How To Prepare Your Home For Sale | Michael Chandler Estate Agent

Declutter...but don't depersonalise

People need to be able to envisage what the property would look like if they were living there. People often find this difficult, so make it easy for them to see all the fantastic living space you're offering them.

A fresh lick of paint

Giving your walls a fresh lick of neutral paint will make your home seem lighter and bigger.

Fix & 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.

Update the kitchen

The kitchen is the most valuable room in a house. It is worth the most per square foot and can make the difference when buyers are unsure.

Light & Airy

Wall mirrors make a room look much bigger and lighter. Consider putting some up, especially in smaller rooms or hallways.

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.

Light the fire

If it's a cold evening, or even chilly day, light your fire.

Get the right smells

Bad smells are the single biggest turn off for prospective buyers. Don't just cover them up, fix the source of the smell. Clear drains, wash bins, open windows, air the kitchen from cooking smells.

Showing the Property

Where possible your Estate Agent should show your property. It's their job to know what things to say, what to highlight.

Obvious conversion

If there are any obvious conversions - adapting the garage into extra rooms, or going up into the loft - and you have some spare cash, why not take advantage of this cash cow rather than letting the new owners make easy money out of improvements. You should usually recoup your money.

DECLUTTER...BUT DON'T DEPERSONALISE

Get rid of all the excess stuff that has accumulated in every nook and cranny. Put it in storage or give it to a friend.

People need to be able to envisage what the property would look like if they were living there. People often find this difficult, so make it easy for them to see all the fantastic living space you're offering them.

Don't make it look like a generic hotel; leave some personality. Apart from anything else it gives unimaginative buyers suggestions as to what they might do.

People are often buying into a lifestyle as much as a property. Show them the attractive side of your lifestyle.

Consider removing any bulky furniture that makes the room feel small and replacing it with smaller furniture.

A FRESH LICK OF PAINT

Giving your walls a fresh lick of neutral paint will make your home seem lighter and bigger.

It will enable the viewers to more easily imagine how they would adapt the rooms to their needs.

It will be easier for the buyers to move in and use the rooms immediately than if the walls were still bright purple or lime green.

Create a good first impression - give the front door a new coat of brightly coloured paint.

FIX & 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.

UPDATE THE KITCHEN

The kitchen is the most valuable room in a house. It is worth the most per square foot and can make the difference when buyers are unsure.

Consider updating your kitchen doors as glossy white kitchens are very popular.

Upgrading kitchen counter tops is expensive, but can add serious value.

Declutter the surfaces and just leave a bowl of fruit out. Take out any bulky appliances.

LIGHT & 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.

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.

GET THE RIGHT SMELLS

Bad smells are the single biggest turn off for prospective buyers. Don't just cover them up, fix the source of the smell. Clear drains, wash bins, open windows, air the kitchen from cooking smells.

Conversely, good smells can make a property feel like an alluring home.

While it might be impractical to bake fresh bread, cakes or brownies for every viewer that visits your home, you could perhaps brew some fresh coffee.

How to prepare your home