Top 5 Home Value Boosters

1. Give yourself a few weeks to get your home ready

As a signi cant number of people selling their homes work Monday to Friday, it can be hard to nd the time to declutter and start packing up, but it’s something that is crucial to give time to.

You’re moving anyway, buy the boxes and the bubble wrap now. Don’t put them in black bags and move them out of the house and then repack them when you do move. Get rid of the stuff that you don’t want, box up the stuff you are taking with you and commit to it before you go to the market. Don’t go to the market in a rush, you will lose out. If there’s a house in the same area, in the same price bracket, in better condi- tion, that will go quicker at the end of the day.

2. Don’t be put off if your home was undervalued

Often those selling up may feel like their home has been underpriced, however this is all part of a well-established plan. Most properties on the market that sit unsold are simply overpriced.

Auctioneers do go a bit lower and that can be offputting for the client but they know what they’re doing. They know they will get one or two interested parties that start bidding to- gether and that’s when the house price then goes up. They are experts in the area, leave them to it.

3. Consider renting furniture

A big part of selling your home is enabling prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home, something that be- comes very dif cult without furniture – which is a service that home stagers can provide.

It’s very hard to sell a house that is vacant where there’s no furniture because when the clients or prospective buyer visits the property, there are no memories, there are no feelings. There’s nothing to take away with them. While it is an investment to hire the furniture for two or three months, it is likely you will get that back in your asking price. You want to perspective buyers to come in and say ‘wow, I could live here. I could see my children playing in this room. I could see us having dinner here’.

4. Don’t underestimate how nosy people will be Within the fifteen minutes that people view a home, it is important to impress from the minute they step in the gate.

Focus on basic things like cutting the grass, repairing the letterbox and broken gates. First impressions are huge. Couples often spend a Sunday afternoon looking at houses and it could be the difference in getting them in the door. Don’t leave your bins full of rubbish outside. Just hide them for the day that’s in it.

Don’t leave laundry in the laundry basket, don’t leave food in the fridge. People who do go that extra mile do bene t from it but it does take time.

5. Put away your toaster and microwave (yes, really!)

An important thing to remember before viewings is to make the most of the space you have in each area, and this may mean removing appliances.

Remove the toaster, kettle and even the microwave if it’s sit- ting on the counter. Show the space – you’re not selling your stuff, you’re selling the space.

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