You need to strike a happy medium between a lived in look – good
– and clutter, bad.
One or two magazines on a coffee table works. A pile of old papers does not.
Potential purchasers want to imagine the property when it is theirs. A few of your personal items is positive but devoting whole walls to a pop star or football team is not, even if it is a teenager’s room. Buyers may ask themselves what wall to wall adoration could be hiding.
Truth is best. Be honest about parking problems – buyers will probably already have noticed if it’s tough to find a space – and don’t promise public transport or schools that don’t exist. In some circumstances, you could be legally liable if you fail to disclose “neighbours from hell”.