The property market may be paused right now, but if you’re planning to sell after lockdown ends that doesn’t mean you need to postpone your preparation. Whilst the current situation means that certain tasks are no longer possible, there are still lots of jobs that are achievable. The main thing to remember is that, as a seller, you get two opportunities to make a first impression to potential buyers.
The first is when home-hunters see your home listed online, which means that your property needs to look shipshape for the photographs. The second is when people eventually come to view your home in real life, which is what we call ‘kerb appeal’. In both cases, you’ll want to make sure that your home looks as good as it can.
Here, we’ve drawn up a manageable checklist to ensure that you are ready to go.
Declutter
According to Changing Rooms star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, this job is hugely important and should not be underestimated. Decluttering your home creates the illusion of roomier spaces and also means that you will be showing buyers around a clean and tidy home.
If home-hunters can visualise living in a property, they are likely to be more serious about putting an offer in. Also, try upcycling tired or worn-out furniture if you have some free time during lockdown.
Give rooms the right purpose
If you’ve marketed your home as having three-bedrooms, do your best to make sure there are three bedrooms for home-hunters to view, rather than two bedrooms and a study or playroom. The key here is to show people what they can have, rather than telling them. Again, it comes back to visualisation and making it as easy as possible for buyers to imagine living in your home.
Documents
Your estate agent and solicitor will ask for various bits of paperwork throughout the selling process, so if you can gather together all the relevant documents ahead of time, you should avoid delays further down the line. Some of the paperwork to consider rounding up should include title documents for the property, any Gas and electrical checks completed by a Gas Safe certificate registered engineer or registered electrical competent person. You will also need FENSA or CERTAS certificates for windows and copies of any planning permission or building regulation completion certificates for any major work carried out.
Minor Repairs
Now could be the time to tick off all those annoying DIY jobs that you’ve been putting off. This will help make sure you’re not giving prospective buyers a reason to mark your house down because of something that doesn’t take too long to fix. Whether its re-grouting the kitchen, taking limescale off the taps or touching up the mastic in the bathroom, carrying out these minor repairs will make a big difference:
Keep the garden tidy
We talked about kerb appeal earlier, and this is where you can really make a first impression count. Your front garden is the first thing that a potential buyer will see, so make sure that you give them a reason to smile straight away. Similarly, the back garden can be a deal clincher, and an impressive outdoor space could set your home apart from the rest. We would always suggest you cut the grass (or make sure it’s freshly mown), prune any overgrown hedges and give the fence panels a new lick of paint (if you have spare pots in the shed).
As we get ready for summers buyers will want to imagine themselves sitting in the garden with friends and family relaxing over a BBQ so get rid of the weeds from your patio and make sure that rickety gate isn’t about to fall off!
Light and airy
Darker rooms generally look smaller than lighter ones, and this can be a big turn off for potential buyers. So we’d suggest making sure that blinds are open, and curtains are apart, to flood your home with light.
Bathrooms and kitchens
These two rooms are the most expensive for a buyer to upgrade. However, if you’ve made an effort to clean and declutter them, you’ll be giving potential buyers another reason to be positive about your home. So ensure your bathroom is mould-free and store toiletries away where possible. Having a clean shower door will make all the difference and keep the toilet seat down. In the kitchen we would recommend you keep worktops tidy, utensils organised and food in cupboards. Putting the washing up away and cleaning the windows will always help.
We hope this information has come in handy but feel free to contact our experienced Sales team who will be delighted to come round for a market appraisal and offer our advice!
