In this three-minute read, we look at ways to present your property to achieve the best possible deal.
Presenting a home in its best light can significantly bump up the selling price and speed up finding a buyer.
Surprisingly, many people don’t change a thing before they put their home on the market (a decision that hits them in the back pocket).
Take it from us: a little elbow grease and a small financial outlay can reap serious rewards.
We’re not suggesting that plush cushions and tasteful throws can make up for structural issues or a poor location. But most buyers are driven by emotion; they want to step inside a property and fall in love with it. You're not just selling a home, you're selling a lifestyle.
Set your emotions aside and think about what will hit home with buyers.
Top tips for dressing your property:
Declutter
Bin old furniture or knick-knacks that have seen better days. Sell items that you no longer use (treadmills or exercise bikes often gather dust in the corner of spare rooms). Put bulky possessions that you just can’t part with into storage. It’s all about creating space.
Tidy
Ensure paperwork, photos, toiletries, and washing are out of sight. The same goes for shoes, coats, phone chargers, dog beds, and cat litter trays.
D.I.Y. blitz
Draw up a list of odd jobs that need doing and work through it. Fix broken cupboard doors and rickety fences and blitz carpet stains, mould, and damp. Give tired walls a lick of paint in a neutral tone, change lightbulbs and clean windows.
Basically, any little thing you've been meaning to do... now is the time to do it.
Identify your target demographic
If you’re selling a four-bed home with a garden, it’s a fair bet families will be your target market, so make sure the outdoor spaces are welcoming and safe. If you’re marketing a sleek studio, target young professionals and dress the property accordingly.
Don’t send mixed messages
If you’re marketing a four-bed home, make sure each bedroom has a bed in it or clearly has space for a bed in it. Similarly, if you’re trying to pass a small room off as a study, put a desk, chair, and lamp in it. Never load up rooms with odds and sods like gym equipment, fishing gear, or bikes. This only confuses buyers as the space seems smaller. This can make buyers struggle to see the fourth bedroom being useable.
Don’t overlook outdoor spaces
Dress the garden just as you would any other room. That means taking any junk to the tip, as well as dusting off garden furniture, mowing the lawn and maybe adding a few colourful blooms.
Our favourite tip is that a bunch of flowers will really lift a room. A fresh bunch on the dining room table or coffee table will really go a long way!
For more advice about how to market your home, get in touch with us by calling 01323 440678.