Get your home ready for a summer sale by ensuring that it looks its best
You might not believe it - particularly as this spring has been so wet - but summer is almost here. With that in mind, here are the first five of Davies Property Partners’s top 10 tips on how to ensure your property shines this summer.
1. Boost curb appeal
When it comes to getting a property ready for sale, people instantly think about the interior – whether that’s giving the walls a coat of neutral paint or removing various clutter that you’ve grown used to over the years. But the exterior is just as important. Is the driveway covered in weeds? If so, remove them. Is the paint on the windowsills flaking off? If so, paint them. Remember, the exterior is the first thing prospective buyers see on the initial viewing – so maximise your property’s external features in tandem with those on the inside. You never get a second chance to make a first impression!
2. Cool as a cucumber
Yes, we are all desperate for this summer to be a hot and sunny one. But when it comes to property, nobody wants to step in to a sauna. After all, there’s only one thing worse than a cold house – and that’s a hot one. So, keep it as cool as you can prior to any viewings. If you’re fortunate enough to have air conditioning, then great – use it ahead of viewings to create a more comfortable environment. If you don’t, keep the windows open to let the air circulate. If it’s really hot, then keep the blinds and curtains closed to prevent the rooms from baking in the sun. Viewings should be pleasurable and relaxed, which is hard to achieve when your potential customers are overheating.
3. Get green fingered
Or get someone in who is green fingered, at least. The garden is an intrinsic part of any home – just like a lounge or kitchen. So, making it look its best is a must. Even if you don’t place too much importance on the garden, it might be the absolute priority for a prospective buyer. And we’re not suggesting you replant the entire garden (although that would undoubtedly make a huge impact!). But we’d certainly recommend that you weed, cut back and neaten wherever possible. Use outdoor furniture to create an enticing lifestyle perspective, too.
4. Window dressing
Regardless of whether or not you use a window cleaner, everyone likes to see clean and shiny windows. If you do have a window cleaner, then keep in mind that it’s unlikely that your clean is going to coincide with a viewing, so make sure to give them a clean and a polish – inside and out - beforehand. Those who don’t use a window cleaner may need to draw on a little more elbow grease – but the results will speak for themselves.
5. Find it and fix it
Yes, you’ve decided to sell up and move on. But those little niggly things – cupboards that won’t close, hinges that creak – are easily (and quickly) spotted by those who are seeing your property for the first time. We’d recommend that you go through your property and look for all those things you’ve been putting off and fix them. When cracked, compromised or simply broken parts of a house present themselves to a potential buyer, it somehow taints the viewing experience. Don’t let that happen if you can avoid it – especially if the fixes are small. It’s not uncommon for our clients to find their homes in the best condition ever prior to selling… almost enough to make them want to stay put!
Looking for a summer property partner in 2024? If so, contact your local Davies Property Partners office to arrange a valuation of your property.
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Cobham
01932 588288 -
Claygate
01372 462323 -
Hinchley Wood
0208 3980265