Getting your home ready for potential buyers can add value to your house and even make those offers come in sooner. We have a few tips that will encourage viewers to get their cheque books out as soon as they walk through the door. If you need any help with any of the below or anything to do with moving house make sure you drop us a line!

Declutter

  • We all accumulate ‘stuff’ over the years – get rid of anything you don’t really need/want or you can always store it elsewhere for a while. If it’s something you haven’t used for a year and can replace it for less than £20 in less than 20 minutes, get rid of it.
  • Keep your house liveable – potential buyers want to see that it is a home and that it can be lived in – remember leave some personality on show but not all of it.
  • If you’ve got any furniture that might make the rooms feel small – replace with smaller furniture if you can. You’re looking for an airy feel in the house.
  • Make sure all the beds are made well and bedrooms are tidy.
  • Clear the surfaces in the kitchen, make sure it’s really clean and remove bulky appliances where possible.

Brighten your rooms

  • Wall mirrors and clean windows will make a room look much bigger and lighter. Making the place feel light and airy makes the property more attractive.
  • Place high voltage bulbs in light fittings and ensure that you have lamps on in any dark corners.

Refreshing your home

  • Giving your walls a fresh coat of paint will give a light and airy feel to your rooms, making them feel bigger – giving It will enable the viewers to more easily imagine how they would adapt the rooms to their needs
  • Make sure the windows have blinds or curtains – naked windows make a place feel temporary and add some plants and flowers to brighten up the room.

Fix and clean

  • Make any minor repairs necessary – holes in walls, broken door knobs, cracked tiles, torn or threadbare carpets. Many buyers want to move in without making changes, so allow for this.
  • Clean everything until it sparkles. Get rid of limescale, clean and repair tile grout, wax wooden floors, get rid of all odours, hang up fresh towels. This will make the place more appealing and allow viewers to imagine living there.
  • Tidy up the garden: cut bushes back, clean the patio and furniture of lichen and dirt, and cut the grass. While this doesn’t add much value to your home it makes it more likely to sell as people visualise themselves using the garden.

Can you smell a sale?

  • If you are a smoker or regular fryer make sure your house is rid of those bad smells. Nobody wants to buy a house that smells like a chip shop. Make sure you wash bins and open windows and make sure the house is well-aired.
  • You can get rid of stale smoke smells by placing bowls of vinegar around the house. Leave them out for three days and when you open the windows the vinegar smell will disappear taking most of the stale cigarette smell with it.
  • On the other hand, nice smells can be quite enticing. While it might be impractical to bake fresh bread, cakes or brownies for every viewer, it can’t hurt to brew some fresh coffee or have a reed diffuser.

More expensive things to contemplate …

  • Your kitchen and bathrooms are the most valuable rooms in a house. If it makes sense and is cost effective you should think about updating or renovating your kitchen or bathroom.

Moving house can be stressful – we’re here to help. For more tips on moving from the HomeMover Specialist make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook.