For a lot of us spring is the season for making changes at home, whether it’s having a declutter, spring clean or improving the way our space functions on a day-to-day basis. However, if your home no longer suits your lifestyle, you may be thinking about putting your property on the market. Here are a few ways to ensure your home look more attractive to prospective buyers on a viewing.
1. Choose a colour for your front door that matches your natural surroundings. Depending on where you live, greens, creams and browns are great for complimenting the countryside and blues and pastels work well to compliment the seaside. It’s a small price to pay to freshen up the exterior of your property, to ensure it looks attractive and fits well with the rest of the neighbourhood.
2. Give your front and rear garden a little TLC. Whether it’s doing some sweeping, weeding or using the pressure washer on the driveway, it all makes a difference. You should also keep your general outside areas well maintained, and put any clutter such as outside waste, machinery, bikes, toys etc neatly out of sight. This will help make your garden look bigger and give prospective buyers a better insight into how they could utilise the space.
3. Reset and clear your day-to-day areas so that you are only displaying what’s necessary. This doesn't mean getting rid of your most precious items but try to avoid general clutter, leaving out confidential and personal belongings, as well as any furniture that may be obstructing walkways. Clearing the space for viewings is a small price to pay to showcase the best of what your property has to offer. Ideally, you should also make sure that any pets you have are temporarily elsewhere for the duration of the viewing.
4. Depersonalise your home and provide a blank canvas for buyers, so they can imagine how the space will work for them. An easy way to do this is to neutralise any bright interior walls or carpets. Some interior styling and decoration may suit one taste but not another, so it’s important to avoid hindering the potential that buyers see. It’s best to keep it simple, and although light coloured walls and carpets are a little unimaginative, they will always do the trick.
5. Give your home a thorough clean and ensure it’s well presented for viewings. It may not be possible to scrub it top to bottom but making sure your carpets are clean, your shelves are dusted, and your doors and windows are sparkling will make a big difference. You will be surprised how dirty they get when utilised daily, especially if you have any children or pets.
6. Once your space is clean, decluttered and back to neutral you can add some scented touches. Displaying fresh flowers on the day of viewings will breathe life into your home and a sweet vanilla or linen scent throughout the house will help your buyers feel more welcome and positive. It’s also a great way to mask any unpleasant odours, such as cooking and pet smells.