Currently the housing market in East Dulwich, Camberwell and Peckham is buoyant, with properties in the best areas attracting interest from multiple buyers and, generally, going under offer very quickly. However, even in this kind of market there are steps you should be taking to prepare your property to go on the market – steps that can make your property stand out from its competitors and potentially result in higher offers being received. In this post we will look at this issue generally and suggest some initial steps you should consider taking. In the second post in this series we will look at further actions that can assist in getting your property under offer quickly.
There are a few well known, perhaps even clichéd and therefore possibly counter productive, steps that people think about when they want to prepare their home for potential buyers – the bread baking in the oven (less effective in the breadmaker by the way) and the coffee brewing on the stove. Of course these things can help create an impression but there are perhaps other steps that you should be taking, well in advance of the potential buyer stepping over the threshold, that will prepare your home more effectively for sale.
It is seldom easy to present your property in the best possible light to buyers. For a start you usually have to continue living your day to day life in the property despite it being on the market. Also, this is your home and there are things about it that you love (but which may not be to everybody’s taste), things that you are happy to put up with (but which can have a significant negative effect on buyers) and, frankly, things that you no longer even notice as you are so used to them.
Usually therefore, the first step in successfully preparing your property for sale is to disassociate yourself from the property. Try to think about it less as your home and more as a valuable asset you need to sell. Try to look at it through the eyes of a complete stranger. This is far from easy but we at No-Flies would be very happy to “lend you our eyes” and give you an objective view.
Having got yourself into an objective frame of mind these are the initial things that we recommend you do. Stand on the pavement outside of your property and look at it objectively. Does it look inviting? If not, you have already reduced the likelihood of an offer before the prospective buyer even crosses the threshold – assuming that they get that far. Things you should consider are:
- Are the paths clear and free of leaves and weeds?
- If there is a gate, is it painted and in working order?
- Do those bins really need to be there on a viewing day? If so, ensure the potential buyer does not have to climb over them to get to the front door.
- If there is a front garden are the hedges clipped, is the lawn mowed?
- Is the front door nicely painted and clean? It is amazing the difference a quick wash with soapy water can make to a door.
- Is you house number visible?
- Is there any way to make the entrance more attractive – maybe by adding a splash of colour in the form of a pot of daffodils or other seasonal bedding plants?
- Does your doorbell work? If not, fix it.
- Do you get lots of junk mail or, if in a flat, does mail for other residents pile up on the hallway floor? If so, make it part of your daily routine, whilst you are trying to sell, to pick up and stack the post neatly and dispose of the junk mail and flyers.
- Does that bicycle really need to be chained to the railings?
- Is the hallway light working? Replace any blown lightbulbs.
- What is the first thing you smell as you enter the property? Make it a plug-in or other air freshener but try to keep it subtle.
Having taken these steps you will, we hope, have created the right initial impression. In the second post in this series we will look at further steps you can take inside your property to maximise your chances of selling quickly and at the best price.