Ultimate house selling tips

[CuteOrangeElephant]

I will have the estate agents in next week after our lovely cleaner has done a deep clean and I have a massive list of (tiny) chores to do this weekend.

I have never sold a property before so I would like to know from those of you who are more experienced sellers, what is the best investment of my time (this weekend) and money?

I am getting properly nervous .

I already have decluttered massively.

Unfortunately I've got a real marmite property so I think it's got to look perfect on the pictures to get people in.

Thanks

Yes the quality of the photographs make a massive difference.
Look at Brickworks London and The Modern House and you will see what good photography looks like and how to style/de clutter well (Brickworks have a stylist who helps to do this).
Make sure your house smells nice, I always had flowers in the hallway and kitchen/diner, plus chilled music in the quietly playiing in the background.
Lighting helps to set the scene as well but obviously it depends on the time of day.
A tidy up in the garden makes a big difference as well.
We went under offer quite quickly.
Good luck

Your estate agent should have been around with you and told you what to do. Did they help you create a list and prioritise? E.g. paint this wall, paint the radiator,.move the shoe rack, put away X, Y , Z. If they didn't maybe find one that does. Remember they are earning money from you so they should help you sell. Similarly when the photographer is in the EA and photographer should make sure that the house is best staged for the pictures. This might involve moving furniture from one room to another. Getting things out the way. Make sure all beds are made properly and are neat and tidy. Good luck.

All windows professionally cleaned inside and out.
Immaculate front garden/entrance, clear dustbins, prune bushes, jetwash, etc
If curtains are old or dark, remove and replace with light voile or a modern blind.
Remove all low watt, energy saving lightbulbs and replace with 60w
No clutter - totally clear surfaces - use storage if you have to.
No animal or fusty smells.
If you've small bedrooms then reduce bed sizes - a small double 4' works wonders in a 9x9 room.

Before the agent /photographer comes round, take your own photos and check them over. Sometimes something that is unnoticed in real life, is very obvious in photos. Little things can distract people from looking at the rest of the room properly. I am a Right move addict, and sometimes look at photos and think "why didn't they move that laundry basket /box of lego /bowl of dog food?"
Make sure curtains or blinds are pulled back /up neatly.
Straighten up hanging towels in bathroom or kitchen.
Clear magnets and stuff off the fridge.
Beds made smoothly with pillow over the duvet.
TV off (why do people have in ON in photos?)

I think people are often buying a lifestyle as well as a house. Think about who your buyers are likely to be, what stage of life are they at? I always leave some photos etc around (I don’t clear them away), I always buy fresh flowers and have an inviting fruit bowl. I make sure the house is immaculate and smells nice. Overpowering scent can be off putting but something fresh and clean is nice (I have a couple of scented candles that give a gentle smell when not lit). If you have pets I’d try to hide the pet smell as I would find that off putting. If you have random life clutter that doesn’t have a good home (an ironing board in a bedroom, say, or laundry baskets around) then remove them temporarily. Sell them the best version of your/their life.

I once viewed a quite high value property that smelled funny, had no personal things around, no photos, had a weird mismatch of furniture, and no personality. It felt a bit like a student house, as though the family were not living/thriving in it and I found that very offputting. I’m sure the lack of a home feel was part of why we didn’t offer. The last house we bought was a wreck, after 40 years of the same family, it was stuck at around 1985. But it was clearly a much loved family home and that definitely appealed to me.

We booked a handyman in for a day (really a few hours) and blitzed all the little jobs we'd been neglecting, plus some cheap upgrades.

Fixed some plaster damage/cracks. Updated some of the sink/bath taps that looked marked and worn. Hung some new hooks and shelves. Removed all clutter from the bathroom and added a new wall cabinet and towel rack. Get some matching towels/bath mat for show. Rehung a kitchen cabinet door that was coming off. Etc. Go though each room and make a list. It cost around 350 with ebay/sales and labour but it really made a difference.

Get a couple of those grout pens and freshen up the bathroom.

We don't really have designated space for shoes, so we put an ikea rubber shoe mat in the hall closet with one or two pairs of shoes. It made it look functional but still tidy.

Re: clutter - try not to have anything on the floor. Baskets, magazine racks, etc. Really helped for a streamlined, clean look.

Wow these tips are all brilliant.

We've not had any estate agents around yet because we want to have the house in it's best possible state. Is this doing things the wrong way around?

Regarding no animals, we do have a cat that can't really go elsewhere. I think I will hide his box during viewings.

@raindropsfallingonglass what candles would you recommend? I am not usually a candle person and DH can't smell so doesn't care. I have some Yankee candles one that are a bit overpowering so probably not those.

What would you all recommend for kids stuff? We have an area in the living room for toys. Obviously I will remove all the toys before the pictures but are they ok to stay for viewings?

No toys in living areas. If DC rooms big enough move there in boxes. If not boxes go in your boot during viewings.

Be realistic about what you are selling and the potential lifestyles of those buying it.

What kind of house is it.

If you normally eat on sofa then get a small table in. People can't use imaginations.

Get storage for things like shoes. Costs. Toys. If you don't people will walk away saying the house has no storage. If just gives them the idea of function.

Tart up and grubby patches.

Yes to a nice smell. Aldi do great cheap reed diffusers and candles.

It's exhausting keeping a house tidy for viewings. I had to fold up laundry every time as we don't have a tumble dryer so I use an airer rack. Also people were obsessed with do I have a dishwasher!!!!

We have an council garage of site we put a ton of stuff in to make our rooms look bigger. That sold it in the end as we regularly got kids rooms too small until we emptied them of excess furniture.

Have you a relative with a garage/shed that could do this for you?

Once we sold we brought it all back.

Post a couple of pictures here OP, and posters will be able to advise.

Don't be ashamed. We all have tonnes of clothes laying around on a chair in our bedroom, and overflowing washing baskets, in real life!!

Make the house look appealing from the outside. People will often drive past a property to decide whether or not to book a viewing.

I won't post pictures as it's a bit outing.
But to answer a PPs question, it's a 2 bed maisonette above a shop in the centre of a niceish village.

In my mind the plusses are:
A lot more spacious than other 2 beds in the area
Lovely period features (still have 4 original cast iron fireplaces)
It's got a roof terrace which none of my neighbours have
Off street parking but only if you have a small car
Right in the centre off the village so walking distance to everything including the station

Downsides:
Can get loud outside in summer as opposite a pub
It really needs a new bathroom, though the current one looks nice at first glance
Entrance through an alley
People are funny about living above a shop

Sell in spring or autumn if the pubs an issue or only accept viewings morning time

We have a pub near us. Never been an issue but it did put one buyer off as it was having a live band at the time

Ime EAs don't advise you how to present a place as you think they might do - they'd rather not offend or don't care as the effect on their commission is minimal.

The biggest things are to declutter, do any little DIY jobs or the place looks unloved/ people think there could be bigger issues, and make sure it's sparkling clean. For viewings, air by opening windows beforehand - scented candles and air fresheners smack of trying to mask issues, make sure it's warm and put all the lights on. If you are doing viewings, let the viewers walk into rooms before you and stay near the door so it doesn't feel crowded/small. Don't twitter away, keep it factual and encourage questions. Be ready to be asked why you are moving, is it noisy, etc. and promote the good things about it.

The bathroom doesn't matter if it's clean and not leaking - someone who buys will want to put their own stamp on the place anyway. Just don't have loads of bottles round the edge of the shower, visible limescale, mouldy grout, etc.

I’m also not a candle person but I have a nice Isle of Skye winter spice one that I sometimes just sit in the front hallway to mask any foot/shoe smells. We have some lavender ones that are quite nice too. I think yours will probably be fine, just pop the top off them before you leave for your visit.

Yes toys away for the photos but ok for viewings as long as they are neat and tidy, and not taking over the room (unless a play room). I’d seriously consider thinning down the toys for the initial viewing season.

If you get it right and with a bit of luck (right price, ok market) it can be over quite quickly so these changes can be quite temporary

fix stuff. A neglected house won't sell.

stinky candles, recently brewed coffee etc just shout 'something to hide'.

the location issues can't be helped, there will be someone out there who either doesn't mind or sees it as a plus.

Place marking as also looking to sell in the next couple of weeks and need some tips!

First valuation is booked on Thursday!

I walked into an estate agent just now on a wim. It really puts the pressure on!

@madeyemoodysmum I just cleared the local Aldi from all nr 3 pomegranate diffusers and candles. I think there's only nr 1 and nr 24 left

New towels, new duvet covers, new rugs...all in white

You say you have a roof terrace. How does it look ?
If you have nice ( i.e not plastic ) planters do they have plants in at the moment? If not get some primrose , primulas , trailing ivy etc in them to create colour. If you don't have anything then you could buy a few small ones to put near your door.
Have that area very neat and tidy, sweep up leaves, clean the steps up to your property, make it welcoming .
Have you heating on at a good temperture, you want to be cosy and homely.

@Namethecat

I have a deal with my neighbours that I can borrow their nice established plants for pictures and viewings! I also went to the garden centre today and bought some heather and a pot with blooming flowers.

Try and imagine your most likely buyers and how the house will look through their eyes. For example the last house we sold was very cottagey, lots of pine, it could have looked a bit dated with our 10-year old décor and 20 year old furniture. And we were expecting it to go to people 10-15 years younger with young families as it was in a village with a good primary school.

Basically as well as the declutter I went and got some accessories from Asda/TKMaxx that were more up to date and made it feel a bit more contemporary styled. Brought them all with me to the new place!.

People expect houses to look like magazines now - nothing practical like bins, odd random appliances, etc should be in the photos. People look at photos at their leisure whereas you can get away with tidy lived-in for viewings.