Getting the house ready to put on the market- what to do?

[Whenisitmysleepytime]

We are 95% moving up north so will need to sell our home.

What should be make sure we have done before we get estate agents round?

TIA :)

Clear all the clutter.

Clean the kitchen and bathroom thoroughly.

Air the place.

Open all blinds and curtains and put lights on.

Is that it sun?
That sounds totally do-able!

Is there anything else that i can do to get a fast sale?

Price it right

"Curb Appeal". Make sure the first impression of the house i.e. the outside is as good as it can be. At the very least clean the front door thoroughly inclulding door furniture, clean windows, weed the garden etc.

Try to look at your house as though you haven't seen it before, be really critical especially when walking up to it, they say a buyer makes up their mind in the first 30 seconds / 2 minutes?

Is the paintwork flaking, would some pots with flowers in make it more appealling, any weeds? Is the paint in the hallway marked, scuffed etc? Do any of the little DIY jobs that you have been putting off as they only take half an hour need doing, if so do them and make it look like a well cared for and well loved house (I'm sure it is but be really critical).

I know it sounds a bit Phil Spencer but does each room have a clear purpose e.g. dining room, bedrooms etc.

Good luck, its lovely up here.

Echoing pp - if a room has a name, make it fit for that name. If you use yiur dining room as a toy room, clear them all.out and put a dining table in.

Make the house look like you have plenty of storage by not having too much.'stuff' on show.

And very importantly, get to know what is selling in your immediate area and price bracket. Know your competition because everyone who comes to.view your house will be contemplating these houses too.

Oh, and if after a few weeks yiu still havent had any viewings, put a link on MN and ask for tips - Ive seen a few posters do this and they gleaned good results.

Where in the North are you moving to?

Oh thanks all!

The garden weeding is on the list. :)
Each room has a purpose- 3 bed terrace so no space for ambiguity! :)
We need to finish redecorating our room. We started it in jan before we'd even thought about moving. It's just a strip wallpaper, fill walls and paint job tho do can be done without major expense.
Bathroom is being fixed as we speak.

The hall is the one part of the house that needs work. Mostly a new carpet. If I clean the walls etc do you think that's be ok? I do not want to buy a carpet just to move!

Is Phil's last name Spencer?

I only know him as "and Kirstie"

What's wrong with the carpet - could you Rug Doctor it?

If the carpet is really bad, these are things that viewers may knock more than the cost of a new carpet off the asking price so may be worth replacing.

if it just seems mucky then a good shampoo job might work

The carpet is yucky taste - purple/ blue with tiny yellow dots every 2 inches. A hall carpet would be £££ tho wouldn't it?

We'll be moving to Derbyshire so will get a bit more for our money. :)

It's not as bad as some of the swirly- vomit-y carpet I've seen on houses in our area at a similar price. And it is clean. Just not very nice.

I used to be a phil and Kirsty addict till I got too about the fussy buggers budgets!

Buy the best package your estate agent offers the better the brochure and pictures thee more likely you are to get viewings.
Tidy away (better still throw away) any clutter
Steam clean the carpets
Freshen up the paintwork
Remove anything too personal (a few family photo's are fine)
Ensure that rooms are clearly defined.
Enusure that all lawns and gardens are tidy
Dress your house (Nice bedding, good towels, expensive toiletries fresh flowers)
When you get a viewing have fresh coffee brewing and something baking in the oven (bread, scones) etc.
Ensure that you and family are nicely dresses (think ideal boden catalouge)

Remember you are not selling a house you are selling a lifestyle.

We asked a couple of EA's round just to give a valuation and to advise on what to do in order to sell and we were told that there was no point spending any money as the house will probably sell exactly as it is. Saved us the ££ and hassle of replacing carpets and painting walls which we were originally going to do before going on the market. Well worth getting a couple of EA opinions before starting big jobs that might not be necessary.

Is the carpet just the hall or does it include the landing and stairs?

Could get cheap / last of roll deal on it? You could ask the estate agents view on whether it will impact sale or not.

Look on rightmove and choose an estate agents that have managed to take good pictures and who do floorplans.

I've just moved out of a rented house, and the estate agents who were selling it (the reason we had to move) took very flattering pictures.

I got some nice white towels and put them out - didn't use them. They just emphasised the "clean".
The kids still tease me - "DON'T TOUCH THE WHITE TOWELS!!!
I also bought some really cheap cushions and a table runner-thing to match.
I am not normally an ornament lover but I went through my cupboards and got some nice things (crystal bowl, nice goblets- wedding gifts!) and placed them around.
Also a good idea to start packing up your books or any things in display cabinets, just leaving out a few attractive bits & pieces.

I don't think any of the old tricks of the trade mean anything atm better to spend nothing declutter and drop the price to make it look attractive.

Agree with noddy. Good pricing. Check right move sold prices in your area.

Right clutter is mostly toy based so decent storage and putting some in the loft will help.
I've checked rightmove - houses on the market and sold. So have a realistic idea of what to ask/ expect. Which was in line with what we were doing our sums on. :)

How do you choose an estate agent? Or is that another thread?!?

I would do 3 things Look for one who takes good photos. ask around get personal recommendations. Look at sold properties locally and see which agents are selling successfully.

We re-carpeted hall, stairs and landing when we moved last year. We got a pretty cheap beige one. I think it made a big difference and it was about £400.
Also we used an online estate agent, they had a few different ways of charging but we did a one off fee of £500. You paid this up front, so it's much cheaper than a normal estate agent but if they didn't sell it you lose the money. You also do the viewings yourself. This suited us and we sold our house in a few weeks for over the asking price. It was in a popular area though.

If you have extra furniture making rooms look small, move it, store it in the garage, or at a friends place. Make the rooms look bigger and fresh and light.
If the hall looks bad as soon as you open the front door, then maybe you should replace the carpet in there. Or lay some laminate strips, that always looks tidy.
UN clutter the shower/bathtub. It looks bad filled with toys and loofahs.