Top Tips To Prepare Your Home For Selling
If you are looking to sell your property quickly and for a higher sale price, you will need your home to be presented looking its absolute best. Potential buyers will be looking for a tidy and uncluttered property, which is light, bright and spacious. Some properties will need more preparation than others and sometimes only professional staging will work. However, your property may just need some time and effort to entice viewers to fall in love with it and imagine themselves living there. Style My Home is a professional property staging company based in Kent and here are our top tips for presenting your property to look its best.
Things to do to prepare your property for selling
- Clean thoroughly
- Declutter and tidy
- Ensure décor is in tip top order
- Define each room
- Introduce pleasant aromas
- Introduce as much light as possible – naturally and artificially
- Ensure the outside is well maintained – instant kerb appeal
- Tidy outdoor spaces and make them inviting
Clean thoroughly, declutter and depersonalise
Ensure walls, paintwork are spotlessly clean and windows sparkle. Floors must also be clean and if you have carpets, thorough shampooing is recommended. If necessary, curtains and carpets should be professionally cleaned. Lots of clutter in your property will make it appear smaller. This is a good opportunity as well to get rid of things that you no longer need. Go through cupboards, wardrobes and all storage areas and throw out things you won’t be taking to your new home. You will also have to depersonalise your property as you cannot expect anyone to fall in love with it if there are family photographs, children’s artwork, collectible items, memorabilia and trophies on display. Don’t forget, you can use short-term storage units if you don’t want to part with things.
Décor and paintwork
Make sure your décor is in good condition. A fresh coat of paint will work wonders. If possible use neutral tones, as colour is a very personal thing. Your favourite forest green or cobalt blue may not be everyone’s choice! There is also the added advantage that rooms may appear bigger and lighter if decorated in more neutral hues. Don’t forget injections of colour, including new cushions and throws or add wallpaper to one wall to create a feature. You can also introduce focal points including a piece of furniture or painting. But don’t forget to overlook your existing focal points such as fireplaces and outside views – make sure blinds at the window do not hide these.
Define rooms by styling them and disciplining their use
Rooms must be clearly defined. Don’t use a spare bedroom as a storage area and if you have a large double bedroom make sure it has the right sized bed in it. If your property has a dining room, ensure it is set out as such and doesn’t convey that it is the children’s play area. When you prepare your home for selling, convert rooms back to their original use where possible. And on the subject of rooms, remove any excess furniture and certainly any that masks the room’s function. Minimal furniture will again give that feeling of space and buyers love this. And remember to give enough space for several viewers to be walking around.
Improve your lighting
This is so important, especially as autumn brings on darkness. Open up curtains and minimise window treatments and even consider removing any large, heavy curtains that cover a lot of the window. Any natural light needs to stream in. If you are selling in the autumn or winter months, add lots of table and floor lamps and ensure kitchens and bathrooms are well lit.
Fill your property with pleasant aromas
Pleasant aromas and scents will enhance the appeal of your property. This could be in the form of candles, reed diffusers or freshly cut flowers. Smells that are a definite turn off are smoking, pets, bins, toilets, damp and bins. If you are not living in your property, make sure it is aired and open windows on a regular basis.
Don’t forget the outside!
The front of your property will be the viewer’s first impression, and they must instantly love it. Ensure gardens are tidy and that shrubs and bushes are trimmed and lawns are cut. Place outdoor furniture on patio areas with cushions on chairs and table settings if possible.
How can Style My Home help you to prepare your property?
Photographs will sell your property. Potential buyers will be put off by messy, cluttered rooms, so ensure the rooms in your home are light, bright, tidy and well-presented. You really must prepare your home for selling to get a quicker sale and higher price. Style My Home offers a complete staging service or simply reports to assist you to prepare your property, so potential buyers will fall in love with it. For any help, contact Caroline on 07918 081792 or email [email protected]
