How To Refresh Your Home Before A Sale

With a new year comes new aspirations and if selling your home is one of your priorities for 2023, these tips on how to refresh your property before listing could help you achieve a higher price and faster sale.

Declutter 

It’s an obvious one, but decluttering is genuinely one of the most important things you can do when preparing to sell your home. A survey by Rated People shows a staggering 61% of potential buyers said they’d make a low offer if a property was unclean or cluttered.

Removing unwanted or unnecessary items will instantly make your home look larger and brighter. It also means you’ll have less to keep tidy whilst your house is being visited by potential buyers, and less to pack up when you move.

Take it one room at a time and decide whether you’re going to keep, donate, sell or throw items away. If you haven’t used something in a year, do you really need it?

January is a great time to get your home organised; with the baubles and tinsel going back into storage, ask yourself if there’s anything else that can join them. It’s also the perfect opportunity to go through the kids’ old toys to see if there’s anything you can give away or sell online, using sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Vinted.

Since Covid, outside areas are more important to buyers than ever. Store items like bikes, scooters, furniture and lawnmowers in the shed and make sure you’ve disposed of your decomposing Christmas tree!

De-personalising your home goes hand-in-hand with decluttering. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves living there – and that’s much harder to do if your personality is imprinted in every room. Although this can be an emotional part of the process, removing photos from walls and the kids’ artwork from the fridge will help buyers to see how they can bring it to life themselves.

Tackle the DIY list

We all look at those jobs that need doing around the house and decide we’ll tackle them another day. But a new year brings fresh motivation! Walk around your property and make a list of achievable DIY jobs. You may find that you could be adding thousands of pounds to your asking price when selling your home.

In the Rated People survey, scuffed paintwork and marked walls was rated as the fourth issue most likely to devalue your home – and potential buyers said it would encourage them to knock over £9,000 off the asking price. It’s always best to go with neutral paint colours as this helps buyers to imagine how they can put their own stamp on the place.

If your sofas and carpets are looking a bit tired, it’s well worth having them professionally cleaned. If your budget can’t stretch that far, think about adding some rugs or throws.

The kitchen is one of the most important areas in a home and refreshing well-used cabinets is a great way to bring the room back to life. The most budget-friendly solution is to give them a clean and polish them with a cabinet restorer. Other options include painting, staining or completely replacing the doors.

Also take your time and work your way around the house, checking off all those other smaller, but crucial jobs. Fixing leaking taps, cleaning windows and replacing broken light bulbs before the ‘for sale’ sign goes up is money and time well spent.

Pre-empt major maintenance

While it may seem counterintuitive to spend cash on a home you’re trying to sell, there are some jobs worth paying for to help you get as high an offer as possible. If you know there are issues that will ultimately allow potential buyers to ask under the offer price, then it’s best to get them sorted before your home goes on the market.

  • It’s recommended you get an electrician to carry out an inspection so they can produce an Electrical Safety Certificate for you. Although not a legal requirement when selling your house, it can give buyers peace of mind and speed up the conveyancing process.

  • Similarly, getting the plumbing checked and fixing any issues could help sell your property more quickly. You could potentially lose up to £10,000 off the asking price if there are any signs of damp and mould so if you suspect you have issues, get a plumber to visit and make a few diagnostic checks.

  • When it comes to flooring, laminate, floorboards and carpet should be checked over and repaired or replaced. If you have well-maintained floorboards dying to get out from under an old carpet, spend the time and money getting them sanded to bring them back to life.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, don’t hesitate to call us at White & Brooks. We’ll be happy to visit your home to give you a valuation and offer any advice on what you can do to maximise that all important asking price.

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