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What are your top tips for selling a home? - £300 voucher to be won

(346 Posts)
EmmaGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 24-Sept-18 09:58:59

NOW CLOSED

If you’ve sold your home before, or nosed around someone else’s, you’ll know that first impressions count. There’s a load of advice out there on how to get your house market-ready but Purplebricks wants to hear from you with your top tips for selling and what you look for when you view houses.

If you have grandchildren...how do you hide store all the toys?! What about redecorating? Is there a go-to paint colour? Maybe you do small things like having fresh bedding and flowers for house viewings? Or do you clean clean clean and clean again?

Here’s what Purplebricks have to say: “GNers, let’s talk kerb appeal. What gets you going or just gets your goat when you’re looking round a potential new property? Have you got any advice you could share on how to present your property for maximum impact? Share it with us.”

So, whatever your tips are for selling, share them on the thread below and everyone who comments will be entered into a prize draw where one GNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
GNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Fennel Sun 28-Oct-18 17:08:14

Be flexible about price.
Keep the house tidy.
And the rest is luck, imo. After about 3 years a couple came to view our house in rural France and it fitted exactly what they were looking for.

NotSpaghetti Mon 29-Oct-18 13:00:12

I'd put surplus "junk" in storage. I think also a house that looks tired is harder to sell. Maybe a lick of paint to freshen up.

Carolann99 Mon 29-Oct-18 19:07:56

De-clutter to create space indoors is essential (put items in storage if necessary), place a vase of fresh flowers on a table and an interesting book on a coffee table. Move pet items out of sight for a viewing, no-one wants to see a cat litter tray and feeding bowls. Put kids toys in a toy box if they are all over the place. Vacuum through & make beds before viewing. Ensure your home has kerb appeal, a tidy front garden and mowed lawn. A fresh coat of paint to front door if necessary, and clean windows, frames & window sills.

teepee55 Mon 29-Oct-18 19:32:24

Top tips
Declutter declutter declutter!
Clean, warm and bright house
Tidy garden for kerb appeal
If needed put in some bright bedding plants
Sell in Spring if possible
Keep house pet free for viewings, no feeding bowls or beds on view

auntyann Tue 30-Oct-18 11:34:02

First impressions count! Good location, an attractive house with well kept gardens front & back will make people want to view .

ninathenana Tue 30-Oct-18 12:30:11

We are tentatively looking at moving.
I can see past the decor and other peoples "stuff" what interests me is location, room sizes, garden size and local amamenites. Shop, GP etc. main factor is price for us.

Liz08 Tue 30-Oct-18 18:41:03

"Look with the eye of a stranger" ....… is a (much mocked) phrase I used to say to the staff when I owned an 'Aladdin's cave' type shop that needed constant tidying.
The same thing applies when selling your house - you can be too familiar with things and not see flaws.
Oh, and for goodness sake, take the washing line down and move the bins out of sight!

flowersfromheaven Tue 30-Oct-18 21:58:31

Decorating the house in plain colour's no loud colour's. Keep your house de-cluttered (no ornaments), And a warm home smelling of coffee is very inviting.

Halfright Tue 30-Oct-18 22:32:12

It's all about selling the dream. Having the extra touches which makes the difference from a house to a home.

Leerongran Wed 31-Oct-18 00:37:30

A good declutter and clean, inside and out will work wonders when selling. For every potential buyer that can see through the clutter and tired decoration, there will be another with a lack of imagination. You want to maximise the space by having only the essentials. If you have a small bedroom as an office for example, put a bed in to show it will fit and still be a usable space. Ensure the property looks good from the street too. Usually cheap fixes like tidying up bins, lawn, plants and touching up paint work.

Minerva Wed 31-Oct-18 11:22:27

Paid storage if your house is anything like mine. Then with two thirds of possessions out of the house get it thoroughly cleaned. Even if new buyers will probably strip much of it out, an uncluttered sparkling house is more likely to tie in with their vision of their future in it.

DotMH1901 Thu 01-Nov-18 10:07:50

One major lesson I have learnt is to never buy a house without off street parking. My house was one of a row of 1860's build terraces. When they were built there were no cars and they were built for employees at the local quarry so had no gardens at the front but were straight out into the street (which was okay when the huge house at the end of the street used to be owned by the Quarry owner!. We were on a no through road so no flow of traffic past but parking was a nightmare and it was the major 'why we didn't buy the property' reason reported by viewers. Quite what I was supposed to do about it I don't know as it was not possible to create a parking bay and I made sure that the advert for the house said it was on street parking only so, if you wanted a dedicated parking spot why bother to view! Prospective buyers loved the house and the very large rear garden though.

Kirstyetjohn Thu 01-Nov-18 14:52:04

Making sure the house is clear of clutter and clean and tidy for photos and viewings. The old trick of baking something before viewers arrive and having that lovely smell around the house works well too!

MamaCaz Thu 01-Nov-18 16:02:22

Make it look as uncluttered as possible - first impressions do count, and even a decent-sized house might wrongly give viewers the impression that it is too small for their needs if it is cluttered.

philc31 Fri 02-Nov-18 07:52:41

My partner and I, had lots of arguments over clutter that I feel can put buyers off. All our clutter was moved to my aunts large garage and spare bedroom. The house was transformed and looked more like a show home. Too much clutter can give a buyer the impression that a home lacks storage space or cloud their mind which can prevent positive feelings towards your home. If you don't have a relative with spare rooms or a garage then perhaps consider hiring a storage unit for a month or two.

Ambermillie Fri 02-Nov-18 09:25:05

My top tip is to be as honest as possible with potential buyers. Trust between vendor and buyer is essential and if people feel that you are honestly telling them about your home (the good and not so good!) they are more likely to put an offer in.

Fennel Fri 02-Nov-18 11:43:23

Good point Ambermillie.
Some estate agents prefer you not to do that at the first visit, but we always pointed out negative as well as positive things.

Lazigirl Fri 02-Nov-18 16:22:57

Do you remember that estate agent some years ago that used to be brutally honest in his descriptions? ie dark pokey little flat, scrubby patch of garden, decor not to most tastes......and so on smile

varian Fri 02-Nov-18 18:58:05

I remember them. They were very funny, but did they go out of business?

barbaraellen Fri 02-Nov-18 20:24:19

Promote the best features in your home eg energy efficiency and have recent bills available. Transport links, bus routes are good selling points. Good neighbours are a real positive.
Spring cleaning and decluttering will make your house seem larger, make sure your windows sparkle as well as mirrors to reflect to light in your home.
Fresh flowers will lift a room.

Lazigirl Fri 02-Nov-18 20:54:19

I guess they did varian but a bit of honesty would have saved us much time wasting when we were house hunting.

Jill2Gillian Sat 03-Nov-18 15:45:09

Don't be emotionally attached! Selling a your home can feel like exposing yourself to criticism in someways especially if you are handling the viewings yourself. It is better to look upon it as a business transaction, you are selling something to the highest bidder for mutual benefit

Elephant222 Sat 03-Nov-18 16:40:42

A beautiful entrance hall with fresh smelling flowers to please all. Soft classical music is a must, shiny surfaces with no dust. Friendly faces and lots of floor spaces. Doors wide open creating airflow, fueng shway don't you know. Mirrors are vital, they bounce around light which is completely right. Plants and greenery to bring the outside indoors, now you have finished your chores.

varian Sat 03-Nov-18 17:59:56

Now, I'm not one to go on about brexit (the utter disaster that threatens the future of our children and grandchildren), but I do wonder whether brexit worries are affecting the housing market.

We are actually right now trying to sell a house (perfectly OK house priced at less than a similar one sold early in 2016 before the fraudulent referendum), and we may have to drop the price a lot because of the imminent disaster. I hope the drop may not have to be as disastrous as the forecasts.

JanaNana Sat 03-Nov-18 18:49:04

Always make sure the agent you are selling with puts a floor plan with clear measurements in both imperial and metric. We are in the process of moving ourselves and the number of properties that we have initially looked at online and straightaway rejected, simply because we cannot see how the house flows from lack of a plan, or if it will be large enough because they have"nt included the measurements either in details or floor plan.
If you are moving a few hundred miles as we are, it is not easy or convenient to just make appts to view when the property you might consider lacks in initial essential details.