Armed with plenty of cleaning products and some TLC, our friends from Burlington Granite have 5 essential tips for setting the stage for a sale.
Undertake a deep clean
You might think cleaning a home ahead of a viewing is pretty obvious — but if you’re serious about making a sale, you’ll want to go further than a quick hoover and polish. The key here is to start early. Don’t convince yourself that you can carry out a deep clean of an entire house in the 2-hour window before a would-be buyer turns up — you can’t.
You’d be surprised by what factors influence a first impression — with everything from a slightly unpleasant odor to an overflowing bin having the potential to break a sale. So, for each room, attention will need to be paid. If you’re short on time, enlisting the help of a professional cleaning company or asking other people to help with the cleanup room-by-room, could save you valuable time and make sure every inch of the property is spotless. Whatever your method, create a checklist of tasks and tick off each job as you go. This way, you’ll ensure the dust on the blinds isn’t missed in the last-minute madness.
Don’t exclude the exterior
One of the most often overlooked areas of the home when it comes to a house showing is its exterior. While your client might not have thought about their guttering since they moved in, you can be sure it’s high on the list of anyone who’s coming to view the home — and if it’s packed with leaves from 3 autumns ago or the front lawn is speckled with weeds, viewers won’t be impressed.
Ahead of a viewing, walk around the outside of the property and imagine what you’d be looking for if you were hoping to buy. Whether it’s tightening up the door handles, adding a fresh lick of paint to the fence or jet washing the driveway, this seemingly insignificant attention to detail could make all the difference when it comes to first impressions.
Hone in on aspirational features
In an ideal world, the property should be able to sell itself — but this will require a little work on your part before any prospective buyers arrive. If there are any particularly aspirational features in the home, you’ll want to make sure they stand out — especially if it’s something future buyers would have to shell out for if they’d wanted a similar thing themselves.
Whether the kitchen proudly boasts a new granite worktop or the master bedroom has an ensuite complete with a drench shower and double vanity unit, make sure these aspects are pointed out and easily accessible as viewers make their way around the property. If they’re trying to decide between a couple of houses, the patio extension could just be the thing that sways their decision.
De-personalize the space
While your clients might love nothing more than a smattering of feline-themed trinkets and faux flowers, it’s important that you understand this won’t be to everyone’s taste. When trying to sell a home, remember it’s made up of a series of rooms, and any potential buyers need to be able to see themselves in those rooms. From kicking back in the lounge to whipping up a culinary storm in the kitchen, help viewers imagine that this home is theirs.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to work with a blank canvas. Stick with neutral colors and use your cleaning time to declutter as you go. While the odd magazine might help to give the property that lived-in feeling, piles of papers and laundry will be unsightly and, if anything, will only make house hunters feel as though they’re intruding on your client’s space, rather than being able to see it as their own.
Use light to your advantage
It’s well-documented that natural light has a number of health benefits, but did you know it could help you sell a home, too? Paired with neutral tones throughout the property, natural light can really add appeal and open up rooms – but if you’re not blessed with an abundance of natural light, there’s always the artificial option.
Well-lit rooms can appear more spacious and inviting, which is just the vibe you want to give off to prospective buyers. You’ll want to ensure rooms are flooded with light, so brighter light bulbs will be needed and are well worth the investment — even if you just switch energy-saving ones out for the viewings. Turn all of the lights on in every room so that people can see every nook and cranny — another reason to ensure you’ve followed point #1!
Whether you choose to utilize one or all of these tips, the most important thing to remember when trying to sell a home is that the people viewing it need to be able to see themselves living there. Keep this in mind as you’re setting the stage and the final product is guaranteed to impress!
Author Bio: Sophie Armstrong is a content creator for granite and quartz worktop specialists Burlington Granite, who provide a full bespoke worktop solution by offering templating, cutting, polishing and fitting, all driven by 25 years of industry experience.