When you choose to sell your property you are entering a partnership with your estate agent. Agents have many roads to fulfil, equally so do you as a seller. Firstly, ensuring your property looks in show home condition is not always possible but if you can crack this you’ll be on your way to achieving an optimum price.

It’s really important that once you have your property on the market you maintain these presentation and cleanliness standards all the way through the journey. Viewers will pay attention to the smallest details, so keeping on top of daily maintenance is important.

You need to excite potential buyers to make them feel at home and present your property in the correct way so they can see its full potential.

Use this five stage tick list to prepare your home:

1/ Excite. It’s important to excite your buyer and create a great first impression. It’s not a trick, first impressions count. Spend time tidying up the outside of your property, plant flowers, trim shrubs and get rid of any weeds. Your front door is the centrepiece of your home and will contribute to your property’s kerb appeal. Spend some time painting and cleaning your front door and make sure your doorbell is in working order.

2/ Clean. Cleanliness and tidiness should never be underestimated, buyers expect to see an immaculate home with no signs of dirt. Bathrooms and kitchens sell houses so make sure surfaces, cupboard doors and floors are spotless. Make your home a show home!

3/ Decor. Ideally your home should be neutral. It will take time but your efforts will be rewarded. Potential buyers will inevitablely want to make their own changes, a blank canvas will easily allow them to envisage this. You can still be creative by using off whites and muted natural colours, inject interest with removable artwork, soft furnishings and furniture. Just try and avoid a 90’s throwback with magnolia!

4/ The Fix. Make sure that those jobs you’ve never got round to, get done. Something as simple as a broken floor tile or mouldy grouting will make a buyer ask the question ‘Well, what else is wrong with it?’. This is your chance to give your potential buyer nothing to question, nothing to quibble about and a positive viewing.

5/ Hoarding. Clutter makes your home seem small and disorganised, less is more. If you’ve out-grown your home, start packing things away or even invest in short term storage. Create space without clogging up the garage!

Need more advice? Get in touch and our team will be happy to support you: [email protected]