Getting house ready for market - tips needed

[Raindrops7654]

We are looking to start marketing our property imminently. What quick and cost effective jobs might there be in terms of freshening up the house for perspective buyers? Beyond the obvious cleaning and decluttering of course.
Thanks in advance.

Good luck with it all. We paid for a professional power wash outside, patios drive etc.
Maybe take your own photos to try to see the house through fresh eyes ( or ask a close friend) look at kerb appeal, maximise space, clear work surfaces, check each room has a clear purpose etc.
New door mats and some plants. Open windows. Remove any throws before EA photos and viewings. Freshen up and plump up cushions. Pay for an oven clean if needed.

As clutter free as possible.
Perhaps a paint touch up if there’s any obvious dirty areas.

Power wash I hadn't thought of!
Re paint I'm not sure about colour matching most areas so would need to commit to whole rooms incase im slightly out. Tight on time to get it actually listed. Could do that afterwards?

Everything is very plain and likely people would "put their own stamp" anyway so I'm not sure if it's okay to leave as is.

We bought out current property as a new build so only have shiny show houses to go on- I've no real experience of what level of decor finish is generally expected with existing properties.

People buy into a lifestyle ideal, so showcase a desirable lifestyle. Upgrade scatter cushions, throws, maximise kitchen surface area (put away kettle, toaster etc), ensure bulbs in lights throw nice light. Stage outdoor area. Deal with any dark or quirky areas of the house to minimise distractions.

If you have any furry family members, remove all traces of them. I was suprised by a previous thread on here how many people that puts off.

No pets thankfully that's one less thing to think about. Just children who are going to have to keep on top of tidying their toys away!

My neighbours very plain house wasn’t getting any viewings, Estate Agent said most people do a drive by first so kerb appeal is very important, cut grass, tidy garden, fresh new hanging baskets and planters, it worked. Also put away any personal photos and excessive nicknicks.

I am having to do the same. Make sure any little niggly jobs have been done.

If you can pack away summer gear to a loft or garage then do - it will do you no harm to have some spare cupboard space as you tidy for viewings.

Another obvious point is that price has become more of an issue for buyers than it was. There are lots of threads recently of sellers siting on the market "waiting for the right buyer". Which of course is code for I'm overpriced. The market is tough and falling in many areas - but good value houses still sell. The leading indicator will be the number of viewings in the first couple of weeks. If they start drying up, or you get no offers, be ready to adjust your expectation quickly. Houses that wait too long to reduce or don't reduce enough are everywhere - not selling obviously.

Hire a small self storage unit, get some packing boxes now and pack away anything that you don't need in the next 3-6 months. Label everything well. Strip the toys down to make it easier to be able to tidy stuff away. Use the boot of your cars for any hiding of things on the days the photos are taken or on viewings.

Clear worktops for the photos, tops of kitchen cupboards, tops of wardrobes, tidy away lots of shampoo bottles, cleaning products etc, strip it down now. Any cables or wires tuck away. The same with the children's bedrooms, just move stuff out for the photos, no one wants to see a million toys. If you feel brave you can take photos yourself now and we can hopefully suggest any changes or congratulate you on an incredible job. I am one of the brave people who put their house link on here to get brutal feedback. It is helpful to get it even if it feels harsh.

Look on Rightmove now at who you are competing with but also how other people are presenting their houses. Remember your house is your biggest asset, invest some time and money in it now to present it in the best way.

This is all so helpful and encouraging, thank you everyone.
Definitely not in a position to send photos yet! Giving ourselves the rest of this week and weekend to blitz through as much of the above as we can so may add some next week for a gentle critique!

Make sure any things that are obviously broken are fixed, good first impressions are important so front garden, front door, no bad smells on entry.
Make sure the agent takes really good photos and writes a good description.
Other than those things, the asking price is really key in a stagnant/falling market. If you want to sell quickly, for the best figure, don't price it too high for your market.

Agree with @rainingsnoring about quality of photos and description! Don't be afraid to proofread and correct mistakes - I'm always seeing glaringly obvious errors in other people's blurb and can't understand why they didn't correct it.

Our EA last year used a professional photographer, but was happy for us to supply additional photos, for example we were selling at the time of year when the (massive!) garden was past its best, so we gave them pics from when everything was flowering.

Kerb appeal is really important, so make that area look as attractive as possible. Power washing certainly paid off the expense for us.

Remove the majority of the personal stuff and photos. Surfaces clear and new towels and one or two posh toiletries in the bathrooms.

Critique any photo and blurb you don’t like.

Just make it look as though it’s a show home. 😁

If it is very plain, clean and uncluttered, I would recommend 'dressing' it a bit. Several healthy looking pot plants, big displays of flowers, bright new cushions and hand towels. Not clutter, just dressed. Have a look at pics of show homes on new estates for ideas.

I agree. Being an active participant in your sale will definitely help you to sell. That starts with taking the time to research your market carefully instead of complaining when you get no offers 'but the estate agent said...', then checking that photos, etc are of good quality, accommodating viewings when you can and completing paperwork promptly during the sale process.
Good luck with your sale.

If you live in an area close to woodland/fields/park areas ask the EA to take some drone photos, it really helps if people don’t know the area

BTW..we’re wondering if we need to re-skim all of our artexed ceilings? 🤨 Can anyone advise please?

Depends if you are trying to drive the highest price possible for your house. In the current market, if the house is otherwise presented really well then I'd consider it in the main rooms at least. If you are selling a fixer upper, then I wouldn't bother.

Where you can, I'd freshen up paint especially if it is plain and light. People often have zero imagination in my experience and houses you can walk into without changing anything immediately, even if it's all plain white sell quickly. I've painted an entire ground floor, hall stairs and landing in a weekend. You can do it.

Deep clean well including floors, carpets if needed, wiping down skirting boards and windowsills. Clean blinds that are dusty.

Outside, clean windows and sills, hang a seasonal garland on the front door. Weed and sweep drive, garden, cut and edge any grass.
Few pots with colourful seasonal flowers.

Declutter inside ruthlessly. Keep the loo seat down. Keep the kitchen worktops clear and clean. Make the beds properly with ironed neutral bedlinen. Plump cushions.

Add some fresh flowers and plants.

Its a great idea to have someone take a look with critical eyes.

deVol kitchen and Heal's lounge set.