All sellers want to achieve the best possible price for their property, to sell in the quickest time possible and achieve the highest price offered. This means using an experienced selling agent who has extensive market knowledge, access to all the most popular selling platforms i.e. ESPC, Zoopla, Rightmove etc and experience to negotiate the best offers on your home.
There are also a number of simple steps that you as a seller can do in order to make your home more appealing to potential buyers.
Here are our top five simple bits of advice to help you maximise your home’s selling price.
Bit of an old cliché but you really don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. It’s so important that the front of your property looks as open and welcoming to buyers as possible. If you have a front garden, make sure that it’s well looked after, and that the lawn has been recently trimmed. Using flowers to add a splash of colour can really brighten up the outside of your home. Even in winter there are hardy but beautiful flowers like heather, viburnum and pansies which can be used to brighten things up and welcome potential buyers.
Ensure pathways are free from weeds or trip hazards and that wheelie bins are hidden out of sight. If your front door or window-frames are looking a little worn it’s well worth taking the time to give them a lick of paint. If you’re not too handy in the DIY department, you can spend a few extra pounds having someone come out and do it for you.
When buyers are looking at properties online or in estate agent’s particulars, they make their minds up in seconds. That’s why having the very best photographs of your home is so important. Get the photos right and it could mean higher offers and a quicker sale. Why? Well, because first impressions count.
Selling a home can be emotional, especially when you’ve lived in a property for a number of years and you’ve developed a real attachment to it but try not to be too sentimental. Trying to keep the mindset of your buyer in mind is always difficult, but ultimately you are trying to present an image of the house that your buyer will one day live in and the lifestyle that they will enjoy when they have moved their own furniture in.
Once you’ve lived in a property for a number of years, you’ll inevitably find that you accumulate a lot of stuff. You’re not always going to be aware of how much because it’s become almost part of your home. Maybe you can get a friend to give an honest insight? Hide away lots of belongings by asking a friend to look after them, putting them into storage, or just having a good old fashioned clear out! Charity shops will be grateful of any donations that they can re-sell.
For larger items or unnecessary items of furniture, put them into storage which will also really help to make your home look more spacious and easier for potential buyers to picture how the space will look with their own belongings in place.
You don’t need to start any major renovation or development to make your home more appealing to buyers. Instead, consider freshening up the interior.
Make your home look light, airy and warm. Paint parts of walls or doors that are looking jaded, hang mirrors up to give the feeling of space and strategically place extra lighting, such as a lamp, in corners. Clear bins and drains, air the room of any unpleasant odours or stale cooking smells. Try adding fresh flowers or plants throughout the house.
Pull the curtains right back to let the light in and switch the lights on in dark areas.
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