First impressions are not only important when selling your home, they are absolutely critical. When people come to view a property for the first time, they are unlikely to be scrutinising the unseen. They are simply trying to get a feel for the property. They will be bombarded with mostly visual impressions, many of which you can manage.
For example, if your kitchen is looking tired, it can easily be spruced up with new cabinet doors. Even just replacing the handles can look good, or you could even go further and fit a new worktop. Kitchen flooring which may have passed its best is also usually quite inexpensive to replace.
Bathrooms can look almost as good as the day they were fitted with a bit of work on the grouting. Hack out any discoloured grout between the tiles or sealant around the wash basins, baths and showers, and replace with new. It’s inexpensive, effective, and looks good. Do make sure you polish any chrome as well, using lime scale remover if necessary.
Do declutter. Buyers want to imagine themselves living there, so don’t distract them with too much of your own stuff, although a cosy home is generally more appealing than a clinical one!
Outside, flowerbeds can instantly be given a new lease of life with a generous helping of shredded tree bark compost. Freshly-mown lawns with neat edges look great, as do paths which have recently been weeded. Patio areas are more appealing when they look like they are enjoyed regularly so it’s worth having your garden furniture out rather than packed away. The same applies to children’s play equipment if you are selling a family home.
The key is a neat, but lived-in look, which will appeal to the heart as well as the head!
Haydar Sehri's blog
