You need to put your best foot forward when the time arrives to sell your house.
The first impression you make on potential buyers is essential. And that’s why so many experts encourage you to stage your house.
Staging a house to sell is essential when listing it on the market.
In this blog, we’ve explained all the key things you should do to make your house look excellent on viewing day. Keep reading for a clear guide.
Make your front garden look good
The front of your house is the first thing people see. You need to make it look attractive to make the best first impression.
Mow your lawn and trim any weeds. If there are large cracks in the driveway then get these sorted. Pay attention to windows and roof tiles that potentially need fixing.
You should also consider the cars at the front of your house. You may want to park them on another street if they are dirty or broken. You could also get them washed immediately before the viewing.
Any falling fences should be fixed. The same applies to overgrown trees or hedges. These small details make a significant difference to the front of your house.
Tidy away clutter
Decluttering is an essential part of staging your house. It makes your property’s interior look more extensive and provides a ‘blank canvas’ for viewers to imagine themselves living in.
Children’s toys should be put away in baskets. Tabletop counters should have any loose paper filed away in a drawer. Leave as much floor space and shelf space as possible.
Get rid of or fix anything old and broken
Broken or old items should be taken away. This is especially important if their aesthetic is ruining the overall feel of the house.
Check all the appliances in your kitchen to make sure that they still work. If they don’t, you could hide them in storage or simply throw them away.
The same process is often useful in the bathroom where you may find broken items.
Alternatively, fixing broken items might become your priority.
If you don’t have time to buy and install a new oven or showerhead, fixing the existing one could become a priority. Check these things with enough time so that you can fix them if necessary.
Furniture is another typical example. Get rid of any furniture that looks drab and dreary. You could put a throw over furniture if you can’t remove it in time.
Utilise natural lighting wherever possible
Natural lighting can be compelling in your house. You should make use of it whenever possible.
It gives your property a natural glow and demonstrates that it is more energy efficient.
Curtains and blinds should be drawn in all rooms. Host your viewings in the day so you can show this off.
Tidy up your back garden
If you have a back garden, it will undoubtedly be one of the major attractions of your house. You thus need to make it look as attractive as possible.
Cut your grass and trim any hedges.
If you have a broken patio, you will need to take steps to fix this.
You could bring in an expert or replace tiles yourself. Coning it off could look shabby, but you don’t want to compromise the safety of your visitors.
Chairs and benches in the garden should all be functional. Entertainment features such as a trampoline or football goal should all be working and in good condition, even if they aren’t included as part of the deal.
Leave some spaces open and unused so the viewer can imagine how they could design the garden in their own way.
Clean your bathrooms
Bathrooms are a very important room in every house. Your property’s value will be largely affected by its condition – so you need to get it spot on.
Clean all surfaces in your bathrooms and put bleach down the toilet. You could put bleach down the sink too to clean it out. Wash the shower curtain if appropriate and clean any marks from the mirrors.
There may be signs of hard water on glass surfaces surrounding your shower. You may need to scrub hard to remove these.
Depersonalise your property
As mentioned above, your property must be a ‘blank canvas’ for your viewer. This means that you shouldn’t personalise it too much.
You could put away photos of your family around the house. Significant decorations should be hidden as they may not be to the viewer’s taste. The same could apply to art.
Intense colours should ideally be avoided. Some people will repaint certain rooms in their house to a more natural colour.
You don’t want the house to become bland, but a bright pink bedroom is not often ideal if the viewer has two young boys.
Make final touches
Once you have staged your house, it’s time to make some final touches. These may seem unimportant, but they can actually make a big difference to the overall ambience.
Add plants and flowers around the house. Buy these fresh in the days before your viewings so they still look bright and lively. Put them in water and distribute them evenly around the building.
Candles are another great way to do this. You don’t have to light them – simply putting them on the side will improve the colour and smell of the room.
Some homeowners play soft music in the background. This is down to personal choice. You might want to only do this in one room, so it is less risky if they don’t like it.
