If you are thinking about moving home, here are some top tips for getting your home up to scratch before placing it on the market.
1. An Outside Opinion
It’s a good idea to get an outsider’s view on what could be improved, so invite a friend round and ask for their honest opinion. It’s all too easy to get accustomed to the way things are, and you’ll often miss important details that need to be changed.
Be sure to choose someone that will be frank with you, as this is about improvement not flattery!
2. Colour
It’s always good to work with what you’ve got, but dark colours will make a room look smaller, so consider re-painting rooms in a lighter colour.
It’s also a good idea to change colours and patterns that are an acquired look; an older couple looking to downsize may not warm to your son’s bright red football wallpaper.
But while it’s all well and good painting everything magnolia, it’s also nice to have a few touches of colour. Plan out colour schemes for each room, and buy a few accessories to match. These changes can be done on a small budget and will give the rooms a sense of personality.
3. Go Minimalist
Clear out your clutter and your home will instantly look bigger!
It gives buyers the impression that if they live here, they will also be neat and tidy, and suggests that you have plenty of storage.
With fewer objects in the rooms, potentials buyers will be able to think about different ways they could use the space.
Image by: Clie Montgomery
4. A Sense of Purpose
You want to give potential buyers a vision of how they could live in your home, so set up each room as you envision it being used.
If you have a spare room it may be best to set it up as a bedroom or an office. You don’t need to indulge in some luxurious French beds, simply buy a couple of cheap bits of second-hand bedroom furniture and you’ve instantly got a functional space.
It’s all about staging.
5. De-personalise
It’s time to remove those old family photos from the wall and put your children’s artwork in the drawer. You don’t know who will be buying your house, so it needs to appeal to everyone.
You want potential buyers to picture themselves living there, not admiring your baby photos.
6. Clean and Tidy
Once all the rearranging and decorating has been done, all of that will go to waste if you don’t make sure that your house is sparkling clean.
Give faded walls a new lick of paint, and hire a professional carpet cleaning machine to restore your carpets to their former glory. At least once a week go around with a duster and some polish, and vacuum every few days.
Most importantly, make sure that there are no dirty plates left in the sink and no washing hanging up to dry.
I hope you’ll find these tips useful!
Do you have any more tips for getting your home ready to sell?
Estelle Page is an interior designer on a mission to make the world a prettier place! Her favourite pastimes are gardening and spending time with her husband and two kids. She enjoys a close association with Out There Interiors and is an avid blogger.
