You dont need to renovate your home to make it attractive to buyers

I recently worked with a home that was always immaculate whenever I brought someone to view.  I often wondered how the two teenage boys managed to keep so neat and tidy and wondered what I was doing wrong with my own!  The owner said to me, “I want my home to look amazing, so that I would want to buy it if I walked into for the first time.”  Her approach paid huge dividends, we achieved a record price for the area.  

I don’t think being neat was the only reason however. There are basic fundamental rules that anyone can follow to improve a first impression.  We only get one chance to make that first impression and the last thing we want to hear as we arrive for a viewing is; “I’m not going in; it just doesn’t look like it will work for me.” That happens!  

It’s so easy to make the entrance inviting, replant the borders, paint the gate, cut the grass, tidy the flower beds and cut back overgrowth, wash the pathways, make your home inviting.

A home that is too full or where furniture takes up too much space is difficult to sell. Our buyer wants to imagine their own furniture in your home, so if you have been a collector and can’t bear to part with anything; consider putting some of your furniture into storage, open up your space, unblock walk through areas, declutter your home.  Don’t go to the other extreme and make it too sparse however!  I worked with a seller who moved all her furniture around and created different spaces in her home, a reading nook, a study area and a seating area. Not a single piece of furniture was pushed against a wall. It looked amazing and she did it all from copying a few magazine ideas. 

Pack away your personal photos and mementoes, the more open and neutral your space, the easier it is for us to encourage the buyer to imagine their own furniture there and how they would use the space.  Buyers open cupboards, they want to know you have great storage space, so stuffing your items into the cupboards is not the answer!

It goes without saying that anybody walking into a bathroom really does not want to be confronted with mouldy ceilings or showers, grimy glass or warped toilet seats. We all want to feel that we are walking into a pristine germ free environment; so consider replacing that toilet seat, spray mould with a mixture of one-part bleach, one-part water; scrub your shower doors with scale remover; put out the fresh soap, place all your bottles, brushes and powders neatly in the cupboards and put out fresh towels.  Open the windows and check the ceiling too!  You know when we are coming so please close the lid on the toilets and switch on the lights in the bathrooms before we get there.

Buyers always spend longer in a clean home. When we have walked into homes where clothes are on the floor or on an unmade bed, (on some occasions we have had to contend with a muffled voice from the bed, mumbling an excuse about not yet getting up); dishes piled up in the kitchen sink; one of two things happen - we sell the next clean home we take that buyer to view, or the buyer discounts the value of the house by a substantial amount more than it would cost to just clean it up.

Whilst you are cleaning, wipe down light switches, check all your globes are in your light fittings and are working, open curtains, open windows, your home should feel light and fresh. Wipe grubby marks off walls, get your home super clean, let it shine.  

An easy makeover for a bedroom is to ensure your bedlinen matches, neutral tones are always best. Plump up your pillows and make the beds! Freshly washed clothes put away in the cupboards, bedside tables uncluttered, curtains open as if you are welcoming guests.

If you can, close your animals in a courtyard or put them in your car and take them for a drive whilst we are viewing your home. Many of us are animal lovers, but there is a good chance the buyer is going to be uncomfortable when Fido lifts his leg against your curtain to leave his mark, or sniffs our legs with great interest or walks muddy paw marks across your beautifully cleaned floors. Is he even allowed inside?

It all sounds like common sense and yet so many of us are so comfortable in our homes we often don’t take the time to look at them critically as a buyer would. We are aiming for our buyers to have an emotional connection with your home that is warm and welcoming, it has to feel like home for them too.  Take your time to walk through your home with fresh eyes, there is much you can do to freshen and neaten without expensive renovations.