July 15, 2019

You never get a second chance to make a first impression and a few simple changes to your property can help speed up the sales process and potentially increase it’s value.

Prospective buyers form an opinion within the first minute of stepping in the front door, so remember to think with your head not your heart and view the sale as a business deal.

Many sellers will purposely ‘stage’ or ‘dress’ a property for a sale, meaning that they will spend time decorating the house in a way that will make it most appealing to a potential buyer.

  • Remove all clutter – from dirty boots in the front porch, to cleaning up your kitchen counters, to tidying cupboards in case a viewer decides to take a sneaky peek inside
  • Remove personal photos and other objects and think about hanging a mirror to make rooms appear bigger
  • Make your bedroom look inviting – from clean neutral crisp bed linen to fluffy cushions and pillows
  • Make sure you don’t have any broken light fittings or bulbs and open your curtains and blinds to let in as much natural daylight as possible. Think about adding some plants and flowers or other greenery to make your home look as inviting as possible
  • If you have exposed floorboards, consider getting them re-waxed or re-stained so that they look the best they possibly can, or if not cover them with a rug!
  • Add a fresh coat of paint on your walls and keep colours as neutral as possible
  • Make sure each room has a purpose – if you have a spare room that is used simply to store the school bags and sport kits or hang up the laundry, tidy away all the clutter, and consider buying or borrowing some furniture to transform the room so that it has a purpose.
  • Remember the garden – the outside of the property is the first thing that a potential buyer will see, so cut the grass and any overgrown plants, fix the broken step, and ensure there is a neat path leading up to the house.

Whatever your reason for wanting a quick move, there are many things you can do to increase interest in your property and in turn, speed up the selling process. It can pay to make sure your home looks its best.