A guide to getting your house ready for sale

Selling your home can be a daunting prospect, but at Howkins & Harrison we are here to help. Our sales team have decades of experience between them, and we have put together this guide to getting you and your home ready for sale.

Here are our top 10 tasks before you put your home on the market:

1 Check your kerb appeal 

First impressions are the most important. Often, potential buyers will drive past your house before they commit to a viewing so it’s important the exterior of your house looks its best. Not only will it give an instant impression, it will also tell the buyers how well you are likely to care for your house inside. 

• Mow the lawns and trim the hedges 
• Clear and clean the paths 
• Paint tired woodwork 
• Plant some flowers in planters or baskets 
• Make sure your house number is visible

2 Pretend it’s not your house 

You are selling your house, not yourselves, so take a good look at your house as if you were seeing it for the first time. Which features do you love? What stands out to you as annoying? What are those tasks you’ve been meaning to get round to and now don’t even notice? 

3 Depersonalise 

Often buyers struggle to use their imagination. If there are too many of your personal possessions on display, potential buyers might struggle to imagine themselves living there. Remove some of the personal possessions and family heirlooms. You want your buyers to think “I can see myself living here” rather than “these people seem nice”.

4 Declutter 

Everyone’s house has too much in it and this can make it difficult for potential buyers to see how they would use the space. If you’ve lived in your home a long time, this can be a bigger problem. 

• If you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it 
• Pack up those knickknacks and ornaments carefully
• Clean off everything on kitchen counters including jars, bread bins and toasters
• Think of it as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do

5 Sort out your cupboards 

Buyers will want to feel comfortable having a good look round, especially on a second viewing. They also need to be confident your house has enough storage, so make sure your cupboards are spot check friendly. 

• Arrange food neatly
• Neatly stack dishes and arrange mugs
• Hang clothes together, buttoned and facing the same direction
• Line up shoes in pairs

6 Replace favourite items now

Often negotiations are delayed as buyers want certain things left behind, such as curtains, light fittings or large items of furniture. If there are things you absolutely will not part with, it’s far easier to never let the buyer see them in the first place. 

7 Consider hiring a storage unit

Decluttering properly can result in a lot of things you don’t want on display, but do wish to keep. Storage units can be hired for a low monthly fee, and can be used to store all of those things you won’t need again until you move. Children’s toys that are no longer played with, odd pieces of furniture, keepsakes, books and DVDs are all good things to pack away. 

8 Make minor repairs 

Now that there are fewer things in your home, those jobs that have been hanging around for a while become clear, and you may even discover some new ones.

• Replace cracked tiles or worn carpets 
• Repair any holes in the walls or address any damp 
• Fix cupboards doors and drawers that don’t close properly 
• Make sure all the lightbulbs work 
• Consider giving everywhere a fresh coat of neutral paint

9 Clean! 

• Wash windows inside and out
• Polish taps and bleach dingy grout 
• Clean out the refrigerator
• Wax floors
• Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures
• Hang up fresh towels
• Make sure everywhere smells fresh and clean for each viewing 

10 Find your paperwork 

Once an offer has been accepted, things can move very quickly, so it’s important to have everything ready. Deeds, guarantees, warranties are all vital, especially if you have made improvements. If you have had plans at any time in the past, get some quality copies to have available for viewers. 

If you are also a buyer, have all your financial documentation in place to arrange your mortgage: pay slips, accounts, passports, financial expenditure. How can we help you at Howkins & Harrison? We will be with you every step of the way, from advice about preparing your home, through marketing your home, arranging viewings and negotiating the final sale. Our professional photographers will show your house off to its true potential and we will use the latest tools to market your property, including online promotions and social media. We will guide prospective buyers. 

Also… many vendors favour an open house format, which allows for multiple viewings at the same time, and we are more than happy to make all the arrangements for you. We have years of experience handling the often complex negotiations required, and it is our job to make sure it’s as stress-free as possible for everyone concerned. We can also help with your next move too, whether that’s advice on house purchase, planning applications or lettings. Get in touch with your local office and we will be happy to help.

To arrange your FREE market appraisal contact our residential sales team