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Selling up? Make sure your home passes the test

With a slow housing market, you have to work even harder to ensure your property gets sold. With so many properties on the market, buyers can afford to be choosy. So how do you make sure your home gets the 'sold' sign outside? Here are some handy tips, to make sure your home passes the test.

Is the price right?

Make sure your price is realistic. Quite simply, if your starting price is too high, it won’t attract viewers and you will need to lower the price to gain more interest. An attractive price will draw more buyers and offers may even rise.

A tidy home is a happy home

While competitive pricing is the first rule to lure in buyers, the second is tidiness. It’s crucial to make sure you get rid of any mess before buyers start to view your home. First impressions are vital, and bicycles cluttering the hallway, or too many ornaments create a messy feel. If you declutter by removing smaller items, this will create a cleaner impression. Clear space and clean rooms are essential but don’t depersonalise too much, as not everyone likes the show home feel. This also applies to your garden. A cut lawn and some nice plants create the right impression. You don’t need to re-landscape your garden, just get rid of any footballs or toys and keep it tidy. Make sure your windows are clean, and when was the last time you cleaned your front door?

Keep it fresh

Ventilate your rooms before a viewing by opening the windows. If your home does not smell fresh, you will be facing an uphill battle. Generally speaking pets don’t smell fresh, and we tend to forget that not all viewers will be animal lovers. Your furry friends can be a real turn-off for some buyers, so it’s worth getting someone to take them off your hands while your home is being viewed.

Get the right look

If your home needs a facelift, it does not need to cost a fortune. A fresh coat of paint can make all the difference and will help to sell your home faster. Choose fresh neutral colors that will appeal to the masses and avoid bold designs. Update your bathroom and kitchen with lino instead of carpet, blinds instead of curtains, and simple, modern tiles. Avoid oversized furniture, which will make your space appear smaller and bad mixes of antique and contemporary.



It pays to tell the truth

If you live on a busy main road, or your home needs major building work, make sure you fully brief the buyer before they come round to view, so they know what to expect. It will be difficult to hide such things once the buyer is inside your home, and will avoid wasting your time and theirs.


Article courtesy of propertyfinder.com


More top tips from Artful Lodger York

Selling your home can be just as stressful as buying another, especially if you are caught in a 'chain' and are reliant on a sale going through before you can move on.

In a fiercely competitive market, it is important to make your home stand out, not just so you'll get the right price, but to ensure that you maximise the opportunities that potential customers will choose your property over another.

The good news is that selling a property can be achieved with a little effort and imagination and there are a few things that sellers can do to help clinch the deal.

Here are Artful Lodger Yorks's top-ten-tips for selling your home...

1. Get round to it: Make sure you attend to all those maintenance jobs you've been putting off. Oil door hinges, fix squeaky floorboards, replace washers on dripping taps and missing hooks on the curtains. Potential buyers will be turned off by a house that looks uncared for. If you don't have time to do this, get a professional in to do the jobs for you. See Artful Lodger York Home Services Guide for a list of local agents.

2. Show your best side: Most house buyers 'drive by' before they choose properties to view. Ensure yours stands out by painting the front door, replacing tired door furniture, planting window boxes or tubs of colourful flowers. Don't forget to make sure the house number is visible from the road!

3. De-clutter and de-stress: Clutter can be distracting to people trying to visualise living in your home and can make it seem smaller (and therefore less appealing) than it really is. Pack knick-knacks away in boxes, seal down the lids and stack them ready for when you move. An alternative is to use a self-storage unit, which is an inexpensive and safe way to ensure your personal effects are taken care of.

4. Have a clear outlook: Clean the windows, frames and woodwork with a good household detergent. This improves the look of the room and lets in the natural daylight.

5. Window dressing: Have your curtains dry or steam cleaned. This will give the room a real lift and will reduce or remove built-up odours. Ditch the nets and go for more trendy (and modern) muslin drapes or blinds. Consider using inexpensive blinds as they really open up a room and are less fussy.

6. Welcome in: Replace bulbs in the light fittings in the hall. Think clearly about how you can brighten your darkest corners. Keep hallways, stairs and landings clutter free, adding a mirror can make a big difference. If you are painting, stick to neutrals in confined spaces, they add to the feeling of light and space.

7. Look up: Don't forget that viewers will. Dust or vacuum cobwebs away especially around light fittings. If your ceiling is damaged, it's worth spending a few pounds putting it right. Make sure your ceiling paint is clean and bright.

8. Wonder wall: Wash down emulsioned walls with a soft cloth and a little detergent. If necessary use match pots to touch up damaged areas. Stick down lifting edges of wallpaper and crayon in scuff-marks on darker papers. If you do re-decorate, use neutral light colours. If you are considering undertaking major redecorating, we can recommend our list of York painers and decorators to take the strain.


9. Create floors: Carpets are seen as a large outlay for the new homeowner and that could cost you the sale. They can also hold unpleasant odours so make the most of what you have by getting them professionally cleaned. A good carpet cleaning company will have all the necessary equipment to tackle badly soiled flooring. If carpets are wearing thin, pull them up. Bare floorboards and a rug can be a cost effective alternative.

10. Image is everything: One in 10 buyers use the internet to find property. As a result, photographs are now more important than ever. Buyers use external and internal photos to narrow down their choices. The room needs to be staged to ensure you get the best photos. Use a good quality digital camers and only publish the BEST shots with the BEST lighting. Preview your shots before you choose. If you are using an on-line service to market your property, consider investing in a virtual tour. You really need to have a competitive edge if you're going to get that sale, and a virtual tour is a cost effective and stunning way to show off your investment.