Keeping Your Property Ready For Sale

With the government extending the lockdown, we thought that we would provide you with some simple, cost-effective suggestions to help promote your property to the best of its ability and get ready for future viewings.

Spring Cleaning

A deep clean to help sell your property might be an obvious tip, but it’s an effective and affordable one that can be overlooked during the sales process. It is a classic tradition that involves cleaning your home from top to bottom, including in the little nooks and crannies that don’t get a frequent clean. Don’t forget the windows, mirrors and the hard-to-reach corners. Prospective buyers make very quick decisions when visiting a property, so a clean and clear home could make all the difference in their minds.

Painting & DIY

With a clean home, you have the perfect opportunity to freshen up the space with a lick of paint. You could also add a new lease of life to the garden fence, garden shed or front door. For sale purposes, neutral colours such as whites or creams give a crisp and clean feel and don’t distract prospective buyers from the more important aspects of your property.

Minor repairs can also make a huge difference. Using a can of WD40 on that hinge which has squeaked for years is always a good idea. Fix that wonky fence post, clear your gutters, stain the decking – there’s always something to be done!

Add Fresh Spring Scents

Make sure the home doesn’t smell of fresh paint. The warmer (or at least milder) months are the perfect time to air out the house. Candles or air fresheners are great too! Remember, when hosting a property viewing, opt for milder, inoffensive scents to not overpower the space as not everyone has the same preferences.

Placing a vase of flowers in a room is an excellent way of bringing the outside in and adding fragrant floral scents and vibrant colour into the home. Seeing a bunch of beautiful flowers as you are viewing a home is sure to make you smile and associate the home positively with hand-picked spring flowers. 

Garden

Spring is a perfect time to give the garden some attention. The front of the house and garden are usually the first things a buyer will see, so you’ll want them to be greeted by a lawn and shrubs that are neatly trimmed and a well-maintained pathway taking you to the front door. Even if you just have a modest lawn, it will make all the difference to have it cared for and looking its best. A prospective buyer will want to be greeted by gleaming windows and doors with frames that have no cracked paint or dirt. Weeding and re-potting are also useful jobs!

Adding flowers in hanging baskets, window boxes or in a flower bed outside the home can add value to your property with minimal effort or cost.

We will always welcome photos of the garden in the spring sunshine, so please don’t hesitate to send them to the office! Do remember, that these will be uploaded to our website and the property portals – so they need to be taken using high-quality cameras (top of the range smartphones and digital cameras work best). If you are struggling to e-mail large files over, please contact us for assistance. When permitted we will, of course, attend to any properties where new photos are required.

Lighting

Consider adding layers of lighting to change the atmosphere of a space. Bulbs with a more yellow light will give a cosy feeling to the space. Overhead lights should be whiter to add an illusion of more daylight but avoid harsh florescent overhead lighting. Consider simple light shades that can be easily matched to different home décor styles.

Embrace the colours of spring with your interior design and homely touches

The natural colours of spring are a great inspiration and patterns such as florals, geometric shapes or stripes are a great addition against a simple base colour to add some personality. Natural hues of green or sky blue, accompanied by bright pops of colour, such as pink, orange or yellow, can breathe life into the simplest of spaces. On a backdrop of crisp white, the natural colours of spring feel fresh, lively and exciting to the eye. 

It’s all about balance. You want to de-clutter the house, whilst maintaining a lived-in aesthetic. This way the buyer can envision living in the space without being distracted by mismatched décor or clutter. Accessorise with colourful or textured cushions, scented candles and simple artwork to tie your decor together, or a mirror to add an illusion of more space. 

As always, stay safe and best wishes from us all at Barbers Estate Agents.