Oh crap our house is going on the market! What advice do you wish you'd known?

[NeedMoreBoxes]

After a few chats at the start of the year we decide to visit an agent and enquire about potentially moving. Yesterday we had a very pleasantly shocking valuation meeting and so we've decided to take the plunge but it's all happening super quickly and what was only an idea a few weeks ago is now a reality and it's quite daunting.

So we have a photographer coming next week and we have this weekend to make a dent on sorting and clearing out our accumulated crap memories. Which will be fun with a toddler in the mix.

However I've never sold a house before and I have no idea what the fuckity fuck I'm doing which means I know there is lots of stuff I won't think to do. Therefore I thought I'd ask those who have recently sold.

So what are your best tips for photos, sorting, organising and selling. It a felt very exciting yesterday and now it just feels incredibly overwhelming.

Start decluttering now. Don’t wait till you get an offer. Even if you do one bag a day / a box a week get rid of stuff so you’ve got less to pack when you do move.

Oh we're definitely going to declutter ASAP! I absolutely don't want to take anything with me that I do not need, that's the sum total of our weekend plans. Have to admit we really know how to spend the weekend before valentines.

Start looking for another house? You might get a quick offer.

Literally hide as much as you can from your kitchen surfaces for the photos and any viewings. I even shoved my kettle in a cupboard. It makes the kitchen look bigger.

Also do this in the bathroom. Shampoo bottles, cleaning stuff etc shouldn't clutter up surfaces.

Take down stair gates if you can easily enough.

Don't have too many photos up.

If you can hide the toddler toys, I put all mine in the shed.

Mute bright colours if possible, I swapped all my red cushions and rug for a dark blue.

Get rooms as bright as possible for the pictures.

I didn't bother with all this to start. Took ages to sell. Then I overhauled my whole approach and we sold pretty quick. I actually posted my house on here for my first advert and whilst the feedback was absolutely brutal, it did help and I did sell pretty quick after.

I don't think you will be waiting long. People don't need to even present houses at this rate.

Declutter - seriously we moved bags and bags of stuff
Clear everywhere - make sure beds are made etc
We saw so many houses which had huge amounts of stuff and garages over flowing - makes you feel there’s no storage
Clean windows
Paint / fill any cracks in walls
Kerb appeal - get the front of the property looking as good as possible - the first thing people see so important
If you have a garden clear it - weed it, cut grass and clear toys etc
Windows open - don’t use air freshener

You need a thick skin, try not take feedback personally, remove or neutralise any "quirky" decor, finish off any diy jobs no matter how small they seem to you. Get a friend to nitpick. For pictures and viewings keep the sightline from door to window clear and maximise light.

We hired a storage unit and put loads of stuff in there (I’d I had a garage or shed I could have done that too). Things which were ornamental or took up space or we wouldn’t use for a while, or spares. So eg took out rarely used pots and pans from the back of the kitchen cupboards which allowed us to store more of the stuff usually on the top in the cupboard; random bits of furniture (a chair, a small table) that made the rooms look bigger. Two boxes of toddler clutter that were between sages for my children.

But i wish I’d ironed my bedsheets before the picture was taken!

I also paid a gardener to tidy up our small garden, cleaned windows inside and out.

@Chakraleaf

I don't think you will be waiting long. People don't need to even present houses at this rate.

I came on to say similar. If it has walls, windows and a roof then you'll be fighting off buyers.

Op, my advice before the photographer comes is declutter declutter declutter, not because it will help with selling but because it will be less work when you're packing to move.

@Turmerictolly

Start looking for another house? You might get a quick offer.

We've had a look and found a few we like but can't view until we are on the market as things are selling quite quickly here. We are likely to be near the bottom of the chain though as ours is a perfect starter home, so that should give us a little bit of leeway in terms of finding our next house.

Some excellent advice so far, thank you all. We've already started the small jobs we never got round too and touched up the paint so that's hopefully one less job.

Will definitely not neglect the front, it could do with a little tlc and maybe some nice plants so can sort that this weekend.

A window cleaner is a good shout too, will try to track one down.

I came on to say similar. If it has walls, windows and a roof then you'll be fighting off buyers.

That's encouraging. It does indeed have walls, windows and a roof. It even has some doors and some character features so hopefully it sells itself.

We did this for the first time last year and yes, for the photos make the rooms allook as dexluttered as possible, I also hid things in the oven for example.

Depending how much time you have, you might want to touch up areas with paint but it might not be necessary. Go round the house through the eyes of a stranger and try to 'see' the clutter that you are used to not seeing.

I think some photo frames are fine, for example, but I did take down some to give a more minimalist look.

Start taking anything you can to the tip now. Once the viewings have taken place and you have sold it and hopefully found somewhere else, you can then start to pack stuff you don't need day to day, which for me prompted more tip runs and charity bags.

Also do what you can to outside of house /garden. Don't worry about buying carpets but the rug doctor machine is a good shout if carpet looks a bit grubby.

If you haven't already, get key paperwork together such as boiler servicing, building works, home insurance details etc. Gives you time to sort copies if anything is lost.

Also get some solicitor quotes together and maybe start to put together a list of removal companies so that you can begin to call through nearer the time.

Yes to deep clean, we viewed a lot of tidy houses but spotted cobwebs as we walked round. Declutter, we sold a lot on FB marketplace.

We also went round with a small paintbrush to tidy up any nicks, stuff you are usually blind to be would be noticed by a critical viewer.

For viewing make sure loo seats are down, towels straight and beds made. I hate seeing empty washing lines with pegs on too, it looks bleugh
Open windows for at least an hour before anyone views.
Buy some pretty shower gel/liquid soap to display in the bathroom, buy a small bunch of daffs to put in one room only
Don't go OTP decluttering, people can see right through that now
Make sure the front of the house looks clean and tidy

@Turmerictolly

Start looking for another house? You might get a quick offer.

This!

My parents put their house on the market on the Friday and had 4 offers by Monday.

The guy they chose wanted to move within 6 weeks. His solicitor was crap so it took 3 months but still!

I hate seeing empty washing lines with pegs on too, it looks bleugh

Ah fuck... Scurries off down the garden promptly to remove the pegs.

If you have any mould around bathroom seals try and get it off. It amazed me how many people had mouldy bathrooms when we were looking last year, and I mean stunning modern bathrooms but with mouldy seals. I mean I know it happens and can't always be helped but ffs people buy some mould spray!

I agree re the decluttering, we took the kids toys and filled our biggest car up with them then left it on my parents driveway during photos and viewings.

However right now you honestly don't need to do that much, everything is selling fast and for a lot of money.

Good luck (I love selling houses, we have moved 5 times in 11 years).

I decluttered and cleaned until it was sparkling for the photographs and each viewing. You need to show off the space.

Make the most of what you have. Be prepared for some bizarre feedback like I can get a bigger house in a cheaper area (well yes that's how it works), I need four bedrooms (but this is three), the garden isnt big enough (you could tell that from the photographs) and on ...

Good luck (I love selling houses, we have moved 5 times in 11 years)

Thanks for the luck. I also honestly don't know whether to be amazed and in awe or horrified that you've moved so many times and that you actually enjoy the process.

Photograph the rooms yourself when you’ve decluttered and dressed them.

It’s easier to critique through a lens when it’s on a screen than in real life

Definitely start looking, houses near me are going within days. We were told to remove personal photos and any clutter.

Dropping in as we are going to be selling soon. Already decluttering like crazy!
You Can do it OP!

Magic bathroom away with bleach
Then use www.amazon.co.uk/UniBond-2643640-Ultraforce-Grout-Reviver/dp/B08RNN3GH2/ref=asc_df_B08RNN3GH2/?hvlocphy=9046619&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=535035273341&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-1488036391327&hvrand=16767467316114757439

Is there a reason it needs to go on the market now? Even if the market is good now it will
Be better in spring

The best thing we did was empty anything we didn't need for the next 6 months, and reduced the furniture, which we put into storage, then repainted the house.
Although we decided to extend rather than sell and so we brought it all back after we'd done the building!