Top tips when selling your property?

Comments (41)

PRO
Luxe Interior Style
8 years ago
Before putting your house on the market look at whether there is something that you can do with your existing property to make it you dream home.
In some cases extending or reconfiguring a property can be more cost effect than moving home once you start factoring in agents & legal fees, stamp duty and additional cost of that new home.

However if moving is the option you are taking then a really good declutter before you even get the agents around is a must!
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
First impressions are key, with small jobs making a huge difference! For example, ensure the front garden is tidy and the windows are clean. If the front door looks a little tired, give it a fresh coat of paint. When it comes to the interior, opt for neutral tones to appeal to a wider audience, enhance the property's best features (such as dressing a mantelpiece with flowers) and keep it clutter-free so buyers can visualize how they would use the space. Finally, make sure your home is as comfortable as possible- cool on hot sunny days and lovely and warm during the winter.
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Weekly? Oh, how I wish it were only weekly. I'm out there nearly every day culling the three-cornered leek that has reappeared as a thick blanket despite me culling it in the first spring I was here, in my new house, then finding it had reappeared hugely aggressively last year and now, in my third spring, it's even thicker and even more widespread - and is now not only in the flower beds but also in the lawn, thick along the edge, scattered within it. Front and back. It takes about two hours to clear about a square yard - digging under the bulbs; banging off the (very good, I've been told) soil in which there are always several earthworms which I need to hang on to (obviously); then picking out the tiniest bulbs left behind. I don't think I can ever finish it this year - as happened last year - which means the problem will go on for decades. I don't really have the time (I need to work, I need a life beyond digging and clearing). The only solution I can think of is to bring in help but my budget won't allow that. I value having lawn so paving it over isn't an option. I will have less planting space, which will eventually mean less weeding, but it's not something I can do right now - I've too much to do to bring the indoors up to date. I disagree with Jo DP. The previous owners had a keep it wild policy and now I have this big problem with a massively invasive plant. And, yes, I have tried using it in recipes - it really isn't worth the effort of keeping it under control (to have a limited supply). I'm an experienced and adventurous cook and three-cornered leek is an overrated ingredient, even though it's free and in my garden.
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ingabrereton
8 years ago
Be ready for the buyers, and you will sell quickly. The house and garden need to be spotlessly clean, neutrally decorated and thoroughly depersonalised. Make as much space as possible by getting rid of any tat, laundry and stinky trainers need to be out of the way. If you have any pets get a friend to care for them while you sell.

Some freshly planted flowers outside the front door, and cut flowers in the main reception rooms make a good look. Make sure the house smells nice and is warm and well lit when people come round to view. Remember people are buying an aspirational lifestyle not a house, so think of your house as a set and dress it up accordingly. Go the extra mile on prep and you will reap the benefits.

Best wishes with selling, it's well worth the hard work.
Lyndsey P
8 years ago
I only recently bought and after seeing 11 houses had really had enough of viewing them.

Mine are:

1. Declutter so people can actually see the home. We visited one house where the gent was an avid boot sale seller. Unfortunately, that meant that he had stuff pile up absolutely everywhere and we couldn't really see the hall, half of the front room, kitchen or two of the bedrooms. Absolutely lovely chap though.

2. Make arrangements for the kids to be elsewhere if at all possible. On a second viewing of a house all four of the couple's kids were home with them (in a small 3 bed), meant that we couldn't really look at the living room, as the three youngest were watching a film in there or one of the bedrooms, where the teenager had locked herself. We felt like intruders and felt uncomfortable looking at things in the depth that we wanted to with it being a second viewing.

3. Be friendly! The house we ultimately bought had some strange characters living in it. On our viewing the gent appeared to hate us immediately and snarled at us every time we came into view. Luckily we won him over by the end of the viewing BUT it was a sign of things to come when he was so rude to our surveyor that he refused to complete the survey. Wasn't enough to put us off as we were in love with the place, but someone buying with their head would have left without looking back.
Heather Welsh
8 years ago
I would definitely agree with de cluttering - we even moved some things from large, very full walk in cupboards and stored at my parents house until we moved. The house we bought was crammed with stuff, not on display but using every inch of storage space, which suggested it was short of storage, particularly as the previous owner lived alone. We viewed that before selling our flat so learnt from that viewing.

I'm also ashamed to admit we had the TV on when showing our flat to the person that bought it, as our neighbour was playing his electric guitar..... He could be heard in the common close though so she would have had a fair idea of potential noise level!

I was also surprised at how quickly potential buyers wanted to view (1st call was 10mins after the flat went online) so would be more prepared if selling in future.

Finally, I would agree with communication with potential buyers. When I bought my flat I was shown round by the estate agent & it felt very detached & made it harder to imagine how it would feel to live there. When viewing our house, we were shown round by the owner so were able to ask more questions & it really felt like the home had been well loved which helped persuade us to buy it, as it needed more work than we had intended to take on. She had also told the neighbours a bit about us which felt very welcoming when we moved in.
ukoap
8 years ago
Do all the "little jobs" you have been putting off, tidy, clear out rubbish, make sure the rooms are shown correctly, eg beds made and looking attractive in bedrooms, sitting rooms tidy, but perhaps a book on a side table to look as though you have time to enjoy the place. Make sure the house smells fresh, use fresh air as much as possible and keep the place clean. Children's toys put away, but it is ok to leave out constructed Lego, for instance, in the boys room and a lovely dolls house or similar in the girls room. Choose fresh fruit in a good fruit bowl instead of flowers on the kitchen table and non-seasonal flowers around the house, nothing dates how long a place has been for sale if you use daffodils, for instance, to add colour. Show the property yourself unless you are certain the agent is really good at their job and you are poor! Last, but not least, make sure the agent knows your house has to be photographed while the sun is out by an extremely competent photographer. Do not accept poor photographs.
Juliet Docherty
8 years ago
Once the house is ready, my top tip would be to do the viewings yourself. You can then tell the potential purchaser things you have done, fixed, resolved etc. You can also gauge if they will be 'nitpickers' or more laid back and this may have a bearing on who you choose to select an offer from. Also try to check the forecast and do the viewings on a sunny day if possible, it makes a big difference.
teenytinyhouse
8 years ago
Selling your home is emotional and exhausting. If you can afford it, make a list of all those little DIY jobs you've been putting off, and pay a handyman to come in for the day to do them. You can then use the time and energy you save to tidy, Hoover, and pack. You won't regret it, though you will wonder why you didn't get them in years ago!

Good luck, I hope the sale and the next step go well!
headers13
8 years ago
Clean & tidy, get rid of any clutter. Make sure the front has kerb appeal & the garden is tidy. Sell the lifestyle of what the property is so the viewers can imagine themselves in there.
Sven
8 years ago
Top tip is to wait for a sunny day for the photographer to come round. The vast majority of people look at new homes via the internet, so having high resolution photographs on a sunny day creates a positive impression.
Helen C
8 years ago
These are all great tips, I'm currently in the process of fixing up my old house to sell. We moved out a few months ago so the place is completely bare. I wonder is it worth paying someone to home stage it and maybe 'rent' some furniture. I'm not even sure this kind of service exists. Any thoughts anyone?
ingabrereton
8 years ago
campo73 I would put furniture in if you possibly can. Most buyers can't imagine what a house could be without it being spelt out for them. A dining room must have a set dining table, a sitting room must have sofas and chairs and each bedroom must have beds, double if the room is a double, bunks if it is a single to show buyers that there is potential. Don't set out out a bedroom as an office - let them decide to do that for themselves. Home staging does exist in the UK, but you could just buy some furniture at your local auction house, and get rid through auction when the house sells. People are buying a life upgrade with a new house, so make it appealing to the market sector you are aiming to sell to.
Jonathan
8 years ago
Campo- Lots of buyers have no imagination but likewise poor quality furniture can ruin the great impact of a newly renovated house and it may show better with nothing in it.

Personally I would spend money on comfortable flooring underneath, quality door handles, flattering lighting, nice smells, and central heating during viewing times.
Helen C
8 years ago
I was tempted to buy some furniture from the local auction house but most of it looks shabby, mismatched and cheap! Johnathandb1972 the house already has some great light fittings, we only renovated it 8 years ago so it's just getting a refresh. However two of the carpets look grotty so i think you've persuaded me to change them. Sven great advice re the floor plan, I'll make sure the estate agent (yet to be instructed) does this. Thanks for the help and sorry to hijack the thread!
ingabrereton
8 years ago
I like the idea Sven has, but it really depends who you think it will sell to. If the house is a lovely as your new house, it would be worthwhile fully staging the house to sell to a family or couple, if it is a house a buy-to-let investor or small developer is going to buy then don't bother because they are only looking at the potential of the location to produce a return. PS as a further point to the original thread, if there is an obvious place to extend or build on, it can be worthwhile to apply for/gain planning permission and then your buyer knows the local authority will allow further work and you will reap the benefit of that in the sale price.
Julie Millard
8 years ago
beg, borrow or steal, high end furnishings, such as pictures, ornaments. Replace any tacky, brass,gold coloured door furniture, light fittings etc unless in a period house. Replace carpets if need be with cheap, fashionable ones. Buyers aren't to know they are 100% synthetic and buyers can smell newness. We replaced hall and lounge for £250 fitted. We also sold to 2nd viewer for full asking price
Bella Tanner
8 years ago
Make sure it's very very clean, that the bathrooms aren't cluttered with products (or they look too small) that items on top of kitchen cabinets are cleared away (or the kitchen looks small) fresh flowers in a few rooms, clean white bedding on all the beds and make sure any dog beds or cat litter trays are at least temporarily cleared away!
belsize
8 years ago
1) Echoing someone else, don't have the occupants, human or canine, around when showing - they take up a lot of space! I don't like feeling I'm interrupting people's lives but I do like to view 2 or 3 times. 2) Know your demographic - i.e. if it's an up-market aspirational home, or next to a great school for families, or a first-time buyer's flat then play up (honestly) the appealing features e.g. by having the right sort of stuff inside and knowing how far it takes to walk to the school and the boundaries of the catchment area. 3) Do make sure the garden is in good nick, invest in a one-off professional trim and tidy if necessary. 4) Let people in to see the place. Selling is hard work and the house has to look good and be available a lot of times for viewing. I've always been irritated when people won't allow subsequent viewings at different times and I now have a cleaner come to help keep the place freshly vacuumed and clean.

Although I love colour and individuality, the house we bought a few years back followed all the rules, neutrals, very tidy, very nice owners. We've now mucked the place up and introduced our colourful objets and art. If we ever sell the place I'll probably revert to the previous style for re-sale.
Petra Howard
8 years ago
Lat time we sold a house we had it immaculate every time someone came around, we bought new bedding for beds and had fresh coffee running and bread in the oven...we made the viewers welcome like guests and not intruders..also have a list ready with useful information to take away, like schools, shops, restaurants, cinemas anything you can think about would be useful for people new to the area...all this thoughtfulness also makes a bonding. I always feel that not only the house is under scrutiny but also the seller, be friendly but professional and show them that you love your house then others will to.
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hello Emmeline,

Personally I am not at all interested in whether the bed is new or anything like this.. What I am looking for is character.. I don't believe in neutral and would not be wanting a neutral home... What I want is to be surprised and taken aback.. The architecture of the space is what speaks and I want character!..

It can be empty for all I care... Fresh coffee, flowers and all the rest of it is entirely of no importance..

I don't need a sell, all I need is to "see" what the potential is and whether there are things of concern... If I wanted to develop any part of the building, would it be possible and how to go about it with consideration for the surrounding area whilst conserving the integrity of the original features..

Also I don't like the word staging, styling should feel evolved, natural if done at all as if the house or building unfolded and grew over time rather than just appeared.. This of course is a skill and contrived is not the vocabulary here.. .. :))
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
8 years ago
Hello Campo73,

If you need someone to style your home get in touch! I offer a range of services from consulting, design, styling, and procurement.. : ))
diana lyn
8 years ago
One of my tips would be don't lie. I've bought two houses from people who flat out lied to me. I knew they were lying and wasn't put off but they just made themselves look stupid. If you're honest people will appreciate it. One seller for instance tried to convince me that mold on the ceiling of the bathroom wasn't mold. When it clearly was. Don't nickel and dime people either. If someone wants your house but with the fridge thrown in just let them have it. It's not worth losing a sale over.
ukoap
8 years ago
Yes, dsteinway is right nothing is more stupid than being mean with your buyer. When we were moving into our house the previous owner announced that he would be sending someone to dig out the holly hedge in October, this was July time. We could have objected as this had not been mentioned before in the sellers pack, we really could not believe he would really do this, but he did, amazing! He also removed a couple of built in things he should not have done, but the icing on the cake was when my son used the bath in the main bathroom and the water went down the overflow pipe which had not been connected, ending up in the hall, not down the drain! Just glad I am not married to anyone like that, we did tell them about the bath and the response was they never used too much water. All this took place in 2000, we will never forget, when we left our old home we left a bottle of wine and a vase of flowers!
tscott009
8 years ago
For me selling a house means appealing to a lifestyle as this will ultimately become someone's home so you need to make them feel emotionally involved with the property and location, you therefore need to understand their needs. Ask your estate agent for details about the potential buyers, armed with this information you can then tailor the viewing to match their needs e.g. if a couple with young children then talk about local parks, schools, children clubs, how the house worked for you when your child was young etc. Trust me, this works I've sold all of my previous properties in less than one week of going on the market.
PRO
Ensoul Ltd
8 years ago
As everyone is probably aware, people buy because of two primary stimulus, firstly emotional and secondly rational (even hard-nosed rationalists have an emotional side). So, appealing to a buyer's emotional senses is critical in the first few moments of viewing a property. Tidying up the front of the house (flower boxes, freshly painted windows and doors, clean windows, clean tiles/flagstones, etc), then consider the lighting effects as you walk in through the hallway (chandeliers with all the bulbs working and Warm White colour temperature bulbs ideally rather than a Cool White which can appear very clinical). As the buyer experiences your home, their internal emotional responses need to be re-affirming what it would feel like living there; you clearly also need to meet all their rational needs as they "tick things off their list" walking around. Hope this helps, Mike
Trisha Goodwin
8 years ago
1. As someone who has bought and sold a lot of houses, due to moving for work, here are some tips. Our last sold in ten days! Clean, clean, clean - a given essential, but so often missed. People will look inside the oven if they're buying it, the bathroom and kitchen should be spotless and gleaming. Get an e-cloth, they shine up appliances and work surfaces that a J-cloth can only dream about! De clutter BEFORE you start to pack for the move, before the first viewer even comes around. Books not read for a while and no chance of, clothes not worn or going to be worn again, take to charity or give to other people until you move out, anything you don't need to use now or doesn't enhance your home. Put away the cat/dogs balls/beds/paraphernalia before visitors arrive (hide in a cellar, attic or wherever for each visit). Make sure the cat/dog is out too, lots of people hate or are allergic and it can and does ruin some sales. That goes for kids potties, too many toys etc as well. Make sure your rooms co-ordinate, if not, purchase a few throws, or cheap (though not cheap looking) accessories that go, and put other stuff away - you can get this stuff from supermarkets/T K Maax nowadays. Always - fresh flowers, candles, fresh fruit, the odd bottle of expensive looking wine. Your home has to look reasonably calm, put together and aspirational, even if its not, so spend a few quid on it now. You are used to seeing it, but try to look at it with someone else' eyes. Not too much stuff on kitchen worktops, maybe a nice coffee machine or some shiny object, posh toiletries in the bathrooms (try T K Maax) no bad smells, no half used soaps or toothbrushes left out, definitely no toilet brushes, it should all say, clean, tidy and posh, somewhere someone would aspire to live, diverting the eye away from the bits that are not so!
PRO
Ensoul Ltd
8 years ago
There's some great tips in a recent article we contributed to in The Times recently. You can open a news clipping of it here: http://www.ensoul.co.uk/site/assets/files/1206/times-bricksmortar-feb2016.pdf
hillary59
8 years ago
Everything everyone has said is so relevant..

No mess and no occupants . My poor hubbie spent many viewings drinking coffee in the garden as i felt he made the room look small! He is quite tall.But when they reached the garden he always greeted them warmly and asked if they had any questions.

(Other than that he was instructed to zip up as we found we both ended up saying offputting things if we talked too much .. As people cant look and talk , dont follow them around ., and dont walk into the room ahead of them, stand back or they wont hang around or take a thorough look,,Just be pleasantly available when ness )

My further comments would be ,,

1 ..Because we had a nice garden and view I always persuaded the agent to come at a time when the weather was more favourable, even timing it by BBC weather to coincide with a bright spell, otherwise the main selling point would have not been appreciated.

( Just reverse this idea if you dont want your viewers to look around outside !Choose wind and rain and make them cosy inside so the outside is overlooked.) Because the viewing was important to me I didnt let the agent dictate timings ,, it was usually possible to negotiate.

2 ..Beautifully made up fresh beds always enhance a bedroom even if yours are not

always that way, To achieve that in a hurry i spent an hour ironing some plain white duvet covers for each room one evening, (the beds are always clean but rarely ironed )So i kept these folded in a bag with clean pillowcases and a nice coloured throw,and just one or 2 cushions , not a ton .

When we had a viewing I didnt even spend time putting the cover on , i just laid it firmly over the existing cover and just put the ironed pillowcases on and the throw.

As soon as they went it all went back in the bag for next time.It also made the room smell of nice laundered linen,.

3..We had a drive but made sure we parked elsewhere so they could drive straight on to the property. (Often our sons would turn up and ruin it but they got used to the routine eventually.)
denise7125
8 years ago
I've got a couple of questions...when we moved into our house 8 years ago we asked our then teenagers if they wanted a bath & over-bath shower or no bath and a big shower. They opted for the latter but now they've moved out and we only use our ensuite. If we sell should we re-do it and get a bath put back in? Also, our fourth bedroom has fitted office furniture. Should we remove it when we sell and put a single bed in there? We have 3 other double bedrooms. Any advice would be appreciated.
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hello Denise7125,

Most people and estate agents will say that a bath is better than a shower for selling and for profit.. If you have both then even better.. Perhaps consider putting in a soaking tub.. They are smaller at about a meter.. It means you can then leave the shower in place... You could then consider that you have both should you choose that idea..

With the fourth room... If it is of a decent size to be seen as a bedroom, then yes you could.. even a really basic divan and nice bed linen... Or a sofa bed and the office.. The agent can sell it as a bedroom or office option.. Some people want a home office..

If the room is really small and is best being described as an office then go with that.. Potential buyers can see through the whole 5 bedroom sale routine when one is in fact a closet! : ))
ukoap
8 years ago
We have made our 4th bedroom into an office, however it is big enough to be a double bedroom and when the time comes to sell I will make sure it has the single bed in there looking more important and remove the filing cabinets into the garage! The desk can stay, as it would then look ideal for a teenager to do their homework. The house has an office downstairs but we use that as a snug and would keep it like that. I have noticed our local estate agents tend to describe the properties they have for sale as they are set up, therefore our home would be described as a three bed house, not a good idea.

Regarding bath versus shower, I would always make sure a home has a bath, if there is no room for a shower on its own, then put a shower above the bath. People do like both baths and showers and only offering one or the other could put someone off, I would always make sure the bathroom has the loo in there too, nothing worse than having to cross a landing to the loo just before you wash!
denise7125
8 years ago
Thanks for the feedback, when the time comes I think we will have to invest in the changes to get a sale. Thanks for the suggestions too
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
8 years ago
Welcome Denise7125,

Good luck with the sale when you do.. : ))
PRO
Solatube UK
8 years ago
Increasing natural daylight within the property where ever possible.
Natural daylight transforms the home in a way that electrical lighting simply couldn't. Have a look at our profile, or our website www.solatube.co.uk
Solatube Daylighting Systems can bring your home to life.

Daniel at Solatube UK
Jane Thorpe
5 years ago
De clutter, clean, personality are my keywords. As a property photographer who photographs a lot of houses for sale, I am often gobsmacked that people expect to sell their homes (and have them photographed) with clutter everywhere. It goes without saying - or should do - that everything should be clean, but sometimes I go into a property where the opposite is true and they have decluttered and cleaned to a point where the rooms have lost any personality ensuring that the photographs look bland. Think about texture and colour - so for example in a neutral room that hasn't much furniture, think about adding a coloured cushion and a throw, a collection of, for want of a better word, objets... on a side table. Look through home interiors magazines and get some ideas from there. When you get viewers make the house look as it did in the photos, emphasise the good points. Make it look spacious but not bland
Jane Thorpe
5 years ago
Hello Amber Jeavons Ltd - I totally agree with you in saying you need to see the space and the potential but don't overestimate most peoples vision in that respect. Most people can't see the potential - they need to be shown
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Hello @The Picture House.

Thank you! Just to touch on your point, I don't agree at all really. I think most people want to envision the property with themselves living in it, how they want to see the home. When I talked about what I look for, it was from a personal viewpoint. I don't need to see anything added to see if the place is worth something. (Not financial) I'm talking structural and aesthetics. The "bones" of the place, if you like. Also potential has nothing to do with clean, tidy, or adding a few objects, just reading your pointers.

Potential isn't styling, it has to do with architectural details and the capacity for renovation or restructuring. If that is what is sought. For that you need an eye for these details and there are a lot of people who are very clued up and interested in this area. Talking from experience that is.

I think the problem with selling, is knowing your market and who you're selling to. Knowing your property and how to market it (at the time) to its fullest potential. Marketing your property for who you want to sell it to. So whoever it is can see what they can add- if at all! However, what a client is looking for from their purchase will largely dictate the type of property they seek. Interestingly some "interior designed" property renovated for sale are some of the worst examples of boring,bland and unimaginative. I would argue the use of the term "Interior designed"

It comes down to style and taste which is diverse and individual. Displaying the architectural elements to their fullest. In short, it takes.. Charisma! AJ
PRO
PWJ Architects Ltd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Always have photos of clean rooms that are clutter free, as well as looking 'homely' and suitable for family living.
Kathy
5 years ago
The clearer the space, the larger your home appears, so declutter. If you can't imagine getting of your things, put them into storage!
Ruth House
11 months ago
Hide everything away for the photos.

Keep it super clean and clear for all viewings.

Host your own viewings if at all possible.

United Kingdom

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Top tips when selling your property?

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