Sunday 2 February 2014

Heres 8 ways to help the sale of your house.... Pro Strokes ltd

Heres 8 ways to help the sale of your house....

1.      Cut out the clutter

Although this isn’t strictly DIY, it’s the most cost effective and easiest way to maximise the potential of your home.

When selling any house, the trick is to help potential buyers to see their own stuff in your house, and your possessions will distract them from doing this. Get a friend round, and ask them for their honest opinion on what is taking up too much space and causing a distraction, then take their advice on what needs to go.

Rather than just shoving things into cupboards, or a spare bedroom (remember, potential buyers will look in there!) pack things into boxes and store them in the attic, or consider renting a storage unit for a month.

Having clear rooms will help to maximise the space in your home, making it feel bigger and increasing the potential value.

 2.      Sort out your kitchen cabinets

You don’t need to invest in a new kitchen to make your home more attractive, but giving your kitchen cabinets an overhaul is definitely worth the time and investment.

Replacing the handles and any broken hinges is a good place to start and replacing or repainting your cabinets in white or light, neutral colours will help to refresh the room without breaking the bank.

 3.      Decorating tired rooms

Bringing rooms up to date with a fresh lick of paint is a great, inexpensive way of improving the look and value of your home.

Keep it simple, and opt for a plain, light and neutral colour palette that will make rooms seem bigger, brighter and universally appealing. Avoid the temptation to go off script and experiment with feature walls bright colours or patterns – it’s best to stay fairly safe so that the scheme will appeal to a wide range of buyers.

 4.      Sort out the front

You only have one chance to make a first impression, and the first image potential buyers will see is the exterior of your property – which is why it’s really important to make sure this looks good.

Touching up the paintwork, cleaning the windows, gutters and pathway, tidying the garden and removing ornaments and mowing the lawn will all hep to ensure your home looks its best. You might also want to consider power washing your drive and path, and painting your fence/cutting your hedge to make things look extra neat and tidy.

Additional touches, like making sure you’ve got a nice house number on the door, and some potted plants or hanging baskets by the entrance will make it feel more welcoming.

5.      Optimise the lighting

You don’t need to go mad when it comes to lighting, but replacing a few fixtures can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your home.

The first step should be to replace any bulbs that need changing, and get someone to look at the wiring if any of the fixtures aren’t working. If you’ve got any rooms that feel dark or dingy, then consider fitting a higher watt bulb to maximise light, or placing a separate lamp in the room to make it seem brighter.

If you can afford to swap out lights, then get rid of those old fluorescent strip lights in the kitchen, and anything that looks particularly dated or garish.

6.      Freshen up the flooring

Flooring definitely divides opinion, so there isn’t much point in investing heavily if you’re planning to sell.

What is important is making the most of what you have, so deep clean you hard floors and polish them to make them look their best, and consider borrowing or renting a steam carpet cleaner to remove any stubborn stains and give them a new lease of life.

7.      Difference in the details

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the difference, so look around your home for anything that looks out of place, damaged or dated.

Something as simple as replacing a worn out shower curtain or ragged bath mat can transform the look and feel of your bathroom, as can a new set of tea towels in the kitchen.

Old, dirty or damaged curtains or shabby curtain rails can really hamper the appeal of a room, so consider investing in new ones to freshen up your rooms.

8.      Create additional living space

It’s no secret that extra rooms add value to homes, so try to make your additional spaces, like attics, basements, garages and sheds, look like usable, liveable rooms.

When it comes to garages, make them look like usable space, rather than just a storage room. Leave the car out of the garage if possible, and organise your stuff to maximise floor space. Make sure the lights work, and clean the floor, and of possible, clear the sides and create a workspace, so that potential buyers can imagine using the room for crafts or hobbies.

If possible, keep your attic and basement/cellar fairly clean and clear, so that buyers see these as potential living spaces.

Alternatively, you can get creative – could you transform your cupboard under the stairs into a small home office space by fitting a couple of shelves and adding an office chair?

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