Among the many crucial tasks that you need to perform when trying to sell your house or flat is preparing your property for viewings, which are the visits from potential buyers who’ll tour the inside and outside to see whether they want to make a cash offer on your home.
But how should you go about getting your house ready for people to see? What are the things you can do that can either help or hinder your attempt to find a buyer?
Keep reading for 7 top tips on simple and mostly zero-cost options for making your home ready for broker viewings, open houses, and personal showings.
Why It’s Important To Get Your House In Great Shape For Viewings
Many homeowners are increasingly thinking about selling thanks to significant growth in the property market, with some house prices said to be more than 50 percent higher today compared to their previous year values. And viewings will be a necessary part of the process of selling for some people, so you need to know how to get ready for them.
If you are selling your house and doing so through an estate agent, they will organise viewings for people who might be interested in buying the property to visit and tour it. They’ll explore all of the interior rooms as well as the garden and any other exterior areas you might own.
It’s important that every part of your home looks in great condition, because the slightest unsightly problem can be a huge turnoff for a visitor that might make the difference between them wanting to make an offer and no longer be interesting in your property.
Thankfully, it is fairly easy to get your house or flat in perfect shape for viewings. There are certain steps you can take that might cost you some money, but these aren’t mandatory and are only advisable if you have the funds for them. Most of the actions that you can take to prepare your home for viewings simply require you to invest a bit of time and effort.
Top Tips For How To Prepare Your House Or Flat For Viewings
We spoke with Fran at London fast home buyers LDN Properties for tips on getting your house or flat in shape for viewings.
• Remove Clutter From Rooms
You want to show off your home looking its best, and that includes removing clutter from its various rooms in order to make them look as large as possible. This is important because the bigger that a room looks, the more valuable it will likely seem to a buyer. Clutter in the context of viewings includes unnecessary furniture and other items that might be eyesores or otherwise detract from the appearance of the room. But it doesn’t mean removing much-used furniture and regular personal items, because these help show what the rooms look like when they are lived in.
• Clean Up Your Garden
If your house or flat has a garden, you should spend some time cleaning it up. Put some effort into removing weeds and mowing the lawn. A trimmed and tidy garden is a very enticing first sight for people coming on viewings, and will make them think favourably about the value of your home. In contrast, an untidy and overgrown garden will potentially turn off some buyers and make your house appear to have a lower value.
• Invest In A New Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most heavily used rooms in a house or flat, and investing some funds in a renovation can be one way to make the room look stunning to people coming on viewings. It will obviously cost you money to pay for modern appliances and improved fixtures, so you should only pursue this option if you have the cash for it. But the upfront expense will likely be rewarded by making the room much more enticing to buyers.
• Consider A Bathroom Upgrade
Much like spending money on a kitchen upgrade can be a costly but valuable step taken to prepare for viewings, the same applies to bathrooms. The bathroom is another often- used room and its appearance can sometimes be a dealbreaker for prospective buyers when they are on viewings. Consider using some money to overhaul your bathroom in order to make it look as valuable as possible before you host viewings.
• Keep The Temperature Inside Comfortable
When you have people coming to your home on viewings, you want them to be comfortable. If the temperature inside your property is too chilly or too warm, they will be uncomfortable and this could give them a more negative feeling about the property. Before someone comes on a viewing you should adjust your heating so that it is set at an average level. And once the prospective buyers arrive, you can show them how to change the temperature and ask whether they would like it raised or lowered.
• Empty Out Your Closet Space
When people come to your home on viewings, they will want to look in your closets to see how much space they’ll have for their belongings. Be sure to clear out the closets in your bedrooms and elsewhere so that visitors can get an accurate idea of exactly how much space is on offer, as this can make all the difference with receiving an offer to buy.
• Maximise The Natural Light In Your Home
The more natural light you have entering your home, the larger and more inviting its rooms will appear. Pull back as many curtains as possible when viewings are taking place so that you can maximise how much natural light you let into your home.
Making A Great Impression Will Help You To Find A Buyer
If you follow some or all of the above tips, you will likely create a fantastic first impression for prospective buyers that come to visit your home, increasing your chances of finding a buyer. That is why a little bit of work upfront can make all the difference when trying to sell your home.
