Need a quick sale - what are your top tips?

[housemoverihope]

Have got dh freshening up paintwork and am painting over the bright yellowy green chimney breast in the dining room. How much of our stuff should I remove? Should I make it totally impersonal? My mum reckons I should completely clear the surfaces in the kitchen? Really need a quick sale so any tips would be much appreciated!

What sort of house is it? Who would be your target buyer? I would clear or stage appropriately (hide toys and clutter if it is young single people, have some out if it would be a family home etc).

Most stuff off surfaces but not everything or else it doesn't look homely IMHO.

"My mum reckons I should completely clear the surfaces in the kitchen?"

I'm with her. A cluttered worktop wouldn't put me off per se, but it does make the kitchen look smaller and look as if you don't have enough storage space.

Make the house look as light and airy as possible by making sure you open your curtains properly and not so that they are obscuring half of the window.

Polish your taps because it gives the impression that everywhere will be sparkling clean.

Switch lights on if it is a dull day

Put the heating on if it is cold

It is a home you are selling not a show house so keep some personal items on show, but get rid of excess clutter.

What kind of property is it?
The top tip is to play to its strengths according to the target market.

Without knowing that what I advise is to negate any drawbacks e.g. no one wants dark and cramped rooms, homes without enough storage space, stale odours, not that I'm suggesting you might have a smelly home at all, but sometimes if people have pets there's a smell that they don't notice but strangers pick up on. So put things away properly or into short term storage, make sure the windows are clean and have a lamp on in any particularly dark corners for viewings. Tidy any garden space trimming back anything that looks unkempt or overgrown (if there is anything)
Put out some 'best' towels and naice toiletries in the bathroom and hide stuff like the loo cleaner i.e. the gubbins of daily life.

Go outside and approach your home as though you are the viewer. Note any little issues that have been fine to live with and you've stopped noticing. Be critical, be hard on your home and think about what would attract you to pay the price you want to achieve.

Good Luck.

Under price, have an open day, declutter, and use a pro active agent.

Price and presentation are the key.
Must be clean and tidy.
No-one wants to see clutter and outstanding jobs.
Also first impression- House from the front, front garden and drive must be immaculate and I would clean all the windows.

Further to howmuch have the inside of your cupboards beautiful. Eg viewer opens cupboard and sees beautifully stacked boxes/folded linen and a little bit emptiness. Viewer is seduced into thinking you have lots of storage and that you really have cared for the house. Also I think "clean" isn't quite the word. Immaculate - you would be happy for the queen/PM/anyone to pop in. (People look everywhere) Have the house look like it does in the brochure when people view; it is the only time I iron bed linen; and ask your most critical friend if you house smells (especially if you have pets).

No clutter, yes to clear kitchen surfaces, clean floors, no personal pictures, quick neutral repaint.

If furniture makes a room look smaller push it up against a wall or get rid (pop in storage?). Make your house as empty, airy and clean as you can and live with minimal stuff whilst you are selling. Viewers want to walk in and feel as though it could be theirs instantly.

Agree with Insert about ensuring that your house resembles the brochure. We recently looked at a house that had everything we were looking for on paper: very desirable street, nice period property, right number of bed/bathrooms, large garden etc. In the pictures, it looked immaculate - but when we viewed it, it just seemed a bit grubby, dusty, lived-in. If the fact that it wasn't immaculate had come across in the pictures, it really wouldn't have been an issue, but as it was, the disparity between my expectations & the reality really put me off the house.

Consider your home's "kerb appeal". What will potential buyers see from the outside?

The front door - is the paint fresh or peeling? If there is brassware, is it polished? Is the garden neat and tidy, or full of dead and parched stalks? If there are pots around the door, are they blooming or bare earth? If there's a path, is it in good repair or is it broken with weeds growing through?

If the outside is off-putting, they can come through the door having already decided your house is not for them. The inside would have to be perfect to overturn that bad first impression.

Also have a look at the other houses on at the moment that are similar size/price/area. How does yours compare, how can you make yours just that little bit better?

We sold in a day.
Paint neutral (which you are already doing)
Get rid of extra furniture/toys/junk. Makes the rooms look bigger.
Clean everything everywhere.
We only had a kettle and toaster on the top in our large kitchen and it made it look huge.
Each room had what it needed to make it look usable if you know what I mean, so Dd's room had a single bed, a built in wardrobe and a set of toy shelves with books and boxes of toys on.
Ours had chest of drawers bed and two side tables and wardrobe.
Bathroom was scrubbed and we had "viewing towels" big fluffy white ones folded like a hotel.
Outside Dh mowed and trimmed and painted the gates and the outside paintwork was all fresh. especially the front door, we had a new door mat and a hanging basket, it looked very cute.
Dining table was in the middle of the dining room, not shoved to one side making you think the room is too small.

Stage the garden like it's set up for a bbq or gathering - people love to imagine a lifestyle when buying, works for any room really

Are you doing the viewings or the agent?

If it's the agent then leave them to it.

If it's you put your sales head on. I've had people show me round and just can't help pointing out the negatives by accident.