1. Colour - Colour is vital when
selling your home. The majority of people
(and therefore buyers) prefer subtle colours
that are quite neutral, and many will
therefore be put off by a bright red living
room, or a dark green bathroom. This is
for two reasons – firstly the time
and cost of getting it decorated to their
tastes – and secondly, the feeling
that they get when they see the room –
they cannot see themselves in the room
and therefore subconsciously feel negative
about the house. Decorating in neutrals
doesn’t have to be dull either –
neutral just means calming and soft, which
could be a sage green, a dusky pink, or
a cream.
2. Clean
- Often underestimated – cleaning
is probably the most crucial aspect of
selling your home. With numerous new developments
on the market, it is imperative to make
your home appear as ‘new’
as possible. Buyers don’t want to
think of other people having used the
bathroom and kitchen especially –
and they also like to know that the house
has been cared for. A dirty house can
be a red flag that other more significant
things have not been dealt with and they
may have problems with the house at a
later date. Just prior to a viewing I
would always recommend hovering, and cleaning
all taps and sinks to ensure that they
are sparkling.
3. De-Clutter
- You may think that your possessions
don’t matter when selling your home,
as they will be going with you to your
new home – but many buyers cannot
see past them, and will focus on your
lifestyle rather than whether the house
is the one for them. You will need to
pack all these things away once you move,
so why not start early? At a minimum,
store away any items that the buyers may
not feel comfortable looking at (suggestive
artwork, memorabilia, too many photos
etc…), as the buyer may feel that
they are intruding into your personal
space, and that will not help them to
visualise themselves living there. If
a buyer feels comfortable in your home
they are much more likely to put in that
all important offer.
4. Space
- Buyers are looking for space, and a
larger home (or seemingly larger home)
will earn you more money than a smaller
home.
Space can be created in a number of ways,
including - furniture placement, use of
lighter colours and fewer patterns around
the room, De- cluttering, Adding good
lighting and simply letting a buyer walk
into a room first – all of these
will accentuate the space you have in
your home and make it appear great value
for your buyers money.
5. Define each
room - If each room in your home
hasn’t got a clear function –
a buyer may think that there isn’t
space for it – a good example of
this is a home with 2 reception rooms,
but no dining room. It always adds money
to show a dining room as a dining room
– as a second living room will not
have the same attraction.
6. Wow Factor
- Add the WOW factor as much as possible
to each room. This will leave the buyers
with clear images of your home, and make
it stand out from the others they have
seen. Focal points such as a fireplace
or a lovely view should be made to stand
out and, if possible, should be the first
thing that the buyer sees when they walk
into that room.
7. Accessorise
- Accessories can make a good room look
great, if used well. Use no more than
three colours in a room, with one colour
being used for the majority of accessories.
A variety of textures and shapes will
also add interest – but don’t
overdo it!
8. DIY
- Any unfinished jobs in your home, no
matter how small and easy to fix they
are, will cause the buyer to worry about
what other issues have not been dealt
with as yet. If it needs fixing –
DO IT!
9. Ambience
- Creating ambience in a home will send
subliminal messages to a buyer that this
is a place that they like and feel at
home in. This can be done in many ways,
including soft lighting, welcoming smells
and subtle sounds. A buyer will not feel
comfortable if they are not animal lovers
and there is a large dog in the house,
or if a teenager’s music is blaring
from their room. Make sure all the senses
are being utilised, and in a positive
way.
10. Storage
- Buyers are looking for somewhere where
all their possessions will fit easily
– and good storage is on the top
of many of their wish lists. If you have
good storage, make the most of it and
ensure that they buyers are shown how
useful it is. However, if the cupboards
are all full, and there are a lot of your
possessions around your home, a buyer
will assume that there is not enough storage
for you, and therefore it will be too
small for them also, and they will walk
away. This comes back to point three –
a good de-clutter will help to ensure
that your home is shown to have as much
storage as is needed.
