Dec
15
Don’t forget the small stuff to increase your chances of selling your home
Filed Under Home And Family
Jenny Smith asked:
Spring is traditionally a popular time to put property on the market and, after a long winter, the housing market may be showing signs of recovery. Interest rates have shifted and mortage approvals are showing a slight increase. To boost your chances of selling your home, one of the key things to consider is those first impressions and the small stuff that can really make a difference to getting and sealing an offer – crucial stuff during the current recession.
While numerous television programmes have left some buyers feeling that all properties should be immaculate, neutral showhomes, this is unrealistic for most people who have to live in their houses and don’t have lots of spare cash (or desire) to restyle it before then moving out!
However, you can help buyers to see through your lifestyle and project their own on your home. So what makes a real impact?
Don’t put people off before they’ve even stepped foot in your house.A tidy, clean looking exterior, neat front gardens or paths, nice plants and flowers, nice paintwork around the front door – all of these things immediately make your house look more welcoming.
Well lit homes always seem light, airy and welcoming – simple things like cleaning the windows and the right lighting (no bare bulbs!) can make a real difference.
Homeliness also rates highly as it’s very hard to sell a house that looks unloved. If it looks as if you don’t care about, why should anyone else? Lighting the fire, clearing away clutter and touching up painted interiors can help with this.
A clean and tidy house is attractive. A smelly, uncared for one isn’t. Household odours can really put people off. Think fresh bread rather than fried breakfast! Similarly pet odours or fur can be hard to get rid of and not everyone loves Fido. These details are easy to get right but, believe it or not, can lose you a sale if you get it wrong.
According to some recent surveys, poor building work or DIY is a big turn-off for up to 90% of potential buyers and nearly the same amount would think twice about putting an offer in on a house with a garden that lacked privacy. Where you are restricted on what you can do in this capacity, just bear it in mind and make the best of what you have.
The kitchen comes up as one of the most important rooms, closely followed by the bathroom. No real surprises as these are the rooms that often have or require the most investment and work and therefore reflect the effort you have put in and perhaps means the new owners won’t have to. You don’t have to redo either of them completely, but again, making the best of them through use of light, cleanliness, lack of clutter and tidy paintwork and details (handles, finishes, blinds and flooring) can make the difference between having your house in the running for an offer or having them running out of the door.
PERCY
Spring is traditionally a popular time to put property on the market and, after a long winter, the housing market may be showing signs of recovery. Interest rates have shifted and mortage approvals are showing a slight increase. To boost your chances of selling your home, one of the key things to consider is those first impressions and the small stuff that can really make a difference to getting and sealing an offer – crucial stuff during the current recession.
While numerous television programmes have left some buyers feeling that all properties should be immaculate, neutral showhomes, this is unrealistic for most people who have to live in their houses and don’t have lots of spare cash (or desire) to restyle it before then moving out!
However, you can help buyers to see through your lifestyle and project their own on your home. So what makes a real impact?
Don’t put people off before they’ve even stepped foot in your house.A tidy, clean looking exterior, neat front gardens or paths, nice plants and flowers, nice paintwork around the front door – all of these things immediately make your house look more welcoming.
Well lit homes always seem light, airy and welcoming – simple things like cleaning the windows and the right lighting (no bare bulbs!) can make a real difference.
Homeliness also rates highly as it’s very hard to sell a house that looks unloved. If it looks as if you don’t care about, why should anyone else? Lighting the fire, clearing away clutter and touching up painted interiors can help with this.
A clean and tidy house is attractive. A smelly, uncared for one isn’t. Household odours can really put people off. Think fresh bread rather than fried breakfast! Similarly pet odours or fur can be hard to get rid of and not everyone loves Fido. These details are easy to get right but, believe it or not, can lose you a sale if you get it wrong.
According to some recent surveys, poor building work or DIY is a big turn-off for up to 90% of potential buyers and nearly the same amount would think twice about putting an offer in on a house with a garden that lacked privacy. Where you are restricted on what you can do in this capacity, just bear it in mind and make the best of what you have.
The kitchen comes up as one of the most important rooms, closely followed by the bathroom. No real surprises as these are the rooms that often have or require the most investment and work and therefore reflect the effort you have put in and perhaps means the new owners won’t have to. You don’t have to redo either of them completely, but again, making the best of them through use of light, cleanliness, lack of clutter and tidy paintwork and details (handles, finishes, blinds and flooring) can make the difference between having your house in the running for an offer or having them running out of the door.
PERCY
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