Preparing your Home for Sale

• Good landscaping will transform the exterior look and feel of your home and may give you a higher sale price.  We recommend you either hire a landscaper or do it yourself.
• Your front door is the centrepiece of your kerb appeal, so repaint it in a tasteful colour. Update the outside lights and put potted plants on either side of the door.
• The entrance hall creates a first impression…. Make sure it is the right impression. Paint it in a neutral colour, remove any bulky furniture, upgrade the lighting and if you feel you need colour then add it with accessories and a rug.
• The wrong lighting can make your home feel dark and drab so install brighter modern lights to make your home seem sunny, cheerful and up to date.
• Paint colour is such a personal choice and potential buyers are likely to want to customise it themselves.  If you have dark rich colours, then repaint in neutral hues.
• Avoid major overhauls, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, but do update the lighting, install new taps, mirrors and door knobs if they are dated.
• Declutter!! How do you expect to impress potential buyers with a cluttered house?  If you have outgrown your home, start packing and if you don’t have anywhere to put it then use storage.
• Pets – some viewers will love them, some will hate them and some will be allergic to them, so make sure that on the viewing they are out of the house to prevent one of three things happening:
• Pet lovers will pay more attention to your pet and less attention to your home.
• Pet haters will feel uncomfortable, completely on their guard and rush around your property leaving as soon as they can.
• If you have a buyer who is allergic to animals, a reaction will put them off your home. 
• Remove all pet bowls, baskets and (most important) litter trays.  Ensure there are no pet smells in the property.
• A rear garden is the first thing people see when they walk through the back door. Avoid an unkempt garden and loose concrete slabs.  Your back garden should look like a space for entertaining.  If need be, buy inexpensive patio furniture, potted plants and install some outdoor lighting to tie it all together.
• Clean – buyers expect to see an immaculate home with no sign of dirt.  Remove last night’s Indian take-away from the worktops and do the washing up! No dirty underwear or clothes on the bedroom floor.  Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in “your” space, your perfectly clean home!