Prepare your home for sale

Deciding to sell your home can be a big decision. Whether you’ve been living there for one year or fifty, your home naturally becomes a very personal space that you fill and adapt to suit your lifestyle and daily routine.

The price your property sells for is dependent on three factors – location, presentation, and the quality of the agent you choose to help you sell. Getting the second two points right can increase the price you achieve by 10%-15%, so it’s worth thinking carefully about how to achieve this. 

In this guide we’ve compiled a list of five things to help you maximise your home’s potential before you go to market. 

Declutter

A buyer will want to imagine your home as their own, which can be difficult if your property is busy or cluttered. Take this opportunity to declutter your home, but still try to retain some personal touches to inspire your homebuyer’s imagination. 

Top tips 

• Sell or donate any unwanted items to a charity. Free collections of bigger items or furniture can often be arranged 
• Arrange your furniture to maximise floor-space. Consider whether removing items from smaller rooms may help to make your property feel bigger 
• Retain some personal touches so that your space feels homely – it can be hard for some buyers to imagine a space as their own if it is too bare 
• Furnish bedrooms with beds, as people can find it difficult to visualise without them in 

   

Freshen up 

A well-maintained home will appeal to more buyers, so it’s time to stop putting off all those odd jobs. You’ll be surprised how much difference a fresh coat of paint to the walls or skirting boards makes. 

Top tips 

• A fresh coat of paint on the walls or skirting boards can make a huge difference. Neutral colours not only brighten a space, but can help viewers to easily imagine how they would decorate without being distracted by bright colours 
• Arrange for carpets to be professionally cleaned 
• First and last impressions count - give the front door a paint, de-weed the driveway and make sure the approach to your property sets the scene for a good viewing 
• Make any minor repairs necessary – consider filling un-used picture holes, broken doorknobs, cracked tiles, etc. This will deter people from making lower offers on your property 
• Make any minor repairs necessary – consider filling un-used picture holes, broken doorknobs, cracked tiles, etc. This will deter people from making lower offers on your property 

   

Update 

A good kitchen or bathroom can sell a house, and a full refurbishment could add between 5-10% to the value of your home. But you don’t have to renovate to add value, a few simple improvements or well-placed decorative items could help to show off your home’s full potential. 

Top tips 

• Replacing or painting kitchen doors or worktops can be an inexpensive way to add new life to your kitchen and is often as effective as renovating 
• Declutter surfaces from utensils and electrical appliances to maximise worktop space 
• Fresh towels, candles and house plants can help your bathroom feel fresher and more relaxing

Set the scene 

Good first viewings are crucial to securing a good price for your property, and there are many things you can do to help this part of the process go as smoothly as it can, including: 

• Make use of features like fireplaces and woodburners to make your home warm and inviting 
• Dress your property. Cushions, house plants and candles can all help to make a home more appealing 
• Make your space as bright as possible by cleaning windows, replacing light bulbs, cutting back shrubbery near windows and strategically placing wall mirrors

   

Choose the right partner 

It is essential to choose the right partner to help you sell your house. A good local estate agent will have a database full of buyers ready to view your property, and be able to sell not only your property, but the local area too. They will also work with you to create a marketing plan fit for your property, and keep you informed at every step of the process. 

We hope you found this guide useful, and would love the chance to visit your property to help you assess its value. If you would like to talk to one of our experienced estate agents to see how we could help you maximise the value of your home then please get in touch today. 

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