Selling your house can be a difficult process and it’s not just luck that makes it happen. With careful planning and the right knowhow, you can prep your house for the market in a way that turns it into a desirable home for prospective buyers.

Here’s some top tips:

• Disassociate yourself

  • Let go of any personal attachment to your home and think of it more as a product
    Remember that this property will eventually be someone else’s - you can make memories in your new home. 

• De-Clutter

  • Personal belongings such as photographs and souvenirs can be taken with you.
  • Pack them up when showing prospective buyers around your home. That way, budding homeowners can picture their own belongings there instead.
  • If you haven’t used something in over a year, get rid of it! Donate unwanted belongings to charity shops or sell them.
  • Store important items in boxes so that you can hide them away in time for a house viewing. This includes books, knickknacks and anything else taking up space on your work surfaces and counters.

• Rearrange your furniture

  • An organised layout leaves a good impression on nosy buyers!
  • Stack and order things neatly, such as dishes in cupboards and clothes inside your wardrobes. 

• Storage

  • Once your house has been de-cluttered, find a good quality storage provider , to look after your surplus furniture.
  • leave just enough furniture for your home to look lived in, so that your visitors know what the room can be used for.
  • Leave plenty of floor space - show off just how much room your house has to offer!
  •  Be careful what you leave on show, some buyers might expect it to come with the house! 

• Repairs

  • Spending money on sprucing up your house  will make a huge difference when trying to sell it.
  • Replace broken and cracked tiles, patch up any holes around your house and fix leaky taps.
  • Think about colour schemes! You and your family may have an acquired taste, so replace any overly bright colour schemes with neutral tones and plain walls.
  • Worn fabrics and bedspreads make a bad impression. Buy new quilts, remember, you can take them with you!  

• Cleaning

  • Be sure to wash your doors and windows to give house viewers a warm welcome.
  • If you have decking or a paved garden, rent a pressure washer to give them a good spring clean.
  • Dust and polish those cobwebs away!
  • Vacuum and clean your carpets and floors  and shine your laminates!
  • Clean out your refrigerator, and anything else that could give off a foul odour.
  • Hang up clean towels in your bathroom. Guests will be impressed by your cleanliness.  

• Put yourself in their shoes

  • If you were a prospective buyer, would you feel welcome to step inside your house?
  • Try to imagine how every room in your house will look to other people.
  • If your house looks barely lived in, you’re almost there! 

• Improve your exterior

  • First impressions really do count!
  • If a buyer doesn’t like the look of the outside of your home, the way it looks inside won’t matter.
  • Mow your lawn and clear your paths of obstructions.
  • Plant flowers to make your house look more attractive. Yellow is a great choice, and most plants are inexpensive.
  • Ensure that your house number is clearly visible!

Once all the above chores have been completed, you house will be in pristine condition and have an added advantage to other properties on the market.  Good luck!