Tips to Prepare your Home for Selling

Our clients often ask for advice on what they should do to their property before going to market. Rather than pouring money into redecorating or costly renovations, often the best thing you can do is polish up what you already have.

Here are our top tips for readying your home for the market;

1.            Tick off any outstanding maintenance tasks.

You may have been putting off fixing those broken cupboard door handles, or that leaking tap in the laundry, for example. Now is the time to get those things sorted. Check everything is in working order and don’t forget to replace any blown lightbulbs.

2.            Have a good clear out.

You could put personal items that you won’t need in the next wee while into storage, or donate unwanted items to the Salvation Army. Not only do we want to declutter to make your home look bigger, we want buyers to be able to imagine your home with their things in it, which is hard to do if it’s crammed full already!

3.            Scrub your house until it shines.

Really give it a good spring clean; wash the windows, wipe skirting boards, you could even get your carpets professionally cleaned. Have a look outside as well, tidy up the garden and cut back any overgrown shrubs. Make sure the lawns are mowed and keep them maintained.

4.            Stand at the front of your house and have a really critical look.

This will be the first impression a buyer gets of your home. Does it look as appealing as it possibly could? Do the driveway and paths need a waterblast? Is the fence in good repair and the garden looking good? Something as simple as a couple of new plantings can give your property an instant face lift.

5.            Gather your EQC and insurance information.

This includes the scope of works and sign-off documents for any EQC and/or insurance claims, information on any settlements and insurance policy details. If you don’t have all of this at hand, give EQC a ring (0800 DAMAGE) as soon as you can to request they email you copies, as this can sometimes take a while to come through.

6.            Talk to a real estate professional.

We can give you advice specific to your property and the market in your area. We may even be able to help with some of the above!