There is no doubt that we come to move house, we want to sell quickly. There can be a number of reasons for this:-
- You have found our dream home and are afraid that you will lose out
- Your partner has relocated for work and you will be separated until we can sell
- You are selling a property as part of an deceased’s estate and the estate cannot be wound up and the monies distributed until the property is sold
- You are separating and cannot move on with your life until the family home is sold.
Whatever your reason for wanting a quick sale (and it could be simply that you don’t enjoy the experience of having your property on the market) I want to share my top tips.
1. Declutter
The first thing to do when selling your home is to have a good declutter and the reasons for this are:-
- It enables your prospective buyer to see the true space available. If your property, or individual rooms, are cluttered, buyers may dismiss it because they feel that the space is too small.
- Clutter is a distraction. Buyers may focus on what is in the property rather than the property itself. Subconsciously they may judge your property on the basis of what is in it rather than the property itself.
- It’s very easy to assume that clutter doesn’t matter because people know that the contents will have gone when they move in. However some people find it difficult to visualise, and if there is a lot of clutter this may prevent them visualising their own possessions in the space.
- On a purely practical level, when you come to move you’re going to have to pack up your belongings so having a declutter at the very start means that there will be less for you to pack away when the time comes, it may even mean that you save on removal charges because the amount of contents to be moved is less. Even if you want to keep something it is worth packing infrequently used things away in order to reduce clutter. It means you don’t have to do it all at the end.
For my tips on decluttering read my blog Time To Restore Some Order
Clean
Once you’ve decluttered, the next thing to do is to have a really good clean, I simply can’t over emphasise this. If you have pets, or a member of the household smokes cleaning is particularly important because, as the occupier, you may not be aware of any odours. A nice clean property is much more inviting when people view and although initial viewings may be done by means of a virtual tour, serious buyers will always want to view the property in person so it’s still important. It’s worth getting a professional cleaning company in to do a deep clean and this will include all those things that you might not have thought of doing yourself such as the grout between the tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, windows, skirting boards and of course the oven and kitchen cupboards (because buyers will look inside).
If you have a professional deep clean to start it may be possible for you to keep on top of the cleaning after this or you may prefer to retain the services of the professional cleaning company for the period that the property is on the market. Depending on the size and type of property these cleans may need to be on a weekly or perhaps fortnightly basis.
Having carpets cleaned is also a good idea. It is astonishing what can be achieved. Carpets that buyers might have thought needed replacing (the cost of which they therefore reflect in any offer) appear like new.
Depersonalise
What do I mean by depersonalising? What I mean is removing, or at least reducing, the number of items in the property that are an obvious reflection of yourself. With the impact of advancements in photography, there is a growing trend for wall art comprising family photographs which can take the form of one very large canvas or a number of smaller photos displayed in a gallery form. These can be home photos or studio photos. Whilst these are undoubtedly attractive, and make a house into a home, the problem when you come to sell is that if you have a large number of such photos or very large photos they very much signal your ownership. Consciously or unconsciously this may make it difficult for your buyers to picture themselves living in the property. I recommend removing larger family portraits and limit yourself to one or two smaller photos perhaps positioned on a shelf or a mantelpiece rather than on the walls themselves. I recommend replacing family photos with artwork that is neutral in subject matter, for example landscapes or other images taken from nature, or abstract artworks that reflect the colour palette of the room. Similarly pack away the holiday momentos and other pieces that very clearly reflect your personal taste. This is not in any way intended as a criticism of anybody’s personal taste it is all about enabling your buyers to picture themselves and their own possessions in your house.
Decor such as wall and floor coverings should be neutral with artwork and accessories used to add colour and interest.
These are my Top Three Tips but there a lot more things that you can do to make your property more saleable and they needn’t cost a fortune. From simple advice to full hands on staging I can help. Contact me on 07745 876182 or e mail me at judith@homestyle4u.com. I cover the Wirral, Cheshire, the North West and North Wales but I also offer consultations remotely.