Clutter is the Enemy - Decluttering expert Rachel Smith tells us how to prepare your home for a sale
If you were selling your car you’d remove all the rubbish and give it a good valet to get the highest price. So why wouldn’t you do the same with your home? 🏡
Think of all the happy times, remind yourself why you fell in love with your house in the first place and to prepare yourself, just imagine your mother-in-law is paying you a visit...
OUTSIDE – INCREASE THAT KERB APPEAL
🪴 Gates and fences - Firstly, if you've got a gate, make sure it's fully functioning - there is nothing worse than struggling to get through a gate because it's broken or stuck. If it's rusty, give it a lick of paint and maybe change the hinges/latch. The same goes for fences - you may need to speak to neighbours of adjoining properties, but any and all fences should be fixed and given a fresh lick of paint.
Paths - If you don't own a jet washer then one of your neighbours probably does so it's time to make friends. Jet washing your paths and driveway is a filthy yet satisfying job and it will make a whole world of difference to those paths that you thought had always been brown.
🪟 Windows and doors - Clean your windows. If your frames are uPVC you can get special uPVC cleaner quite cheaply that will make a big difference. Got a uPVC door? Then clean that too. Does your door need a bit of a refresh? Did you know that in the 21st century you can now paint a PVC door? @Frenchicpaint have a range that you can paint straight onto PVC without having to prime it.
If you've got a wooden door and windows then give them a lick of paint, it really will make all the difference.
🚪 Door numbers and doorbells - Make sure you've got a visible door number and
either a doorbell or a door knocker (your local delivery drivers will also thank you for this). Not having one or any of these things can be frustrating to a potential buyer so have a look at your door furniture (including letterbox) and see if any of it needs replacing.
🪴 Front garden - If you have a front garden, then please weed it and tidy it up - buyers will have a good look at the front garden whilst they're waiting for the door to be opened. A quick win for any house is to add a couple of colourful pots either side of the front door (symmetry is pleasing to the eye) and maybe hanging baskets or window boxes depending on what type of property you live in.
♻️ Wheelie bins - If they're out front, move your wheelie bins please. If there's really nowhere to put them out of sight, then ask a neighbour if you can hide them in their garage/garden. We know everyone has them, but we really don't need to see them. Any decent photographer should move the bins out of shot.
🚗Close the garage door – and if you can, make sure the garage is tidy. There's a strong chance a buyer will want to see inside the garage so spend some time tidying and organising it. As with the house, you want buyers to see the great storage space you have, not that it's full of all your clutter. You're going to need to get rid of half of the contents anyway when you move so you might as well do it now.
INSIDE – MAKE IT AS COMFORTABLE FOR VIEWERS AS POSSIBLE
🐾 Decide what to do with pets in advance - some buyers will be scared of dogs, allergic to cats, etc. so it’s a good idea to make them disappear during viewings. Just the sight of a food bowl may put a buyer off as they will be busy wondering at what point they're going to come across their nemesis (this really does happen). So, where pets are concerned, be discreet. Ask older kids/friends/a dog-walker to take the dog(s) for a walk and find a temporary home for any house cats/rodents/reptiles. Most importantly, make sure that any pet-related odours are eliminated (see the point below about ventilation).
👧🏻 Get the kids on board in advance - ask younger kids to pick their 5 favourite toys and display these in their room. Box everything else up and label the box 'TOYS: open first!' That way they will keep their rooms tidy and also when you get to the new house their toys will be easily accessible which will buy you time to unpack the rest. Try a reward system with older kids or simply monetise their involvement: give them half when they 'stage' their room and half when the house sells, or pick a family goal that they can all work towards.
💐 Ventilate - we all get used to the smells of our own house but you need to remember that we're not all the same so whilst you may love curries, or wax melts, your potential buyers may not. Constantly having the heating on will accentuate the odours that are peculiar to your home so make sure to crack open some windows and let some fresh air circulate in the days/hours before a viewing (and don't cook anything too odorous the night before).
🌡 Check the temperature - you may feel the cold and need the heating on full all day long, or you may be more frugal with the heating and just put an extra jumper on,
either way, please bear in mind that the house needs to be a comfortable
temperature for viewings. Most buyers will not take their coats off so try walking through the house with your coat on for 10-15 minutes and see if you get too hot.
If buyers feel too hot or too cold they will feel uncomfortable, the viewing will be shorter, and they will not see everything you want them to see because they are busy planning their exit.
🪟 Open all the curtains and blinds - a buyer will not really be bothered how much of a pretty blind you can see, or how well you've swagged your curtains, but they will be bothered by the lack of light these things might cause. Open all curtains and blinds as fully as possible, even at night - buyers will be interested in the size of the windows and the outlook.
💡 Turn on all the lights/lamps - even during the day. You are selling space, so illuminate it as well as you can so that buyers can see that space. A bright home looks bigger. Seeing a house with the lights on from the outside will make it look welcoming and full of life.
♻️ Hide wheelie bins/kitchen bins/waste baskets - we all have them and we all use them but nobody needs to see them out on display. You don't want anyone associating your house with any kind of rubbish.
🛏 Make the beds – making all the beds properly will make a huge difference. Plump all the pillows up - if you don't have enough pillows or the ones you have are very flat then borrow some or buy some new ones (you can get a pack of 2 from B&M or The Range for less than £10). Remove any branded duvet covers/curtains (football clubs, cartoon characters etc.) and replace with something neutral; and add cushions and throws (if you don't know how to arrange these then look on Pinterest/Instagram/YouTube for inspiration). If you have white walls, stay away from all white or very pale bedding as it will merge into the walls on the photos.
Top tip: the quickest and easiest way to iron a duvet cover is when it's on the bed.
🛁 In the bathroom – throw all the empty bottles away and just leave out what you need. And remember to put the toilet seats down - nobody wants the focal point of a bathroom to be the toilet.
And there you have it. By making an effort with the appearance of your house you’ll get better photos, better photos mean more people through the door, and more people through the door means more offers, and more offers means a higher selling price. That’s got to be worth the effort, hasn’t it?
If you want more info on decluttering or what to do before viewing follow the Decluttering expert Rachel Smith on Facebook | Website