How to prepare your house for sale
Free pre-marketing advice from our in-house expert.
At Belvoir, we are estate agents in Stoke-on-Trent meeting with vendors and buyers on a daily basis, visiting houses for appraisals, advising vendors on how to maximise their property's potential and listening to buyers on what they are looking for in a house.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my last 3 tips on 1. Declutter and 2. De-personalise and 3. Repair! Here is tip #4 to get your house ready for sale. Today I am going to talk about viewings. You can do simple things on viewing day to help make the house more attractive to a buyer.
PREPARING FOR VIEWINGS
You've done the hard work "interviewing" agents and choosing the best person for the job. You've perhaps taken some pre-marketing advice and done some repairs around the house. You've decluttered and de-personalised the house. Then the photographer has taken quality professional photos of your hosue. You've then received the draft particulars for sale and floor plans and given your approval for the house to go on the market. The agent has then worked hard in the first few days advertising on the property portals and calling their registered buyers. They've co-ordinated your availability with the viewer's request for a viewing appointment. Then comes viewing day!
What could you do to maximise the house appeal?
a. Clean and tidy up the house
A clean house is far more attractive than a dirty one. I'm sure most people know this. I would tidy up cushions, make the beds well, put away toiletries from bathroom ledges, tidy up dressing tables of unnecessary make up items and store away the childrens' toys.
b. Put the heating on
To create a warm and fuzzy feeling (especially in Spring, Autumn and Winter!), it would be better to put the heating on at least an hour before the scheduled viewing to remove the chill in the air. If you have a fireplace, perhaps switch that on just before the viewing to create a great atmosphere. You want to create a homely feel for the viewers.
c. Fresh flowers
Lift the appearance of a coffee table or a dining table by putting a vase of fresh flowers. They will look great, smell great and give viewers a warm feeling! If you don't manage to buy fresh flowers, maybe cut fresh foliage from the garden?
d. Create a nice smell
A nice scented candle or room fragrance in room lifts the atmosphere and makes a room smell divine! Please don't overpour the agent and the viewer with overwhelming smells and be aware that people with asthma can have breathing difficulties with synthetic paraffin based candles. Make sure you place the candle in a safe place. If you're expecting children at the viewing, make sure to place it out of reach and away from where someone may accidentally knock it over. Remember people don't know the layout of your house and furniture, so it's more likely they may knock things over.
If you prefer not to have a home fragrance, the bread in the oven works! The smell of freshly baking goods is just heavenly…
e. Create a parking space for the viewer
If at all possible, why not move a car from the front of the house to make space for your viewer? This will help them envisage living at the property and, at the very least, not highlight any parking issues.
Look out for my next tip next week. If you’d like to discuss how to prepare your home, just ring me on 01782 478444. Our office covers these postcodes: ST1, ST2, ST3, ST6, ST8, ST9 and ST13. I’d be happy to come round to do an appraisal.
Ramona Hirschi
Managing Director
Belvoir Stoke on Trent
Estate Agency in Stoke-on-Trent
