Preparing Your House for Viewings

I’m looking at moving out of my home in Reigate by the summer, and after a string of viewings with no offers last year, I have decided to be more proactive about the selling process and look for ways I can improve my house to make it more attractive to buyers. A little bit of expenditure now can actually add a lot of value to the house, and anything that gets people interested in snapping up my property is something I want to do.

Decorative order

A couple of my rooms were a little dark in terms of design scheme, so out went my aubergine living room and in came elegant creams, dove greys and touches of natural woods for a lighter, airier feel. I also got in touch with a Reigate floor tiling firm to help me decide whether or not tiles would work in my kitchen. I’d had laminate flooring laid many years ago, but it was looking a little worse for wear, so I decided to get clean white tiles installed to give the impression of light and space.

Garden

My front garden was, admittedly, a little unkempt. As Spring is finally here, I thought it was about time I planted some flowers to make it look more inviting. I headed to a local garden centre and picked up a few trays of pretty, brightly coloured plants and spent the afternoon planting them. I also filled in the crack in my garden path, and am keeping my grass well watered and weed free.

DIY

My estate agent pointed out a couple of aspects of the house which needed some attention, such as my squeaking door hinges and the fact that one of the taps in the kitchen was constantly dripping. It might seem like small things to anyone else, but these are things that we get used to when we live with them every day. A house is a big investment, and to make the best impression, everything needs to be immaculate.

Cleaning

Fortunately, I’m pretty good at keeping my house clean, but understandably, it’s one of the main things that puts off prospective buyers. Even if they’ll be bringing all their furniture, the idea of living in a dust-riddled house isn’t especially pleasant, so make sure it starts off looking absolutely spotless. If you have pets, get them out of the house for the viewing in case the potential buyers are allergic, and it’ll keep muddy paws off your newly cleaned rug and pet hair off all your upholstery.

Larry Burns has had his house on the market for over a year and regularly blogs about the state of the current property market in the UK