A few tips to help you sell…

It’s completely up to you if you want to do any of the points below but the more effort you can put into preparing your property, the better it’s going to look when it has been photographed.

IMPROVE YOUR IMPACT RIGHT FROM THE WORD GO
The first thing people are going to see is the front of your house, so give yourself the best start and put yourself in the buyers shoes, look at your house from their eyes and see what you need to do.

If there’s flaking paint on the front of the house, give it a new coat. Make sure the front door and it’s furniture shine. Clean all the windows and make sure that planters and hanging baskets are looking great, they will make a big difference to how people feel about a house.

Fix any small problems like broken gates and letterboxes, loose paving slabs or stones knocked out of a wall. Give the hedge a trim and weed out the dandelions and thick clumps of grass poking through the driveway.

GET RID OF THE CLUTTER
Put everything away that has no reason to be on show, otherwise it is easier for people to visualise the property without all of your items getting in the way of their vision, the less there is then the less to get in the way. Make sure bedrooms are tidy and clear of clothes on floors or hanging out on cupboard handles. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves in the rooms, not your favourite shoes sprawled on the floor.

FIX AND CLEAN
Clean surfaces reflect light far better than dirty ones do. Dirty surfaces not only reflect light badly, they make your house look dull. Get out the vacuum cleaner, the mop, dust all surfaces and walls, and scrub the front and back steps. You want your house to shine in the photographs people are viewing online.

And then it’s time to fix anything that’s broken. If there are wonky door handles, broken cupboard doors, lino that’s loose, fix them. It’ll make the pictures look better, and during viewings you wont be worrying about your potential buyer being put off by them.

THE KITCHEN AND BATHROOM
These two rooms are the most important ones to get right – kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms to renovate in a house, so you want buyers to feel that even if it’s not perfect, they won't need replacing in the near future. It’ll help you at least get the price your asking.

Tidy all the surfaces and clean them, and the walls, and the floor, make the rooms sparkle. Put away gadgets in the kitchen – too many objects on the work surfaces suggest there isn’t enough storage. If it really has to be out make sure you clean them until they gleam.

After cleaning the bathroom thoroughly, only keep out decorative items and a carefully folded towel. Simplicity is the key to a beautiful bathroom.

LIGHTING
Good lighting brings a room to life, so replace broken bulbs and where there are dark corners bring in a lamp or use a brighter central bulb.

THE GARDEN
Whether your garden is a small yard or an acre plot with borders and an ornamental fountain, give it good tidy. Remove any items that don’t need to be there, but if you have bikes and rabbit hutches, kids’ sandboxes and toys, make them look neat and tidy. By tidying it all up, giving the paths a sweep, and cutting the grass down, you vastly improve a garden’s looks and so the photographs will give buyers a real idea of how they might use it should they buy the property.