Presenting your home for viewings

Once you have made the decision to sell your home and you have found an estate agent you have confidence in, you then need to turn your attention to how best to present your home for viewings. The aim is to create an environment in which viewers can easily envisage themselves living.

Latest research indicates that over half of purchasers make the decision to buy a house in less than 30 minutes and that those all important first impressions are formed in the first 30 seconds.  To lead to a successful sale, prospective buyers need to fall in love with your home and feel an immediate emotional attachment to it. 

There are a few easy wins which can help you prep your home for viewings

• Kerb Appeal

View your home objectively from both the inside and the outside.  Viewers want to see a house which looks cared for and well-tended.  So, get those weeds under control, trim the hedges and give the windows and front door a lick of paint if they are looking a bit tired.  It is also a nice touch to place a colourful plant pot or two on the doorstep and you could even invest in a new door handle or knocker.

• De-clutter

This is a really easy way of presenting your home as viewing ready – pack away any toys, clear the worksurfaces in the kitchen, put the shampoo bottles away in the bathroom and, much as you love them, pop the family photos in a drawer.  It is easier for viewers to imagine themselves living in the house if there are fewer snapshots of your family dotted around the place. 

• Repairs

Most potential purchasers want to be able to picture themselves moving straight in with minimal effort.  Those little niggles, like a chipped shirting board or a loose door handle, you know, those little jobs that you have been meaning to do for ages, well now is the perfect time to finally get them done!  They may seem like small things but psychologically they can leave potential purchasers wandering what else may be in need of repair. 

• Go Neutral

If the paintwork could do with a refresh, opt for neutral colours that anyone could live with no matter what their taste.  Aside from having more universal appeal, light colours can also make rooms appear larger and can open up a dark space. 

• Spring clean (no matter what the season!)

The cleanliness of your home is a key factor in ensuring a favourable first impression.  Make sure every room is thoroughly cleaned, not forgetting those hard-to-reach places that may escape the weekly clean!  It may be a good idea to have your carpets professionally cleaned, especially if you have pets.  Sometimes the odours from our favourite four-legged friends can become trapped in the carpets and soft furnishings and when you live with it every day you can become “nose blind” – an objective inspection from a friend will help you discern whether your home smells fresh and appealing.

• Define your rooms

It is best to assume that any prospective buyers might not be able to envisage how spaces could work for them and their family – buyers tend to only see “useable space”.  For example, if you use the third bedroom as a home study many of your prospective buyers will class the house as having two bedrooms and this can end up devaluing your home in their eyes.  The rule of thumb is to set rooms up for their intended use.  This will help your viewers see how they may live in the house.

• Styling for success

Your repairs, decluttering and freshening up have all been done and your first viewing is booked.  Now for the subtle touches that make all the difference – place vases of fresh cut, fragrant flowers around your home, put clean white bedding on the beds, place fresh fluffy towels in the bathroom and clear away any pet paraphernalia like food bowls and litter trays.  And, whilst we are on the subject of pets, you may want to have a friend look after your pet for the duration of the viewing – even the most animal loving viewer may find it off-putting to have Rover bounding all over them!

• The Outside space

Treat your garden or outside space like another room in your house.  As well as making sure that everywhere looks neat and well maintained, think about how to style the space so that viewers can picture how they would use it – with strategically placed garden furniture and a BBQ or outdoor wood burner.  If you have a garage or outbuildings remember to declutter in there too!

We hope you have found our tips for making your home viewing ready helpful.  By making sure your home is looking its best you are one step closer to securing your perfect sale.  If we can help with any other advice on selling your home please contact Tim or one of the team on 01244 322322 or tim@rickittpartnership.co.uk.