Top tips to sell your house quickly

Who doesn’t enjoy watching property programmes on TV like Location, Location, Location, Grand Designs or Escape to the Country? On these programmes the houses always look stunning, are light, spacious, tastefully decorated and furnished, plus you can almost picture yourself living there, without having to change a thing!

We all know TV is nothing like reality. But if you are planning to sell a property soon, it’s worth remembering there are lots of things that you can do to show it in its best light. This way you will give potential buyers a good feeling, the moment they see your property from the road and/or take their first steps through your front door.

Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes

Helen Checketts, Solicitor, Residential Property team at Alsters Kelley Solicitors said. “Remember buyers make up their minds about a property in seconds, so you need to ensure that everything adds up from the front of your house, its garden, inside every room and its surroundings too. If you like what you see, then so will other people.

Helen continues. “It might be worth getting friends or neighbours to review your house and give you an honest review of what is working and what is not. Alternatively, you can get a whole-house inspection from estate agents. Remember to make the house selling process more successful will take some planning and preparation, so here are some top tips for how you can sell you house quickly. “

Stop thinking about it as your home and start thinking about it as a house to be marketed. You need to be objective about its strengths and weaknesses. That’s everything from tidying up bins and eyesores to cutting the grass, repainting and/or repairing if anywhere or anything needs it.
Don’t undertake any major improvements in the belief they might sell your home. The risk is that you may change something that a prospective buyer would have been happy with. Remember if a prospective buyer is unhappy then this can be negotiated into the price.
Pay particular attention to the bathroom and kitchen, which are the two rooms most likely to influence the sale,
Decluttering, cleaning and maintenance are essential. Putting away some personal items will help. No one wants an untidy, chaotic environment where they can see plenty of DIY jobs that need finishing. Instead, buyers want to see a property in excellent condition, with plenty of space and offering lots of possibilities.
Lighting plays a big part in how we view a room, so always put lights on prior to any viewing so your interior looks welcoming and if you have any dark areas, use lamps with daylight bulbs to create lighter. The brighter it looks, the more appealing it will be.
Rearranging your furniture or changing the focus of a room can create additional space or enhance the atmosphere. Maximise any views and use fresh flowers, artwork, lamps or tasteful ornaments to make your property more inviting and home-like. Plus, keep it warm by putting the heating on, but don’t forget to keep it well-ventilated and free from any pervading odours – smoke, pets and smelly teenagers!
Brief your agent on everything, from how the central heating works to which key unlocks which door. The more knowledgeable and professional they are, the better they are at answering questions and switching off any objections.

Next steps

At Alsters Kelley Solicitors, we aim to help make your property transaction as smooth and stress free as possible. And thanks to our network of offices covering Coventry, Leamington, Nuneaton, Stratford-upon-Avon and Southam we are very accessible too. For timely and quality advice and support, please contact Helen Checketts on 02477 710239, or email helen.checketts@alsterskelley.com