How to get your home ready to sell, quickly and easily.

It’s that time of year when people start thinking about whether to move house or not. Some look ahead to warm summers in a bigger garden, others families are growing and they need more family space and bedrooms or to be closer to schools, and others are looking to downsize so they can travel more or free up money for other adventures.

Whatever the reason, the first stages of selling your home can be daunting enough to put you off altogether. How can I pack all the stuff that is in my home? Does my house look nice enough for photos and will we get near our asking price are just some of the questions asked?

An estate agent is always the best person to speak with about the last question, but getting the first two worries sorted can lessen the stress a huge amount.

Cull the clutter

As soon as you start to think about moving you need to start thinking about decluttering.  Hiring people to pack up and remove items you no longer need or want will be expensive, so give yourself enough time before listing your house to cull as much clutter as you can. 

Work through rooms methodically. Broken, cracked or chipped items can go - you don’t want to pay for removal men (or women) to move broken goods for you. Bulky toys and leisure equipment that has been grown out of or is no longer used can easily be sold on or donated. Even furniture that no longer serves a purpose (or never has) could be moved on.  

If you need a kick up the backside to get this done get a quote from removal companies BEFORE the cull...once you’ve picked yourself up off the floor get cracking!

This job doesn’t need to take up all your weekends for the foreseeable future, but it is worth investing your time early doors to make packing easier and quicker and your removal bill considerably cheaper.

Choose your home's best side

When it comes to having photos taken by your estate agency then you need to show your home in the best possible light (figuratively and literally) to get the best bang for your buck. 

I always recommend, when planning to move home, that you give yourself a small budget to fix or freshen up important areas in your home. The best places to focus your attention is the front of your house, the back of your house, the kitchen, bathroom and living room.

Curb appeal

The front of your house is usually what your potential buyers will see first - Curb Appeal as Kirsty Allsop used to say in Location, Location, Location - whether that be on RightMove or when they arrive for their first viewing. Stand back from your driveway or front door and try and see it with fresh eyes. Painting the whole house or replacing windows is too costly so focus on small jobs that can make a big impact. Are your fences in good nick and have they been painted recently? A new fence panel and a tin of Cuprinol could do the world of good.

Do you have any flower beds or grass, if so are they tended to and de-weeded? If this isn’t your type of thing then is there a local gardener or retired neighbour who loves gardening and wouldn’t mind sprucing things up a little bit?  Is your driveway gravel looking a bit sparse in places? A trip to B&M or Homebase for some bags of gravel and a rake could make it look cared for and usable quickly.  Or borrow a pressure washer and clean off that block paving to make it look as good as new.

Hanging baskets or bay trees could brighten up your front door, depending on your style and always make sure you cut back any trees or bushes which are overhanging windows or doors so as much light as possible can get into your home. On this note, always make sure you have a working light outside your home and a clear house number so your potential buyers can find the place!

As you walk to your door also check that there’s no flyaway leaflets or garden pots strewn across the place. Pick up wellies and scooters that may have been left in the porch and replace them with a real or fake plant to add some extra greenery. 

The secret garden

If your house is lucky enough to be blessed with a garden then making sure it looks usable is a great idea. Cut back overgrown shrubs and bushes, weed flower beds and mow the lawn.  Get that pressure washer out again and give the patio a good clean and (weather permitting) if you have outdoor furniture try and set it up so it looks inviting and like your potential buyers could move in and have a glass of wine in the evening sun right now! If the garden is not quite ready for visitors, then do as much as you can so buyers can see the space available so they can then use their imagination to decide how they will use it in the future.

What's cooking?

The kitchen is usually the hub of the home for families so making yours look as usable and inviting as possible will be worth it. Clear, clean worktops are a must to show the space. Move appliances you don’t use every day out of the way or in a cupboard to streamline the sides and try to keep all foods and drinks hidden away. 

Kitchens are a very personal thing and it may be that your style isn’t the same as your potential buyers, but ensuring it is clean, usable and shows off the space available is the most important thing. If you have grubby lino or carpet in the kitchen it may be worth investing in some clean, fresh lino or laminate flooring but if your budget can’t stretch to this just remember ‘clean and clear’. If this means sticking the dishwasher on more regularly to keep pots and pans out of the way then so be it. 

Spa day

Again, a bathroom needs to be in working order at the minimum for most buyers. Like kitchens - bathrooms may be changed at a later date to suit tastes, but buyers need to know it is usable until this time. Change toilet seats if the current one is looking a bit tired or grubby, add a cabinet with a mirror to bounce around light and hide away toiletries if you don’t already have one. Tidy any bath toys away and check your shower curtain is clean and not emitting any damp smells. Any tinges of mould and it needs to be replaced as mould instantly makes a buyer think damp, and those are alarm bells you don’t want ringing! Also, take a look at your grouting. If mould is starting to creep in around the edges then try a bleach gel to temporarily whiten the grout or you can replace silicone around baths and sinks relatively easily so this could be an option too. 

If you only have one central ceiling light, think about adding lamps or other lighting to brighten dark corners and create a cosy feel. Do you have net curtains (a huge bugbear of mine)? If so can you do without them until you sell, as the amount of light in your room can change dramatically just by ripping those things down!  If you have bookshelves, straighten these up and only display non-personal items if possible. Candles, decorative items and - you guessed it - plants, can all look good in the living room and keep it from looking too sterile.

Getting inspiration

If you’re struggling to envisage how to stage your home for photographs and viewings then head to your nearest new-build estate and take a look around their showhome. Obviously, no one has ever lived in these before so they have a head start, but take notes of the space and feel they have given the home. What colours have they used, who are they trying to attract etc? It’s a whole science in itself I'm sure, but it is a great way to pick up some hints and tips.

When your photographer arrives make sure all curtains and blinds are open, lights are on and internal doors open where possible. This lets the maximum amount of light into all the rooms. Move personal and bulky items out of the way and all cupboard and wardrobe doors, drawers and the toilet lid are shut!!

If this all sounds like far too much work then I do offer a home staging service as well as my bespoke decluttering sessions so please do drop me a line if you’d like to chat more about this.

What are your top tips for moving? Leave them in the comments below!

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