Preparing Your Home for Selling Up

When it comes to the time where you’re thinking about selling your home and moving on to pastures new, there can be a lot to think about. Not only is there all the admin and paperwork to think about, but you also need to come up with the best way to present your home to prospective buyers. Before you even pick up the phone to an estate agent to get the ball rolling, make sure your house is looking its best to make it appealing to buyers. So, what should you be doing?

One of the most important rooms for many buyers is the kitchen. Living rooms can be painted and furniture can be replaced, but when it comes to a kitchen, it tends to be far longer lasting. Make sure your fitted kitchen doesn’t look dated, which could mean replacing glass panels, updating tired handles or replacing the entire kitchen with a cheap, timeless alternative. This could well add more value to the property than the cost of updating the kitchen, and will almost certainly make it more attractive to buyers who can be put off by having to do the updates themselves.

General maintenance should be kept on top of. This includes things like making sure skirting boards and doors are kept immaculately painted and all door hinges are well oiled. These seemingly small aspects can totally change a buyer’s perception of a house. If it looks like there is a lot of maintenance to be taken care of once the new buyer has moved in, it can be off-putting as it suggests that if even small tasks have been ignored, there may well be bigger problems waiting for them.

The exterior should be looked after. That doesn’t you need to go to town with over the top floral displays or spend hours each week tending the lawn, but keeping it free from weeds and dead leaves and sorting out any uneven paving slabs or paths can make a big difference. Also, if possible, make sure your gate has a secure fastening to show that the house is safe and secure.

The general rule of thumb is to opt for neutral decor when you want to move so that people can visualise applying their own tastes and colour schemes to the house. This means you should go for creams and magnolias. White is very modern, but can look a bit cold and stark, so off-whites tend to be a better choice unless your home is already very modern and you want to portray this contemporary style.