We all know that the housing market at the minute is a little unpredictable with increasing interest rates and the costs of living going up. But don’t let this put you off if you have a property to sell. You may need to decrease your asking price if you need a quick sale but there are still lots of potential buyers out there.
If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, there are a few things you can do to tidy the place up without it costing you a lot of money – let’s face it you want to get as much for your home as possible without a huge outlay and no one wants a DIY disaster on their hands that could mean their property is worth less than it should be.
Around the house
First impressions are important when it comes to selling your house. Before you even think about inviting estate agents around give your home a good clean throughout. They will want to take photos so potential buyers can see the property. A clean, tidy room will look more appealing from the start. Simple things like making beds, washing the dishes and ensuring clean laundry are put away will make any room look better.
Remove any rubbish, unused or unwanted clutter and furniture from the property. It will make the rooms look bigger and give potential buyers an idea of what they can do with the space.
Freshen the property with a quick lick of paint, and make sure you use neutral and light colours to ensure the rooms look bigger, brighter and their best. Giving potential buyers a blank canvas when visiting the property will enable them to get ideas about what they’d like to do once they’ve moved in.
Fix any small issues, if there are torn wallpaper, dirty paintwork or holes that need filling make sure these are done so as not to put any potential buyers off. Big jobs need to be left to the professionals though especially if they concern electric or gas connections to the property. You can’t cut corners on these as if left they could be a safety concern.
In the garden
Cut the grass and remove any weeds. A tidy garden will make any property more appealing. If you have empty flower beds, consider purchasing a few bedding plants to brighten the garden up. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but a splash of colour will make your garden look inviting.
Just like inside, if you have broken furniture get rid of it before anyone visits the property. If you’ve wooden furniture and fencing consider giving them a quick lick of paint to freshen them up.
Fix anything that is broken in the garden. If fencing is damaged and it’s your responsibility, ideally you need to sort this out as any potential buyers may be put off if they think that the property isn’t secure. Anyone who has pets wouldn’t want to move to a house if their dog is able to get out through any gaps in the fence.
Are you planning on selling your home soon?
