How to improve my chances of selling my home
Even if you have already put your property on the market with an Estate Agent, you should still look to improve your chances of selling it. If you are looking to buy and sell a property at the same time, you can follow our step by step guide here. So how to improve my chances of selling my home?
Once you have carried out any improvements, you can request your Estate Agent to update any photographs they have taken of your property. If you have not yet had an offer, it may be because your house is not buyer ready just yet. In any event, there is no harm in giving your property a helping hand to get it in tip-top shape to sell.
Follow this guide:
Tidy
Tidy ALL of the rooms inside your house thoroughly. Then tackle the front and back garden. If you have a lawn, buy or borrow a Lawn Mower and/or Hedge Trimmer if you need either and keep everything nice and trimmed. For guidance on when is the best time to mow your grass, click here.  Click here to view a range of lawnmowers on Amazon. Click here to view a range of hedge trimmers on Amazon.
Clean
When cleaning kitchens and bathrooms you should pay particular attention to the sinks, taps, bath and toilets. Put away product bottles from the sides of the bath/countertops and fold the towels nicely. If a buyer comes in and sees a clean and tidy bathroom/kitchen, it reflects how the owners treat the house.
Wipe around light switch sockets, wipe off kick marks on walls and generally give it a deep clean. If carpets look a little grubby, either hire or buy a Carpet Cleaner. You can pick one up for £100 online. Click here to view on Amazon.
Replace
If any surfaces are damaged in the kitchen, look to replace them. Give cupboards/doors a new lease of life by painting (where possible) or replacing. Many DIY stores do a fantastic range of cupboard doors.
Get rid
Of all your clutter. Rooms can look so much better and larger when you dump the junk. If this is not possible, consider purchasing some storage boxes and stack them somewhere neatly and out of the way.
Click here to view a wide range of storage boxes of all sizes on Amazon.
If you have a lack of storage in your property, consider using a Self Storage centre. Most storage centres have a selection of room sizes that you can hire from a locker up to the size of a tennis court or larger, short or long term. You bring your goods or possessions to the storage centre, lock them in the room and come and go as you please during opening hours. You are the only key holder. You can store almost anything.
If you need to buy larger furniture or essentials for your new home (i.e. fridge/freezer/washing machine, cooker etc.), don’t buy it until you have moved in. You will only make the property you are trying to sell look cluttered. Not only will you save on removal costs, but it will also save time having more items to pack.
Paint
If any of the rooms need a lick of paint, apply a light neutral colour scheme to make rooms appear light and spacious. People like to move into properties that do not need many “cosmetic” changes to them. This gives the buyer the impression that they could just move in and not have to do very much to it straight away. Follow this guide on how to cut in when painting.
Carpets
If your carpets require replacement, invest in either replacing them or give them a clean and/or get a new Rug. Anything that will give the room a lift when a buyer walks in. Again, stick with neutral colours.  New carpets/rugs can be picked up quite cheaply these days.
Extend
To boost the sale price of your property, you could look to extend it with a loft or ground floor extension.
If you are selling a leasehold property, check how long is left on the lease. If the lease needs to be extended, look to extend the lease to make it more desirable to a buyer.
Dress
The beds. You can pick up a clean white Single, Double, Kingsize, or Super kingsize duvet cover for £10 from many stores, add a Glamorous Bed Cushion and your bedroom(s) will look fabulous (even if you haven’t got any carpets down). Click the links above to get the look below.
Smells
Make your property smell good before each visit from an estate agent and/or a prospective buyer. Try not to overdo it with the air freshener though because it could give the buyer the impression you are trying to hide something. Open some windows and let the house breathe before you let a prospective buyer in. A good tip is to make a pot of coffee. This will give your kitchen a great aroma. If you have any small animals in your home (hamster, gerbil or guinea pig), give their cages a clean.
Click on the following guides for guidance on this:
We hope you found our how to improve my chances of selling my home guide helpful.
Further Advice
When the Estate Agent comes round, ask for their advice on ways to further improve the look and feel of your home.
