When it comes to selling your home, small details make a big difference in encouraging people back up the path for a second viewing. Thinking of selling yours? Here are ten tops tips for attracting buyers, courtesy of Estate Agents Brannen & Partners…
1. First Impressions
Stand outside your property. How would you rate it? Would it appeal to you as a buyer? Does it need repainting, the garden need tidying, and the path weeding? Initial impressions can stay with a potential buyer long after they’ve viewed a property, so the presentation of the outside is just as important as the inside.
2. A Room With A Purpose
In the current market, a property needs to clearly justify its value if a buyer is to offer anywhere near the asking price. Without expensive renovations or building works, one of the most straightforward ways to validate the asking price is to appraise each room as if it has a price tag attached to it. Some rooms have a much higher value than others, and ‘dual-use’ rooms in particular often don’t appeal.
A dining room may seem charming if doubling up as a playroom, but buyers attribute more value to a dining room than a child’s play area, so try and keep the toys elsewhere. If a spare upstairs room has become a home office, turn it back into a simple bedroom. Buyers rate the number of bedrooms very highly!
3. Let The Air In
Musty-smelling rooms are off-putting and make people want to get out before they’ve even noticed the stunning ceiling rose. Don’t forget to air rarely used rooms… and teenagers’ bedrooms!
4. Lighten Up
If you have a dark room or hallway, make sure all the lights are on. Table or floor standing lights can be particularly effective without emphasising the lack of natural light.
5. Don’t Forget Your Keys
Buyers will be entering through the front door, but they’ll want to see all areas of the property, including outside spaces and garages, so remember to keep all keys with you. A good viewing should be efficient, simple and friendly. If vendors are rushing around the house frantically searching for keys, the viewing can quickly seem disorganised and muddled, sentiments which can easily be applied to the house itself and put the buyer off.
6. Smell Of Success
You shouldn’t underestimate the power of the sense of smell and how it affects our other senses. A home that smells fresh and clean is more important than baking bread or brewing coffee.
7. Window Dressing
People are always drawn towards windows, so make them a real focal point. Apart from ensuring the glass is sparkling (well worth paying a window cleaner), clear junk off window sills and keep curtains pulled well back to make rooms seem lighter and bigger.
8. Floor Space
The tidier the better! It’s particularly important to take everything off the floor, as carpet clutter is the quickest way to make a room look smaller.
9. The Pets Have To Go
Remember that not everyone loves your pets as much as you do. Dishes of pet food in the kitchen, especially in warm weather, are a complete turn-off, as are little accidents left on the lawn. Try and take dogs out for walks during viewings, as barking and scratching at doors can be off-putting to someone visiting. Try and remove hair and smells as best you can.
10. Leave People To Browse
Viewers don’t want to be pounced on by owners and over-loaded with information. Allow people to look around the property and ask if they have any specific questions they would like answering.
Getting the basics right will often help make the property more sellable and achieve the best possible price. Don’t worry about spending a lot of money on a property prior to sale, as there’s no guarantee you’ll recoup the outlay, or that it’ll be to any potential buyer’s tastes. Instead, do all the little finishing off bits. Touching up paintwork and neutralising walls from bold colours can often be more cost and time effective, without the hassle.
Looking to buy or sell? You can visit www.brannen-partners.co.uk for more information, or call 0191 2578484 to speak to an advisor personally.
