Top ten tips to prepare your home for sale

Preparing your home for sale is crucial if you want to attract buyers, stand out from the crowd and ultimately get the best possible price for your home.

Firstly, positive impressions go a long way so it’s important that you prepare your home in advance of our photography appointment.

Here are our top 10 tips on how to prepare your home for photography and optimise your opportunity to bring more viewers quickly.

  1. Kerb appeal. How does your home look from the outside? Is the pavement clear, bins empty, door painted, door number clearly visible and are the windows of your property clean? Make sure you give your property the best start by making your own appraisal and look at what you can do to improve your kerb appeal.
  2. Get your home spick and span and clean it. From shining floors and gleaming windows, to clean kitchen counters, every surface should sparkle. Don’t forget to look at the bath tub or shower cubicle sealant and refresh it too.
  3. Time to declutter. This can be quite an invigorating experience. My advice would be to create four piles and stick to it.
    1. Save it
    2. Sell it
    3. Recycle it
    4. Bin it
  4. Lightbulb moment. Yes, let there be light and lots of it. It’s a good idea to have all the lights on at the photoshoot.
  5. Bedrooms should provide a tranquil haven and be free of personal items and clutter.
  6. Beware of the dog or cat! If you have pets, get all rugs and carpets steam cleaned as pet smells can linger and not everyone may love them.
  7. The heart of the home is often the kitchen so to create a good space, clean and clear surfaces, floors, cupboards and tiling. Display the basics, kettle, toaster etc are all acceptable.
  8. Seasonality. If you are marketing your home in December remember, its best that you don’t have your decorations or Christmas tree up, as people may be looking at it online in January.
  9. Garden and garages. Tidy the garden, mow the lawn and attend to the flowerbeds and shrub. Garages should be clear of clutter.
  10. Creating a lifestyle that buyers are looking for, know your audience and what type of buyer you home will appeal to.

For more information, contact our estate agency team using the form below, or call us on 0131 555 7055.

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Our property sales expert

“Selling a property is more than just a transaction. Building relationships, getting to know the people involved and making the process as simple and straightforward as possible – that’s what I’m all about.”

Alistair Lee, Director of Property Sales