With summer officially here, now’s a great time to sell your home. Everywhere looks brighter in the better weather, gardens generally look their best and the long hours of daylight mean more time for homebuyers to view. So if you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, what can you do to make it stand out and help it sell for the best possible price?
- Max your kerb appeal
You know what they say about first impressions! Make sure the front of your home is as clean and tidy as possible. Get rid of any clutter and weeds on your drive and give it a power wash. Clean your front door too and if it’s wooden, we’d recommend you repaint it.
Polish your door number and letterbox so they shine and check that your doorbell is working. Finally, make your home look pretty to anyone passing – plant some colourful flowers and if you don’t have a front garden, then invest in a hanging basket.
- Love your outdoor space
Homes with great outdoor space are in high demand this summer. A neat, freshly cut lawn makes your home stand out. It enhances your garden and makes your home look loved. Families viewing your home can imagine their children playing out, themselves soaking up the sun or entertaining friends there. If you only have a back yard, steal a march on the competition by adding colour with plants and trees in tubs. If you haven’t got one, buy a small outside table and chairs.
You could paint the walls to brighten it up and give it a Mediterranean feel. Create a space where buyers can imagine themselves relaxing outdoors. Chairs, flowers, cushions, candles… little things can make a big difference.
Keep your garden and outside space looking lovely and your home will be easier to sell.
A well-designed garden can add a great deal of value, it should feel like an extra space for entertaining or relaxing, rather than an expanse of grass. It’s essential to trim borders, clear pathways and cut back any overgrown trees or bushes, particularly if they block direct sunlight into the property.
- Fix anything broken
While unlikely to be the clinching factor in a house sale, small problems and defects can create the impression of a house being run down or not well cared for.
Things to look out for and fix before putting your home on the market include:
- Peeling paint
- Dirty walls, especially near door frames and light switches
- Dripping taps
- Squeaky floors, doors or stairs
- Mouldy sealant in kitchens or bathrooms
- Limescale build-up on kitchen and bathroom fittings
- Badly fitted laminate flooring
- Broken lightbulbs
- Wash your windows
Clean windows are a simple but really effective tip and it’s well worth doing them yourself or having them cleaned. Having the light stream in will enhance your home and buyers will often stand at the window to admire the view – don’t let them be distracted by dirty glass!
5. Accessorize for the season
Everyone seems to be on a health kick in the summer so make your kitchen look healthy too. Add the odd pot of herbs on your windowsill.
Fill a pretty bowl with lemons, limes and other similarly coloured fruit and make it a centrepiece on your table. Add zesty looking accessories and make your kitchen look like summer! Remember too that less is often more in kitchens, so keep worksurfaces as clear as possible and everywhere sparkling clean. That means a gleaming oven and shiny taps too!
In your living space, take a look at your accessories. Grey is a popular wall colour, so think about getting some cushions and throws in zesty yellows or greens which will look fab against the neutral background. Bring your garden inside too with a vase of freshly cut flowers or houseplants.
- Showcase your home with a virtual tour
With 80% of property searches now starting online, a virtual tour can make your home stand out from the crowd and help it to achieve the best possible price. Together with great imagery and an accurate floorplan, a virtual tour is now a vital asset in marketing a property to potential buyers, who’ve come to expect them as standard.
The best way of doing this is to instruct an estate agent that uses virtual tour technology to market properties for sale. Using their state-of-the-art Giraffe360 system, The Property Centre in Stroud can generate an interactive 360° walk-through tour of your home to create an immersive and realistic viewing experience for any potential buyer.
Contact The Property Centre in Stroud for a free no-obligation valuation of your home.
