#TuesdayTips – helping your home to sell 

If your home just isn’t selling and you feel you’ve tried everything, from changing estate agents to altering your asking price, James Tilford from CastleSmart has put together some tips to help… 

Declutter

Not to be confused with cleaning. Decluttering consists of removing unnecessary items from a single area to create space, and that is exactly what we’re looking for: space! The more spacious your property seems, the more ostentatious it looks to the buyers. Remove old pieces of furniture, toys, appliances, anything that can be seen to be taking up space.

Deodour

The aroma in a house isn’t usually noticeable by the current tenants of the property, as their noses have long become desensitised to the smell. Some homeowners forget this and just assume that their homes no longer have a smell, but believe me, it does - especially for those with pets. Use air fresheners and purifiers around the house to give it a welcoming scent; this will mask, if not remove, any odours the property may have. A few scented candles also wouldn’t go amiss.

Use neutral colours

You may love your wild and whacky colours splattered all over the walls, but the potential buyers may not. Try to paint over any outlandish colours with more neutral colours, this will depersonalise the home and allow the buyer to see it as their own.

Improve kerb appeal

What is the first thing a prospective buyer sees when arriving at your property? Your kerb! Kerb appeal is a major deciding factor in the buyer’s mind, it is the first impression that they will gain and therefore will be at the forefront of their mind moving forward. While there are several changes that could be made to increase kerb appeal, start with cutting the grass, tidying, and adding a few potted plants.

Organise wardrobes

It’s common habit to stuff all unwanted goods into wardrobes as a way of creating space, but to the buyer this is the empty storage that they want to see. Organise the wardrobes and closets to make them look as spacious as possible, removing any unnecessary items and clothing from the storage.

Natural light

Creating space so that natural light can enter a home does wonders for feel and aesthetics. The more natural light that beams into the home the lighter, warmer, and more spacious the room feels.

Remove clunky furniture

The furniture in a room should either serve a purpose or provide a layer of finesse to the aesthetics. If a piece does neither, it has to go. Removing big superfluous furniture not only creates more space within the room, but also focuses on your more impressive features.

Clean

You’d be surprised what the buyer will notice when they inspect your house, so let’s ensure it’s not dirt and grime. Get into every crack and crevasse within your home, wipe, polish and dust every item. Make this the cleanest your house has ever been! Buyers are particularly turned off by a lack of cleanliness in the bathrooms and kitchen, places where hygiene is very important.

Make the bed

Rolling out of bed in the morning and not even taking a second look at the duvet monster you’ve created is fine on most mornings. However, if you’re in the middle of selling your home and are expecting buyers to visit, it’s best to make a bed. There is something about an unmade bed which can cause entire room to seem untidy and vice versa.

Plants

There are several health benefits to having plants inside your home i.e air quality and breathing, but the house viewers are not going to feel the affects of that in their 20 minute visit. Placing plants on shelves and mantelpieces not only adds colour and a filled effect to the room but also a homeliness throughout the house.

Bonus: Appease their appetite

The best way to anyone’s wallet is through their stomach. Have a few scrumptious treats at the door for any visitors, this will put them in a good mood for the rest of the house.