Five Top Tips to Prepare Your Home For Sale
You’ve decided to sell up and move home. Thinking about your next chapter in your new home is so exciting. But at first it can also seem a little daunting. Zoopla reports that on average people in the UK move every 23 years. Moving isn’t a process we go through as often as you may think. Here at Sure Sales and Lettings, we understand it can be difficult to know where to start. To help, we would like to share with you, our decades of experience and have compiled our five top tips to prepare your home for sale.
1. Clear out
How you present your home can have a huge impact on your sale. Smartening up your home’s presentation is one of the best ways you can help your sale.
De-cluttering is a good place to start. Show off the space your home has to offer and get rid of the junk. You may not relish the thought of wading through old nick-naks you have been hording but it will be worth it. Buyers want to see the space your home has to offer. Large pieces of furniture, clutter and mess can be very distracting for a buyer. Your home could come across disorganised and chaotic. Bring a sense of calmness by removing any unnecessary jumble. Your property photographs will look more impressive after a good clear out. Your rooms will look bigger, cleaner and brighter. This is far more appealing to a potential buyer than a messy cluttered home.
2. Tick off your DIY list
A home that looks loved and well maintained is far more attractive to buyers than one that looks neglected. Tie up all those DIY loose ends you’ve been avoiding. Many buyers are put off by the sight of unfinished odd jobs. They can perceive it as extra hassle for them to sort themselves. If they observe your home this way, there’s a higher chance they will either discount it completely or offer a lower price due to the work that is required on purchase.
If you don’t fancy doing these DIY jobs yourself, employ the services of a local handyman. A small investment will give you peace of mind and take the hassle out of your hands. Not only that – investing upfront could potentially save you thousands of pounds being knocked off your asking price.
3. Perfect your presentation
The best way to entice a buyer into falling in love with your home is to present it to the highest standards. A well-presented home will sell for a higher price in a quicker time frame than one that is not so perfected.
Now that your home is clear and all your odd jobs are complete, it’s time to add the finishing touches to your home’s presentation. DIY and de-cluttering can be dirty work so ensure your home is clean and sparkling from top to bottom. Touch up any paintwork, if your décor is looking tired it is always worth freshening it up with a lick of paint.
For the final presentation polish, add a few luxury accessories. Add scatter cushions on chairs and sofas to inject colour and texture. Make your bed to hotel standards with a throw and cushions carefully presented. Create a homely ambience by adding soft lighting for example, lamps in the hallway and on your bedside tables. Add fluffy towels and lavish toiletries to the bathrooms to add a sense of luxury. Accessorising and styling your home in this way will complement your property photography and help your pictures pop. By showing buyers how amazing your home is, they will be eager to book a viewing.
4. What do you need?
So far, we have focused on your home’s presentation. Now it’s time to focus on you and your family, after all you are the most important piece in this puzzle. To make sure that your house hunting efforts are fruitful make a list of things you desire for your next home.
Whether you love a list or not, a list is certainly useful in focusing the mind. Find some quiet time, sit down and make a list with two columns.
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In the first column list the absolute needs from your next home.
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In the second column list your wants or nice to haves.
It is easy to get carried away and put everything in the first column but be ruthless. There are usually some compromises when buying a home, so what are yours?
These lists are useful to help guide your property search and great to take to a viewing. Hand your requirements to your estate agent and other local agents that you speak to. It will also help them focus on houses that meet your needs.
5. Prepare your documents
When selling and buying, there are a number of documents you will need to complete the process. Ensuring these are prepared upfront can save time further down the line.
Before your estate agent adds your house to the market, they must complete money laundering checks by law. When putting in an offer on a property as a buyer you will also have to go through money laundering checks. The most common forms of identification supplied to comply with the requirements is a Passport along with a Driving License or Utility Bill as proof of address. There are other forms of ID that you can use, so speak to your agent for more options.
Before your agent begins to advertise your home for sale you will need to obtain an energy performance certificate (EPC). Your Estate Agent can help you with this. An EPC is legally required. It shows a potential buyer how energy efficient your home is, where improvements can be made and the costs associated.
To help buyers understand the costs of running your home, it is also useful to have the following documents to hand:
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Utility bills
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Council tax bill
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Any maintenance or leasehold statements
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Building and content insurance
Other documents that will be required by solicitors or your estate agent are:
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Leasehold
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Building regulation certificates
Like with most things in life, if you prepare in advance you will ensure a better outcome. By preparing your home, really thinking of what your requirements are for your next home and preparing all of the documents, you will be in the best position possible. Preparing in this way can help you feel confident and prepares your mind to leave your existing home and move to pastures new. You can also ease the process for your buyers too by preparing and planning. Making the process smoother and more enjoyable for all.
If you are thinking of selling and want the best advice to get your sale off to a flying start, get in touch with us today. Our team have over 130 years of combined experience in property Sales and Lettings. We’d love a chat about your exciting moving plans, call us on 01332 775 322 or 01283 537120 email derby@surepropertygroup.com or burton@surepropertygroup.com
Andrew Sharpe
Sales and Lettings Director
DD: 01283 248841
email: a.sharpe@surepropertygroup.com