MoneyMagpie Editor and financial expert Vicky Parry shares tips that could help you sell your house faster
Selling your house is a stressful affair, but you can take steps to make sure it sells as fast as possible by improving small things around the home.
Take some time to prepare for photos and viewings, and you’ll create a more welcoming atmosphere that will put potential buyers in a positive frame of mind. Many of these things won’t cost the earth, and could make all the difference in selling your house fast.
Get a deep clean done
If you have the budget, get a one-off deep clean throughout the home. Even if you’re house proud and clean thoroughly every week, there are some jobs that we all miss, like washing the skirting boards. Give a day and some cash over to a professional cleaning team who can tackle the tough and forgotten areas, and do a deep carpet clean to lift the life of your carpets, too.
If you can’t afford a professional clean, make sure you set aside a few weekends to tackle problem areas. Easily forgotten things, like cleaning the shelves in kitchen cupboards, can make a difference when viewers take a look around. You never know what door they might open!
Hire a carpet cleaner if you can, as this will make a huge difference to how your carpets look in every room. Get specialist cleaners for areas of the house too, like Vikal limescale remover for taps – and get something that will polish any visible chrome and stainless steel surfaces, too.
Touch up your paint
Walk around your home with a high level of scrutiny. Look carefully at walls and floors that you’ve become accustomed to. Are there scuffs by the front door? Are there greasy spots where your dog likes to lie against the wall?
Get some small tins of paint – often, taster pots will do the job – and touch up areas that could do with brightening. If you have a room or wall that is a significantly bright colour that might not be to everyone’s taste, consider repainting it in a neutral colour, too.
Reduce clutter
Tidy up properly – not just the day-to-day tidy, but a full declutter. If you’re savvy about it, you can spend a few weekends going through your shed, garage, attic, and storage cupboards for a serious declutter that reveals some things you can sell for cash at a car boot sale, too.
Keep areas clean and tidy so you’re always ready for a last-minute viewing, too. It will reduce the stress overall and make sure you’re ready for visitors at any time. Keep your front door and entryway clear, remove clutter from the laundry room, and keep kids’ toys packed away in boxes.
Pay for the professional photo package
It’s tempting to save money and do your own photos, but it is definitely worth spending to get the professional photographs done by your estate agent.
They will know how to light the room properly and make the most of the different angles. If they suggest moving some furniture around to improve the photograph’s composition, be ready to assist. Trust their visual eye: this is their job, they know how to make your home look as inviting as possible to potential buyers.
Be flexible with appointment times
Be ready to take viewings at any time, any day. This might mean setting a few days to book a lot of viewings in, or rearranging meetings if you work from home. But being flexible for potential buyers means you are more likely to get them to see your home before they find something else to buy instead.
Try to always keep at least one weekend day free, especially in the first few weeks after listing your home for sale, to allow people who work a Monday to Friday job a chance to view your home. If possible, set aside a couple of evenings a week for viewings, too.
Air the house
You might not realise it, but every home smells like their owner. This is particularly true if you also have pets! Leave windows open to keep fresh air circulating, and make sure you wash pet bedding regularly to avoid stinks. Try scented candles when you’re home, or use room infusers for an all-day-long fresh scent.
If you are expecting people to come for viewings, you can also try the classic tactic of cooking fresh bread (warming half-baked frozen rolls counts) or having fresh laundry smells to feel inviting.
Increase your curb appeal
Take a long look at how your home looks from the front. Remove big bins to a hidden spot, if you can, and make sure you clear any weeds from the path. Putting a pretty plant or two in a pot by the front door can lift the aesthetic and make it seem far more inviting.
If your guttering is overflowing, make sure to clear them. You might need to add a lick of paint to wooden soffits or your front porch to freshen it up, too.
For those with a back garden to contend with, make sure it is in good order. Cut the grass, weed the flowerbeds or plant pots, and trim back hedges. Sometimes, if you haven’t kept on top of it very much in recent months, it can be time and cost-effective to hire a landscaper or local gardener to do these jobs for you to a high standard.
Be strategic with lighting
Lighting is so important when it comes to showing off your home. In the daytime, make sure your curtains are pulled wide open in every room to maximise daylight. Move mirrors if you can, to put them opposite windows to reflect the light and make rooms feel bigger and brighter.
During evening viewings, set soft lamps in darker corners and consider subtle lighting on bookcases or under-cupboard lighting in the kitchen to give a cosy glow.
Have an information sheet
Finally, people often have the same basic questions when they come to visit that the estate agent may not be able to answer off the top of their head.
Having a Frequently Asked Questions sheet printed out to hand over can be really useful in helping potential buyers make their decision faster – and it also shows you’re organised, so unlikely to be a vendor that makes the (already long and stressful) buying process harder.
Include details such as who runs broadband to your property, the energy suppliers, local groups and activities, whether you have local amenities like a GP surgery, dentist, and the nearest transport links.
Think about what attracted you to the house in the first place as a starting point, as this is often what will draw in other potential buyers, too. For example, if you moved to be in the catchment area of a great school, make sure you include that information on the sheet.
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