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When it comes to selling your home, the presentation matters. Potential buyers are coming to take a look around your home and if they like what they see on the surface, they are going to inspect every last inch of it. It is in your best interests, therefore, to make sure that you make every effort to show your home off to its very best.
You do not want potential buyers to have to imagine what it would be like living there; you want them to be able to see it straight away. Work out what the strengths of your home are and show them off. Here are some of our top tips for preparing your home for a sales viewing.
Think about the curb appeal
How does your house look from the road? If someone viewing your property pulls up to see a grubby, tired-looking house with litter strewn across an overgrown lawn, they are unlikely to be walking in with a positive attitude towards it - if they walk in at all. Spend some time tidying up the yard and getting rid of any litter and debris, mow the lawn, fix and paint any fences or gates. You may even want to hire a pressure washing company to clean your driveway and the outside of your windows. First impressions count; make sure yours is a good one.
Declutter
One of the most important things that you can do for a sales viewing is to have a huge decluttering session before it. The key is to give would-be buyers as much of a blank slate as possible to work with. If they walk into your bedroom and see the photos of your Great Aunt Maude and your collection of Willow Tree figurines everywhere, they may find it difficult to see how their own minimalist style will work in the house and move to the next one on their list.
This also serves you well for when you have sold your house and are packing up and moving. Less clutter - assuming you have gotten rid of it rather than shove it in a cupboard or a garage - means less to pack up, transfer and unpack at the other end.
Get someone to pet sit
You know that your big slobbery Great Dane is just a giant puppy, but potential viewers may not. First of all, a pet, especially dogs and cats, can frighten people and turn them off, or they may even have allergies. Secondly, while you may know that there are no problems caused by them in the house, the viewer does not. They are going to automatically imagine bad smells lingering, pet hair embedded in the carpets, and even fleas. Get someone to pet sit or take them out for a nice long walk while you have viewers in - and pack away their belongings for a while. You'll want to leave no signs of a dog or pet ever existing, so you don't turn off the people who don't have or want a pet.
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