If you are thinking about selling your home, it’s important to know what you can do to maximise your property’s potential – without breaking the bank.
Making the most of what you have to offer can potentially add to your sale price, and may even make the sale process a whole lot quicker, too!
Our estate agency team has put together a handy guide below on the steps you can take to add value to your property before it goes to market.
Make your first impression count
Making a good first impression on a potential buyer might just seal the deal for you. You wouldn’t upload any below-par selfies to your Tinder profile, so why would you keep the front of your house looking a little worse for wear?
Freshen up your front door with a coat of paint and make sure the house number is polished. If you live in a flat, spend ten minutes making sure the entrance stairs have been swept, and that the corridors are free of any rubbish.
If your property benefits from outdoor space, make the most of it. Add some plant pots or hanging baskets, and make sure the grass is freshly cut for both the professional photos and property viewings.
By spending a little time and effort on your outside space you can really add to the appeal of your property. A small investment here could add a lot to your final closing price. It doesn’t matter if you have a huge outdoor area or a small balcony, outdoor space is more in demand than ever, so maximising its potential could help greatly in achieving a quicker sale.
Contain the chaos
Are you a bit of a hoarder? Are your shelves brimming with mismatched holiday souvenirs or strange china figurines that your elderly relatives have gifted you?
It might seem a little early to start packing, but by boxing up and storing items in a storage unit or a friend’s attic, it can give your property a much tidier appearance.
Having more space in the property, with less clutter on shelves and tables, will make the rooms seem bigger and more inviting. This can allow potential buyers to envisage their belongings in the space more easily.
Get those DIY jobs done
Is some of the paint peeling in the living room? Does the lock on the bathroom door need to be replaced? We are all guilty of putting off easy-to-fix DIY jobs, but now is not the time to put them on the back burner.
Touching up paint jobs and fixing door handles or loose screws can greatly improve the appearance of your property, without needing to spend a fortune. It isn’t necessary to redecorate the whole property but touching up small issues here and there can make your property look more like a finished product, ready to move into.
Hinch that house!
This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s worth shouting about! With people like Mrs Hinch famous for showcasing how clean their properties are across social media, your potential buyers will expect nothing less than perfect. Have your carpets professionally cleaned, make sure your windows are sparkling and get right into every nook and cranny of that bathroom.
Potential buyers will pick up on any cleanliness issues right away, so having your home spotless for viewings is crucial. Pay close attention to grouting in the bathroom and making sure your oven door and any mirrors in your property are shining. If you’re a cleaning pro, then you’ll know to chop your pillows and get those hoover lines up to scratch for a day of viewings, too.
Put those finishing touches in place
Now that you have finished with the tedious cleaning and repairs, it’s time to put the finishing touches to your property for viewings. If there are corners of certain rooms that don’t benefit from as much natural light and the rest of the room, add some lamps! These can help to brighten up the space, and add a cosy feeling to a room in the evenings.
Hang a few mirrors around the property. This will help to create the illusion of more space and may also trick you into believing that a room is brighter, too. Add some potted houseplants for a colourful touch and make sure to have crisp neutral sheets on the beds.
Plus, if you really want to go cliché, make sure that fruit basket on your kitchen worktop is brimming with colourful produce!
Most importantly, before you do all that… make sure you hire the right estate agent for you
One of the most important tips we can give you for selling your home is to pick the right estate agent. Shop around to find the best fit for you. Make sure you talk to them, ask plenty of questions and think logically about your decision.
When selling your home, you should choose an estate agent who has experience of your local property market. At Watermans, our team knows the Scottish housing market. We offer straightforward property advice, so that you know where you stand throughout the sale process.
To get started with your property sale, arrange your free Pre-Sale Valuation using the form below, or contact our team on 0131 555 7055. And, if you list your property for sale with Watermans between now and the 31st of March, you could be in with a chance to win your property sale – completely free of charge!