Wightmove - The Brightmove

Stop trying to sell your property: make it buyable

At this stage, you need to prepare your home to attract potential buyers.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a good first impression!

Properly preparing your property to present it to potential buyers can make the difference between a quick sale at a good price and a difficult sale with price reductions.

Once again, remain impartial. Look at your property through the buyer’s eyes. What are its weak points? How does it look? Buyers go by what they see. A clean, orderly house in good shape inspires confidence and sells easier. If needed, invite a few of your friends to make comments on the condition of your property.

Here is a list of things to consider to ensure that your house makes a good first impression and is “buyable.”

It’s the outside of a property that attracts visitors first. Keep in mind that potential buyers often come just to take a look at the outside of your property before even contacting you.

Exterior

• Mow the lawn.
• Trim the bushes.
• Weed the flower beds.
• Remove anything cluttering up the yard.
• Clean the path, garden furniture, BBQ, Rubbish area, etc.

• Get rid of oil stains.
• Move unused vehicles that are in the way.

• Replace missing shingles on the roof.
• Make sure that the front door is welcoming. You may even want to repaint it.
• Repair broken windows.
• Paint window and door frames and anywhere else paint is flaking.
• Remove political or other symbols, such as flags.

The interior

• Clean the house thoroughly, particularly the kitchen, the bathrooms, the windows and the curtains.
• Get rid of any useless items cluttering up storage space.
• Add a fresh coat of paint to the walls. A coat of white matt makes rooms look larger and brighter, and eliminates smoke and pet odours.
• Deep clean the carpets and replace them if needed.
• Light the rooms to enhance their appearance.
• Make sure that everything is in working order in the house (toilets, doorbell, heating, etc.).
• Don’t forget: the smell of cigarettes can turn even other smokers off.

Making sure the property and any amenities are in good shape doesn’t increase the value, but it does consolidate it. After all, a buyer expects a working water heater and a watertight roof.