Preparing your home for sale

You’ve done the sums, the timing is right and you’re busting to get on with it, but it may still make sense to hold back. Here are a few essential things you might like to consider so that you really can get as much as possible for your home.

Making it as saleable as possible

Estate Agents talk about a thing called ‘kerb appeal’ – the impression your home makes as the potential buyer approaches. This may mean you need to paint the outside, re-coat the front door, or tame that front garden. Equally it may mean you have to take on the Council about scruffy areas adjacent to your property. Listen to your estate agent or get a trusted friend to share first impressions and fix what you can – it could make the difference between sale and no sale.

De-cluttering is another must. That dusty warrior mask that an ancient tribal leader gave to you in a remote village in the Serengeti may bring back memories for you, but could be the thing that makes it less homely for your buyer. Be brave: hide or store the clutter, clean everything thoroughly and give your potential buyers room to move around and imagine what it might look like when they live there.

*INTERESTING FACT: It is thought that as many as 60% of buyers are moving because they need more bedrooms. Buyers are adults, so while it makes sense to keep the kid's room tidy, a makeover of the master bedroom could be the key to a sale.

Arranging viewings – to be (there) or not to be (there)

This is partly about you and partly about your property.

If you hate the idea of people poking about in your stuff, you’ll probably give off that vibe and your potential sellers may leave with the idea that your home somehow wasn’t welcoming. Equally, if you’re super proud of what you’ve done with your home and can’t help trying to get them to agree that they love the tangerine bathroom wall with the plum washbasin, it might be best not to be there. That way they can discuss ripping it out without hurting your feelings.

On the other hand, if you’re fairly laid back, but have one of those properties full of nice little surprises like extra storage or original features that you don’t think the estate agent will pick up on, it might be worth hovering in the background and interjecting on the odd highlight.

If you can’t be there (or decide not to be), give the estate agent your top 10 features, written down, so that at least they are likely to be covered.

Personal safety and security

If you are doing the viewings yourself, never arrange for a potential buyer to visit when you are on your own, particularly if it is a single male. Quite apart from the security issues, it’s much easier to have someone with you so you feel you can leave the buyer to have some time on their own without feeling awkward or your friend or partner can talk about things that you might have forgotten.

Whether you are there or not, as a home insurer we must point out that you should never leave cash, valuables or spare keys lying around while your house is open for inspection.

Home Information Packs (HIPs)

Don’t forget, as of 14 December 2007, it is a legal requirement to offer a Home Information Pack (HIP) when selling. For more information, visit the government HIPS website.

 

*Help I am moving website January 2008