Help me tart up house for sale (pics included)

[Blanice]

We have moved into our house after a lot of renovation work. Thought we’d get the estate agents in for estimations. Have been given a figure we literally can’t turn down.

All our art work is still in the storage unit. Is it worth putting up? I thought potential buyers may prefer hole-free walls. But DH thinks the house is not homely right now (chucked a lot away when we moved back in).

Any advice on what to do to appeal to buyers?

I’ll start with bedroom. Thanks a lot.

Re smell, we are constantly airing as we don’t want a dog smell. Friends and family assure us there is none. But the dogs are still banned from going upstairs until we are in the next house.

Downstairs is hardfloor (wood/tile).

Teepee is going to charity shop. Bought for dog who went in once (bribed)

Remove photos and anything very personal or out of place. Dog bowls, exercise bike etc. People like to imagine themselves in your house so dressing a room does add value. Nothing on the walls says unloved to me so personally I would add a piece of artwork here and there and any mirrors you have plus any nice ornaments. The house should feel welcoming and loved.

I’ve fine, just tidy away the ambulant stuff - books, dog bowl etc.

Not sure what you mean by a figure you can’t turn down. It’s just an estimate, buyers may not agree.

For EA photos, get rid of any sign of pet paraphernalia - rugs, bowls etc. Make the bed really neat and wrinkle free but don't over dress it with stacks of cushions. Clear as many surfaces as possible and make them gleam.

From what I can see you have gorgeous flooring downstairs so make sure the pics feature that.

No - it’s not worth getting artwork out, it will just make holes in the walls that will have to be filled by the buyer.

Honestly if you have nothing on the walls, in combination with the grey decor, it screams rental. Which may well put people off wary of viewing somewhere that they think has tenants in situ.

You just need it to be very clear in the listing that it's a family home being sold

Best advice I ever had was ‘you’re selling a lifestyle, not a house’. It sounds corny but you want potential buyers to be able to imagine themselves in your house.

Shove everything in cupboards during photos and visits. Bed spreads can be ironed in situ.

I also took photos on my phone to get an idea of how things looked in photos versus reality, our brains often filter out shadows and wrinkles, so it helps to get the camera viewpoint.

I'd just have a declutter and tidy.
Less.means.more

If the house is that fabulous & the location is good I don't think it really matters tbh.

The one cushion on the bed looks naff by itself. Definitely two bedside tables, if it’s a double bed or larger. A lamp on each. Move exercise bike out of room. Move books from stool at end of bed.

This.

But the most important thing is to get several valuations from estate agents, OP. The market isn’t great right now so they especially want your business and may say anything to get it. You did a great job with your house so why go through the stress of marketing it unless you are likely to get the price you want?

It may be a good idea to go on one of the websites that tracks reductions in asking prices to see which EAs tend to value properties accurately.

You can hang pictures without making holes in the wall these days, just get some command strips. It will look more homely.

Getting so much amazing advice, thanks.

DH has told me his job his weekend is to paint this “ugly” sideboard. He hates how yellow it now looks against new pale wood floors. This is pointless, right?

• Keep everything to a minimum; clear tops, table tops, etc. Get rid of any clutter of any kind
• Remove tablecloths and put away anything that should not be in the rooms - e.g. exercise bike, books, etc
• Shift stuff out or behind cupboards that may look unsightly - i.e piles of coats, bags, stuff on the back of doors. Remove everything from showers, baths, and keep everything in bathrooms "clutter free"
• Make sure rooms are displayed as the purpose of that room - e.g. a home office; study; bedroom; dining area. Make it clear what the "function" of the room is (avoid rooms looking like they are neither one thing or the other - as some buyers can't visualise the functionality and purpose of a room and can't make the leap to "this would look great as our bedroom/diner, etc")
• Make sure it is scrupulously clean for viewers and smelling nice
• Fresh flowers in vases work a treat - tulips are cheap just now, but look stylish in a simple vase
• Decant anything out for viewers that don't belong in their space - even if you pop them in the car. Viewers want to buy the lifestyle and see the true potential of your/their future home
• Top tips for beds - buy a full throw and a couple of matching cushions and pop them on for viewings (see examples from my house - pics attached).

Best of luck. You house looks great by the way - the above list is just for guidance and not personal to your pictures!

Where is the wardrobe on the first pic from please?

@willsandnoodle - It is PAX from Ikea. Dark Frame and sliding frosted doors

2nd question. Should we hang up our old curtains which were very nice but it will involve a 300 mile round trip to pick up (expensive to ship).

Or fine as is?

I agree with this. Some estate agents deliberately over-price properties.

Get two more agents in and ask each of them for two asking-price estimates, one for a quick sale (ie to get a buyer within 2 weeks) and the other for a likely offer price if it's on the market for 3-6 months.

Set a realistic asking price depending on your intended timescale.

I am worried about the grey carpet and grey kitchen cabinets. Everyone is saying grey is over but I’m not that good with interiors so couldn’t think of anything else. Beige/cream is a no go cause of dogs.

I would skip the curtains OP. It's getting lighter now and many viewings will be daytime (Saturdays generally) so the lack of curtains won't be too conspicuous. Def not worth 300mile trip

And the sideboard? Worth painting? DH is okay with DIY but I’d be gutted if he messed it up

no don't paint it.
It is a good wood piece and will be pretty hard to do a great job on. Not worth it for the sale.
If you don't want it like that when you move then either sell it or paint it then to match new house.

Hide evidence of pets and kids.

To be honest I think it looks a bit cold and uninviting. I would get stagers in as it doesn’t seem to make sense to start buying stuff now.

Of course you should have window coverings etc - look at how new builds are staged for sale and try to emulate that. Obviously this is price dependent - if it’s low price cheaper area then don’t go wild! As someone said earlier you are selling a lifestyle - it is looking students …