Preparing Your House for Sale – 10 Easy Steps

sell-your-house-8403631 Preparing your house for a sale means being attentive to a number of different factors. These can range from ensuring that the property is as clean and presentable as possible, while also taking into consideration issues like getting a second opinion, and making the most of unique features. By doing so, you can boost the appeal of a property for buyers, and can avoid any poor first impressions. As with any property sale in a depressed market, getting the highest price you want is going to be difficult. However, by focusing on these areas, you can improve your chances.

1. Get a Second Opinion on the House

Getting another person’s opinion on what to do with your property is essential. If you’ve been living in a property for a long time, then you are likely to have overlooked any flaws, or underestimated the potential of particular spaces. The advice you get might be critical, but is important to use if you want to improve the value of a sale.
2. Clean Out Clutter A house viewing provides an excellent opportunity to clean out the clutter in your home, whether that means stacks of old magazines, or bits and pieces around the kitchen or bathroom that can do with being thrown out. Having a decluttered space will make your home easier to clean.

3. Professional Cleaning

Although you may be able to do the majority of jobs in your home, getting in a professional cleaner for a day’s work can be worth the money. Professional cleaners can focus on tough to clean areas like the inside of an oven, the grout in the shower, and carpet stains.

4. Make Some Fixes

Don’t go overboard if there aren’t any major problems, but make sure that you replace lightbulbs, remove any obvious damage, oil creaking doors and windows, and paint over scratches and stains on fittings.

5. Make the Most of Special Features

People viewing a property can be drawn to a unique feature, whether that is an antique fireplace or some unusual furnishings. Try to make the most of these, and be prepared to describe them in detail if questions do come up.

6. Focus on First Impressions

First impressions are key when selling a house, so ensure that the front of your property is clean and well maintained. Front gardens and windows are particularly important to focus on, as is the front door and the state of a driveway.

7. Make the Most of Space

You might be able to extend space in your home by temporarily removing property. If you are selling unfurnished, removing large items that distort the actual space in a room can make a home more attractive.

8. Look At Gardens

Think carefully about what you can achieve in a short space of time with your garden. You may want to remove weeds and any junk from the garden, as well as ensuring that fences are painted and not broken. Again, a professional gardener can do most of this work in a single session.

9. Get Advice from an Estate Agent

A good estate agent will be able to look at your home and give you advice about the best way to present it. Try to get a few opinions before making a decision.


10. Things to Avoid

Be careful about when you schedule any ‘open house’ viewings, especially if you are selling in an area that might attract crime. Similarly, make sure that any investments you make in renovations are relative to the price that you are hoping to receive for a property.

About the Author: Rob James is a property redeveloper working in conjunction with www.haart.co.uk. He aims to help to make buying a home easier by blogging about mortgages, moving home, and interior design.