How to Prepare your House for a Viewing – Selling up and moving on? A good viewing can mean a successful sale and your asking price, To really show off your home’s potential, you need to get inside the mind of a prospective buyer – try to see your home from your new perspective of someone who’s also moving house.
How to Prepare your House for a Viewing
Don’t think you have to make any expensive overhauls before selling a house; you probably won’t get your money back and the person that buys your home might want to make extensive changes anyway. It’s a better idea to make sure everything’s clean and in good working order: small tweaks and a bottle of bleach will go a long way. Here are a few tips to get you started:
First Impressions: Outside
The first thing your prospective buyers are going to see is the front of your house and its path – so if you have a garden, make sure it’s weed-free and there’s no clutter. It’s now you should think about making small repairs: are all the locks on your windows working? When did you last de-clog your gutters? They may seem like little things but negative impressions could eclipse positive ones; you don’t want your prospective buyer dwelling on the drainage when you’re showing off your beautiful living room.
After you’ve handled the messy jobs, the outside of your house needs to be thoroughly cleaned: windows should be sparkling and any metal numbers or knockers polished and gleaming. Pot plants and bright, healthy flowers around your doorway, a lick of paint on the door and a dab of oil on its hinges immediately set the tone: your house is well tended to, attractive and welcoming.
Downstairs
Every corner of your house needs to be well lit – if there’s not enough natural light, consider bringing in floor lamps to illuminate every corner. Try and leave doors open, to create a smooth flow from one room to the next.
Too many personal items might be distracting for potential buyers who are trying to imagine themselves living in a property, so pack up family photos, toys and things you don’t use often and move the boxes out. Large pieces of furniture can also crowd a room so consider taking large furniture to a storage unit for the time being.
After the hallway and the living room, you’ll probably head to the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home and needs to look hygienic but at the same time comfortable. Small appliances should be tucked away and counters cleared; make sure the bin is out of sight and there’s no food smells lingering. A bowl of fresh fruit will add a touch of warm colour and will stop the room seeming too clinical.
Upstairs
Take a good look at your bathroom: you might need to re-grout, polish taps and make sure the plugs are clear. Hide toothbrushes with bent bristles, medication and other intimate items as they’ll distract from your clean, attractive bathroom. You could even use fluffy towels and single piece of nice smelling soap to set the scene.
In the bedroom, change your bed so your covers are crisp and spotless. It’s likely that your guests will want to see inside your closet so hide any items you don’t want seen and pack any clothes you’re not going to wear between the viewing and your move. An overflowing closet will give the impression that there’s not enough storage.
While we’re on the topic of storage, it’s a good idea to organise all of your cupboards and closets from linen cupboard to kitchen cabinets. They’re going to be peeked into so don’t stuff clutter away: dust out their corners, fold and sort their contents. Your aim is not only to make the space in your house look fit for purpose it shows that a clean, neat lifestyle is easy to maintain in your house.
Paperwork
It might be a good idea to scribble down some statistics for your prospective buyer to review – it’s likely they’ll want to know how much you spend in heating, water and other bills every month. You could also note down when the bins are taken and how regularly recycling is picked up. Be prepared to answer their questions succinctly – after that, let your house do the talking.
