As spring approaches, you might be thinking of joining the many others who put their house on the market ready for the spring surge in property sales. The longer days and warmer weather tempt buyers out to explore the market, and it’s the perfect season for putting into action the plans you’ve formulated over the colder months.
So, how do you make sure your house is ready to hit the market? And even more importantly, how do you make sure it stands out from the competition? We’ve put together some tips to help your house shine.
Freshen Up but Don’t Get Personal
First up, take a good look at each room and identify which ones could do with a fresh coat of paint. A shabby skirting board is never a good look when someone is viewing their dream home. But when you’re choosing your paint colours, don’t indulge your own tastes too much. Lime green may be having a moment with you, but is it going to be the same for the people viewing your house?
Instead of a strong and potentially divisive colour palette, choose neutral tones which are unlikely to offend anyone. Another advantage of a neutral palette is that it offers a blank canvas for potential buyers, allowing them to imagine the home as theirs and to picture their possessions in place of yours.
As part of this freshening-up process, take the opportunity to declutter your home and allow each room to breathe. This helps your viewers see the potential in the space. Think about the potential use of each room, rather than what you’ve been using it for. It may be a cluttered study/laundry room for you, but clear out the clutter and a young couple might imagine putting in a cot for their new arrival and creating a cosy third bedroom.
Do the Prep Behind the Scenes Too
If you really want to get ahead, make sure you carry through this cleansing, organising energy to the less glamorous part of house selling – the paperwork. There’s no point creating a beautiful home and attracting a handful of offers, only to realise that you have no idea what price you should be aiming for, or even where you want to move.
First off, get a house valuation. No need to ponder “how much is my house worth?” nowadays – you can check online to learn more about house prices in your area, and then book a quick valuation to see how your own house measures up. Once you know how much you’re likely to receive in a sale, you can use this information to inform the budget for your new house search.
Gather all the documents you might need to progress your sale as quickly as possible once you find a buyer. This includes details of extensions or other building work you’ve had done, along with certificates of completion. If there are rights of way across your land, or evidence of mining in the area in decades past, buyers will want to see confirmation that risks have been investigated and all the legal loopholes closed.
Do your homework while the weather is gloomy, and come spring, you’ll be ready to meet the first keen buyers as they venture out into the market!
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