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Preparing my home for sale - top tips

33 replies

Youngatheart00 · 29/12/2020 10:34

Could I please have some top tips for maximising the appeal of my home for sale?

I’m decluttering as much as possible, house was redecorated throughout 4 years ago but could do with some touch ups.

Don’t want to spend a lot as I suspect the asking price will be limited by the area (so so at best) but are there any easy wins?

Advice appreciated! Thank you 😊

OP posts:
Youngatheart00 · 30/12/2020 22:30

Some brilliant advice here, thank you.

Definitely plan to be out of the house during viewings. Those who have pointed out open house style viewings are impractical at the moment are correct, just wasn’t thinking. Cats in the car in carriers also a good call. They’d be ok for a short while. I don’t think the house smells ‘catty’ as we are both pretty obsessed with cleaning but I get that I might not notice it.

Now just got to see what the market does given both brexit and covid!!!

OP posts:
BiBabbles · 30/12/2020 23:40

Yeah, unlikely to have open days any time soon, though there are still some estate agents that are doing 'batch viewings' (so people booked in at 3, 3:15, and 3:30) so similar effect. I think that is pushing things even with empty houses, but it's happening.

As someone who was largely looking in so-so areas with our budget, I'd recommend making sure there are photos of all the spaces -- if it says there is a garden, but no photos are up, it leads me to think they're hiding something (and the couple times I ignored that idea, I was right). Same with other rooms. Also, try not to use an someone that does that trick of squating down low outside or uses a lens to make things look bigger. It's really obvious if someone googlemaps the area (which tends to be unflattering to homes at the best of times) and raises questions of what other photo tricks were used. Same with photos taken with an up angle in all the rooms to maximize size, that's fine, but if that's done and then a couple aren't, particularly bathrooms - that brings up concerns about what's hiding - usually mold or water damage from what I've seen.

Speaking of, while I've not really cared about bedding and towels and posessions unless it looked like we'd have to clear it (seen a couple ex-HMOs), but making sure the window sills are cleared and windows coverings open both for lighting and they're common places for people to look for issues like mold or cracks. Having them covered, especially if there is an issue, can feel like you're covering things which can put people off. There was one we saw where the top window was blown and they'd just pulled the blind down halfway. Made the whole place feel dodgy after that while a house with an obvious leak from near a window frame and a blown window in the conservatory and they were open about it (to be fair, it was hard not to with the rain on that day) didn't put me off in the slightest, it was 'okay, repair jobs'.

It might be an idea to look at the many online lists of 'things to ask when buying a house' and make sure there is information there for the estate agent to use. A couple times we had 'oh, I'm not from the office...' as answer to our basic questions like whether the house had gas. Also, a lot of people like to check the heating & hot water so having that on and information on it is helpful, especially at this time of year.

Wildwood6 · 31/12/2020 16:05

Get the windows cleaned and spring clean like your life depended on it! If you have carpets hire a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner for the weekend, you'll be surprised the difference it will make, and it will make the whole house smell fresher. Make sure the exterior of the property is scrupulously clean, tidy and well cared for, particularly the front door. The stunt bedding/towels is a good call- we did something similar when we sold our last house and it definitely made life easier. Definitely do any niggling little jobs around the house that need doing, I would worry if the vendor wasn't doing the little fixes that bigger repairs were also not being taken care of. Make sure your cupboards aren't bursting with all the stuff you've tidied away, it gives the impression that the house doesn't have enough storage. Hire a storage unit if needs be, fingers crossed it should only be for a month or two, and when we've done this in the past you often get the first month's rental free or at a reduced cost anyway.

SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat · 31/12/2020 16:46

I think most things have been mentioned - one thing we missed is absolutely everything was photographed so its worth taking photographs yourself and viewing them as a buyer would. Can you see anything that needs fixing and get it repaired. Anything that doesn't look right and sort it - like do you need to rearrange furniture, a bed that's got clutter underneath that's visible on photos - that type of thing.

It's largely decluttering, tidying and making it look desirable. Look at competition on Rightmove. Gardens are also worth looking at though not easy this time of year but colourful plants, tidy, all finished, nothing overgrown.

SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat · 31/12/2020 16:47

Also look round outside of house for jobs you may have missed like guttering clearing / things needing repainting / fixing.

Corriefan2021 · 31/12/2020 16:57

Might seem obvious but move stuff for pics! Someone I know recently advertised their house with baby toys etc lying around. Surely you’d just move them out of the room for the shot?

Salome61 · 31/12/2020 23:24

Funny you saying about baby toys - in my friend's house photographs it looked like there was a dead cat under the bed, it was her dog's toy!

Corriefan2021 · 01/01/2021 01:09

Haha!!

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