If you found a house to buy, how long did it take you to get yours on the market, photos done etc?

[Honey1975]

We've had an offer accepted on a house but haven't yet got ours on the market.

The agent sis planning to come & take photos on Tuesday and says he has people waiting to view straight away.

This is great but we need to do stuff to tidy up the house. It's in good decorative order but have so much stuff everywhere. Front garden needs tidying up & we need to do a deep clean.
I'm also trying to sort out a solicitor and other info in order to get the house we've offered on taken off the market. We both work and this week is half term so dc's will be around more.

Is it realistic to get the house ready by Tuesday for photos?

What are the key points to make the best impression? I'm wondering if I'm overthinking things..

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Declutter
Declutter
Declutter

Failing that, get a load of large plastic crates with lids from B & q, chuck everything in and hide these in the car.

Clean the kitchen and bathroom first.
If they don't look good, viewers think they need to be replaced and it makes them less keen or they drop the offer price

[Honey1975]

Thanks Breakfast that's helpful. I think I'm stressing a bit as we haven't much time and I'm thinking I've got to declutter the whole house but maybe for now we should just hide everything in boxes like you say.

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

It's a bit of a cop out, but you can bring a couple of boxes at a time back in, and sort them out in between viewings.
Are your children old enough to help /sort through their stuff?

Just think, when you move all this stuff has to be packed, moved and unpacked. That takes time and money. Prune it now for an easier, ove

[MollyHuaCha]

Last time I had a property for sale, I shoved bags of stuff in my car every time we had a viewing. I really think having less clutter in a home helps a sale happen.

[Honey1975]

Ok so no need to have it all sorted by Tuesday, just need to bag/box things up and maybe put in loft and then get cleaning!
Plenty of time I guess to properly sort stuff once house is sold.

Any other tips for photos/viewings other than decluttering?

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

When you think you have got the house ready for photos, take some photos on your phone (or preferably tablet)
Then look at them, you see things in a photo that you miss when just looking at a room. Tangles of cables are very distracting and easily missed
Make sure all the beds are really flat and tidy. They don't need to be clean!
Ensure all curtains and blinds and pulled back neatly.

[Applesauce29]

Go to a storage company and hire a small space to store the stuff you don't need for the next few weeks. It's relatively cheep from £50 a month for a room big enough for suitcases, bikes and 20 odd boxes and so much easier to keep the place tidy when there's less clutter.

Hire a cleaner to clean and tidy pre photos. They'll prob spot stuff you don't even see anymore.

Good luck!

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Don't just hide stuff in the cupboard under stairs.
People will want open cupboards - make sure that they look like there is still loads of room left in them

[ACatCalledFang]

I've just done this! Had done a bit of light decluttering previously then attacked it in four days plus an evening. Ours is a two-bed flat and I did it by myself (DP was looking after our toddler). Did the kitchen, bathroom, back stairs to garden and outside painting last weekend, then garden, bedrooms, living room and hall in two days (staying up till 0100 two nights on the trot 😥).

This was deep cleaning, bagging up everything we didn't want on display for the photos, and some fairly ruthless purging of crap. And staging stuff - tidying books, nice vases of flowers on display, etc.

We had an advantage in that we could just move stuff around for the photos, and are doing an open house for viewings so no need to live like total minimalists for the next few weeks - and we have somewhere to hide the extras on viewings day. But pps are right, the less stuff the better!

I found it focused the mind to ask myself with each item whether I really wanted to pay someone to transport this for me.....

I think with another adult on board, you could probably get it photo-ready. Be ruthless! Focus on what will look good in photos - clear surfaces, absence of clutter, etc. I found splashes of bright colour, eg vases of flowers, worked well. Shove everything into boxes or big IKEA bags to move round out of the photographer's way.

[Honey1975]

Well done AcatcalledFang. I honestly don't know how we're going to do this by Tuesday. I have a 9 year old who will happily sit on his xbox all day but my 4 year old dd will not leave me alone to do anything! She wants us to be doing something with her most of the time. We also have parents coming for lunch tomorrow which has been booked for a while before my mum has an operation later this week.

We both have to work on Monday but we have managed to get cleaner to come then so at least that bit is taken care of. It's the moving of stuff, tidying and staging of nice looking things that I'm stressing about finding time for. Seeing as you only get one chance with the photos
create a good first impression I want to get it right!
Should we delay the photographs being done?

[HenryCatPic]

No don't postpone the photos - it will just make you dilly dally for longer! Is there a friend that can have your 4yo for the day? Don't panic, start working!

[tobecontinued2000]

Black bags and chuck everything in the car/loft

[Sunnyshores]

Photos really have to be done right, and youve got Sunday excluding lunchtime and a few hours Tuesday morning - its not long enough. Personally Id delay the photographer by a day.

Get the windows cleaned in/out too makes a huge difference this time of year.