House selling top tips
h3. Top Tips for selling your home
Our aim at britsandmortar.com is to help make the house buying process a much simpler experience. We encourage people to post their opinions, reviews and top tips on the website so we can share this with other home buyers.Please email us your top tips for selling your home, we will publish the best of these on the website. Email info@britsandmortar.com
Starting off property guru Sarah Beeny suggests some clever and cost-effective improvements that will make your home stand out in the current, less-than-buoyant market.
* *Kitchen*
It's very important to smarten up the bathroom and kitchen, as they're the hardest rooms for prospective buyers to change. If they don't like the colour of the bedroom, it'll only take an afternoon to paint it - whereas you can't re-do a kitchen without huge inconvenience. So replace the kitchen worktops. It's cheaper than replacing all the units but can make the room look as good as new. And re-tile too - never underestimate the impact a gleaming new set of tiles will make. Potential buyers will take it all in at first glance.
* *Bathroom*
Get rid of mouldy grout and silicon lines around the shower, bath and behind the loo. It's also well worth spending a little money on boxing in any exposed pipes, as they just look ugly and collect dust.
* *Flooring*
The key is to keep it simple but to make sure the under-flooring is in good condition too. You can lay expensive new lino but if the under-flooring's lumpy, it's a waste of money. The same principle applies with carpet: it's better to have a cheap one neatly laid than an Axminster thrown down like a dog-blanket.
* *Garden*
It's a good idea to enlist friends or family to come over and administer some TLC if you've let things slide. Mow the lawn, sweep any paths and clear them of weeds and litter. And if you don't have a private garden, adding a bit of trellis, which costs next to nothing, can work wonders, creating a cosy little nook.
* *Front door*
No-one wants to be greeted by a shabby and peeling entrance. Treating your front door to a coat of paint and shiny new door furniture will really help the process along - and needn't cost a fortune. Getting potential buyers into the house in a positive frame of mind can surely only improve your chances of a sale.
* *Clean up your act*
There's no bigger turn-off than a dirty - or smelly - kitchen or bathroom. A thorough cleaning of your home from top to bottom is vital and costs only your time. If you're time-poor, hiring a professional is worth the cash. And don't forget those places you might ordinarily ignore - people do notice, even subconsciously.
* *Flower power*
Change freshly-cut flowers regularly - dead and wilting ones look (and smell) terrible. Use plants like lavender or orchids instead as a low-maintenance alternative - it works out much cheaper than replacing flowers weekly.
* *Don't go over the top*
Laying the dining room table or folding napkins into conch shells isn't necessary. Just straighten things out - make the beds neatly and declutter rooms, but it should still look like somewhere prospective buyers could feel at home.
* *Outside in*
Don't forget the exterior - clean the windows inside and out and tidy the front garden. Your aim is to get viewers from the road to the doorway and create a great first impression.
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