Ruban Selvanayagam
Company: Property Solvers
This series of posts summarises the contents of our extended guide on how to sell your house fast [101 tips].
In Part 1, we ran through some of the basics of finding the right estate agent, understanding your local market and generally getting things organised for the sale.
Part 2 continues on the theme of how you can prepare your home in the best way to stand out from the rest of the pack.
Creating the Right Environment
Potential buyers often make their decision within ten seconds of seeing the property. You can trigger a positive feeling by considering the following factors...
Buyers are often curious about their new neighbours, as anti-social behaviour issues are surprisingly common. If surrounding properties are problematic, contact your local Neighbourhood Watch, Council or even the Police – but never take matters into your own hands.
Create ‘Kerb Appeal’ by ensuring the driveway is smoothly finished and your main entrance looks attractive with clear access. Remove rubbish in the street and if possible, have a parking space free when someone visits your property.
First impressions count, so make sure your front gate is in good condition. Clean UPVC doors, and deal with splinters and chips on wooden doors (using filler). They should also be freshly painted. Ensure the handles and post box are clean, your doorbell works, locks are secure and you have a tasteful welcome mat.
Non-functioning / flickering lights may cause a distraction and give the impression of electrical issues, so make sure all light bulbs work. Having sensor lighting is a good idea as they make people feel more secure. And for security reasons, be careful that access points are not too exposed at night.
Prospective buyers often bring partners, friends and relatives to visits, so it’s a good idea to appeal to all tastes. If your house needs painting, pick a neutral colour (the most common being light cream, white and light grey). The same principle goes for carpets – plain colours work better than something patterned, too bright/dark or old-fashioned.
If you’ve just refurbished the property or if it’s empty, a home staging company will make your home appealing. It’s worth highlighting if your neighbours have extended or converted their property, as buyers like the possibility of adding an extra room, and if you have larger rooms it can be worth splitting or adding a bedroom to add a premium to the selling price.
A ‘Spick and Span’ Home
Make things look simple and organised, putting away toys, magazines, laundry etc. If there isn’t enough space, look into external storage, or friends or family may be willing to store things.
It may be tempting to store belongings in your property, but an open space helps people imagine what they could do with it. If some belongings must be kept in your property, shelves and boxes can help keep things organised.
Make sure bins are covered, remove lingering smells and get fresh air into the property. Most houses have marks on the walls, especially in the most used areas, and it’s worth covering these up – just remember to use the right shade of paint!
You can hire tools to clean upholstery and hard-to-reach areas or use specialist companies. Clean cushions and sheets and spray fabric freshener regularly, especially before visits.
Scented flowers work well too, while there are air-purifying plants such as Areca Palm and many more. Another option is using air fresheners, plug-ins etc., but don’t overdo it as some people have allergies. Others are allergic to hair, dust and mould so make sure these issues are minimised. If you have pets, make sure odours and hair are removed. Where possible, keep pets away during viewings.
Regarding carpets, a ‘deep clean’ can work wonders, but you don’t always need a professional cleaner, there are lots of videos online about getting rid of damage, blotches etc. There are also products to make laminate and engineered wood flooring shine, but you may prefer to use a specialist, especially if the flooring is in bad condition.
The 'Little Touches'
Small features can give your property the edge:
- Set the thermostat to 21-23 degrees;
- Clean door and window frames;
- Fill gaps before painting woodwork frames;
- Clean UPVC material and ensure there are no blemishes.
Make sure your garden is well-kept:
- Remove weeds, moss/lichen, dead plants, leaves, debris and broken pots;
- Mow the lawn and trim/cut hedges, bushes and flowerbeds;
- Put away hoses and equipment;
- Clean paving with a pressure washer.
Deal with all signs of damp – you can test the house yourself with a meter should you need to. Beware of “specialists” who point to problems that doesn’t exist. In most cases, condensation is to blame, and ventilation and a dehumidifier usually solves the problem. If the problem persists, make sure there are no leaks from the roof, guttering issues, cracked plaster or tiles.
Bare windows can make a home feel uninviting, and isn’t recommended from a security perspective. Make sure curtains/blinds are cleaned and hanging nicely.
Modern, simple furniture brings out the best in properties. If your furniture looks tatty you could rent some from staging companies, or consider buying new furniture you can keep for your next home. It’s also worth thinking about furniture lay-out, and if a room is cluttered, look into storage to create space.
The Houzz and Pinterest apps are excellent sources of inspiration to create the right feel, as are Good Housekeeping, Ideal Home and House & Homes magazines. Remember it’s possible to create an expensive look with a limited budget. Stores like Ikea often take ideas from high-end retailers and sell to the broader market at a more reasonable price. You can also look for bargains on eBay or Gumtree, or ex-display items and sales in stores (sites like Hot UK Deals provide information). If you buy ex-display, make sure there are no marks and try to haggle!
Avoid making your house look artificially stale. Books, records, ornaments etc. can add character – just make sure they are neatly arranged. With older properties, highlight the fireplace. Make sure coving and ceiling roses are painted white and not covered, as buyers love these features.
Make sure that the property has a good amount of light coming in, and leave curtains open during visits. If it’s a grey day, make sure lights are on, particularly in corridors and areas without natural light. In dark corners, a softer shade of paint works well alongside strategically placed lamps. Ensure there is nothing in the way of windows, like bulky furniture, so the maximum amount of light enters the property.
Ensure all woodwork is smooth with no cracks, splinters or other defects, and coat with a layer of gloss paint to freshen it up. If you replace the carpets, we recommend spending extra on a thicker underlay. This creates a ‘bouncy’ effect, especially as most estate agents ask viewers to walk around in their socks.
Ensure all doors can be fully opened and closed easily. A ‘creaking’ door is never a good sign. Strategically placed mirrors reflect light coming into the property and give properties a more spacious feel. They often work well in corridors, smaller rooms, near the front door and facing your garden. North-facing rooms are also a good spot to place them.
Presenting Your Kitchen
As one of the most used areas, a well-presented kitchen is often a priority for buyers. Your aim is to show that your kitchen is a functional environment where people can gather, cook a meal and generally relax.
Make sure surfaces are clean. There should be no signs of grease, crumbs and clutter. Sparkly clean sinks and appliances always make a good first impression, and tidy away cloths, food, packets etc. before a visit!
Although it’s sometimes difficult to avoid (due to pipes, electrical conduits etc.), try to ensure units are well-arranged and maximise use of space. If you’re installing a new kitchen, specialist designers can help. Depending on the age of your kitchen, it may be possible to swap the fronts of the units to something more contemporary (at a fraction of the cost). You may also consider this if you see an excessive amount of scratches on the units or worktops.
Make sure drawers / cabinets can be opened and closed, as potential buyers often open and close draws. It’s inexpensive to add soft closers and WD40 to ensure your drawers and cupboards open/close smoothly.
Ensure to leave enough space for appliances (oven, fridge-freezer, washing machine/dryer and dishwasher). If your property already has them, make sure they’re clean. If they’re old, consider replacing them. People are often impressed with a modern induction hob, taps and other features but they’re not essential.
Nice towels alongside pots, pans, cutlery and utensils can help create a nice ‘lived-in’ feeling. You may want to display flowers, designer appliances/crockery, tea towels, just remember to not go overboard.
Presenting Your Bathroom
Most buyers want to see the bathroom works correctly, so make sure repairs are done before visits. Next, clean all taps, removing limescale and grime. The bathroom should not be cluttered with toiletries etc. Scented candles/potpourri are a nice touch, but use them subtly.
Lack of ventilation is one of the main causes of condensation, mould and damp, so ensure there’s an extractor fan or windows are opened regularly. Replace broken/cracked tiles, or if they’re dated, swapping with new ones brings brightness. Full-height is recommended, or half-height behind areas without splashback. Ensure the grouting has been nicely done. Cleaning products and elbow grease may be necessary. In the worst-case scenario, you may have to scrape and redo it entirely.
Ensure all taps work, with no drips/blockages. Showers should be wide enough to fit all types of people and if you have a bath, ensure the shower extension is connected and provides good water flow. Ensure flooring is waterproof and doesn’t warp – quality flooring should withstand several years of use. Check no water/moisture is seeping through floors or walls. Not only can this create future problems but can produce an unpleasant smell.
See Part 3 of this series by clicking here.
The Property Voice Insight from Richard Brown
You have heard the term 'buy low, sell high' no doubt. But as property owners, we want to sell high before we buy low, of course. This is where we can get to apply human psychology to our advantage.
For example, if we had a lounge in our property, would having brightly painted purple or soft cream walls be the most appealing across most age groups? The answer is the latter and that's why Ruban spends so much time taking us through lots of steps that will help to 'sell high' as they do count. Fixing those niggly issues, a fresh neutral repaint and a spot of de-cluttering the house might cost between a few hundred and a couple of thousand to do, but the difference in the buyers' impression and their sense of space can be worth far more than that. Small things can make a big difference sometimes.
Similarly, I have lost count of how many property listings use phrases like 'with potential' or 'opportunity to extend, subject to planning'. Many buyers like the idea of improving their property, especially if it is their home. So, if they can understand and picture how they can do that it creates a kind of 'improvement potential premium' in their mind. As an investor, I come across this all the time where I see properties 'in need of modernisation' selling for not much below equivalent properties in A1 condition. The buyer has probably under-evaluated the cost of the improvement works, or estimated them on a DIY basis (excluding labour) and then paid the difference, or even less for the property...instead of simply buying the one that is already done up with no work to do. That's why making sure the listing and the viewing highlights ALL of the potential ways to improve the property. It could be by extending out or up, or it could be by mentioning how it could come from re-configuring or remodeling the layout, such as opening up a small kitchen and tight dining room into a bright a spacious hub for a family to congregate in. These would just be words to describe what's possible and words cost nothing.
A lot of buyers feel that improving their existing property, when they are about to move on, is a waste of both time and money. However, I would argue that most of the suggestions made here are an investment that helps to secure the best price for your existing property and so gives you more cash to move on to your next step.