It’s often said that potential buyers decide whether or not they like your home within the first 30 seconds of walking in the door. So if you never get a second chance to make a first impression, preparing your home properly is a very important step in landing a successful sale.
To help you put your home’s best foot forward in the property market, we’ve compiled 10 tips on how to make your home attractive and pleasing to the buyer’s eye.
1. Make the Entrance Welcoming – The area by your front door should be bright, clean and clear. That means moving dirty boot trays (and boots), backpacks, hats and all personal items. Make sure your mat is clean. Remove jackets from the cupboards so the space seems bigger.
2. Clean the Kitchen – A kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s important it looks spacious and usable. Remove all appliances from the counter, like toasters, blenders and coffee makers. Remove photos and magnets from the fridge. Wipe inside your fridge, drawers and cupboards. Buyers will look inside everything so it’s important to be super clean.
3. Prep the Dining Room – To make your dining room look inviting, the dining table should be completely cleared off. If it’s old or scuffed, get a nice tablecloth to cover it up. Put some fresh flowers or a tasteful centrepiece for decoration. Declutter bookshelves and hutches and pack away personal items.
4. Beautify the Bedrooms – Make the beds, cover with a clean duvet, and add some throw pillows for style. Put kids toys and other clutter in the cupboard. If you’ve got extra storage furniture in the bedrooms, move it out so the rooms look bigger
5. Declutter – Buyers want to see your house, not your stuff. Now is the time to get lots of boxes and pack up all the knick knacks, papers, family photos and personal items lying around your house. Donate or recycle things that you don’t need. Clean and clear is the name of the game.
6. Make repairs – Fix things like leaky taps, broken light fixtures, burned out bulbs or damage to the walls. If something can’t be fixed, replace it.
7. Paint – This is a fast, affordable and very effective way to give your home an instant facelift. Light neutral colours like whites, off-whites and greys make your home look bigger and brighter.
8. Scrub the Bathrooms – Do a deep clean of toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs. Wipe off dusty walls, shelves and light fixtures. Remove all personal items like toothbrushes, razors, shampoos and soaps from counters and the bath area.
9. Do some Gardening – Make sure your front and back yard are clean and well maintained. If the weather is warm, cut your grass and trim hedges. Clear things out of your backyard, like kids toys, sandboxes and sports equipment. Make your patio area look inviting.
10. Hire a Professional – If you simply don’t have the time to spend cleaning, decluttering and packing up, consider hiring a professional. And if you really want your place to stand out, hire a stager to give your place that modern look that’s picture perfect.
