Preparing your home for sale

Rightmove suggest the most successful viewing is when the potential buyer can see themselves living in the property and can also relate to the property as it is now. Here are some simple ways to improve the presentation of your property.

• Give rooms the right purpose: We don’t always use rooms for the purpose they were intended. We may use a dining room as a bedroom or a bedroom as a study. Some buyers find it hard to see beyond the current use of a room so, if you are marketing a room as a bedroom, it is best to set it up as a bedroom so you are showing them the purpose of the room, not just telling them what it could be.
• Keep it tidy: Keeping your house clean and tidy for viewings will not only create the right impression but help buyers see beyond your contents.
• Declutter: This is probably one of the most impactful things to do. Even if it means you rent some local storage during the marketing period, keeping the property free of unnecessary clutter will create a sense of space and a blank canvas for your buyer to more easily see themselves living there.
• Let in light: Keeping curtains and blinds open and windows clean, will let in light and create a better sense of space. If you are going to be at home for a viewing, switch on the lights in the rooms before your buyer arrives.
• Set the temperature: If there are rooms in your home you rarely use and therefore rarely heat, switch on the radiators ahead of your viewing so the whole property is warm and welcoming.
• Bathrooms and kitchens: Should always be clean, tidy and mould free. Try keeping just your essential toiletries and products in the bathroom and storing the rest to keep clutter at bay. In the kitchen keep the worktops as clear as possible, which will improve the sense of space.
• Pets: Not everyone will love your pet as much as you do, so they are best kept out of sight.  This is especially the case with enthusiastic dogs who may literally scare your buyer off.
• Keep it simple: If you feel the need to re-decorate before marketing your property choose neutral colours that have a universal appeal.

Minor repairs: The little things add up and if there are simple repairs that you have been planning to do, get them done before putting your property on the market, it will give potential buyers few things to find wrong.