Some tips : How to make your home more valuable and sell faster
Fix and clean
- Make any minor repairs necessary – holes in walls, broken door knobs, cracked tiles, torn or threadbare carpets. Many buyers want to move in without making changes, so allow for this
- Clean everything until it sparkles. Get rid of limescale, clean and repair tile grout, wax wooden floors, get rid of all odours, hang up fresh towels. This will make the place more appealing and allow viewers to imagine living there
- Tidy up the garden: cut bushes back, clean the patio and furniture of lichen and dirt, and cut the grass. While this doesn’t add much value to your home it makes it more likely to sell as people visualise themselves using the garden
Make it look pretty
- Make sure the windows are properly dressed with blinds or curtains as naked windows make a place feel impersonal and run down. Buy some cheap ones (e.g. from Ikea) if necessary
- Plants and flowers bring colour, life and light to a room and also smell wonderful. So does that fruit bowl on your kitchen counter
Showing the property
- You’ll have chosen a good estate agent, so let them show the property
- It’s their job to know what things to say, what to highlight and what to downplay
- They are also effective at answering those tricky questions about the noisy neighbours
Light and airy
- Wall mirrors make a room look much bigger and lighter. Consider putting some up, especially in smaller rooms or hallways
- Clean windows inside and out, and replace any broken light bulbs. Making the place feel light and airy makes rooms feel bigger and the property more attractive
- Ensure that you have lamps on in any dark corners
- Putting a soft lamp in the bathroom can create a warm glow
“The best investment on earth is earth.”
Louis Glickman
