Thought about painting & decorating before selling your property? It's a fact that most buyers make up their mind about a property within seconds of entering, and often, before even getting beyond the front door! So, get going and sort out your property's pitfalls for a profit!
Top 5 house doctor tricks!
1) Make a feature of your front door
The front door is a strong focal point and should give your buyer a flavour of what's inside. Peeling front door paint and a "Broken doorbell, please knock" sign just aren't going to give your home that all-important kerb appeal. If your front door's looking a bit tired, give it a fresh coat of glossy paint and treat the door furniture to a thorough polish. If you're uncertain about the look of your door's fittings, replace them with a simple, sleek style. Finally, make sure everything about the door works - the hinges, bell, handles... no squeaks or creaks please!
2) Really clean your kitchen and bathroom
Your kitchen and bathroom should be absolutely spotless and shining when potential buyers come around. In fact, the more they look like no one uses them, the better. Remove all washing from the kitchen and make sure all the appliance doors are closed. Hide away inessential clutter from the worktops as well as dirty tea towels. In the bathroom, towels and soap should be unused and the room should smell clean and fresh. Hide the toilet brush, toothbrushes and barrage of shampoo bottles and make sure the room really sparkles!
3) Use mirrors to create space and light
It's the oldest trick in the decorator's book but it works a treat every time. A mirror will bounce light around the room and open up cramped spaces, making them appear bigger. A large square or rectangular mirror will look particularly good above a fireplace mantelpiece and a long thing rectangular mirror will look great hung horizontally parallel to the headboard of a double bed. Mirrors can even be used outdoors to create a feeling of space in a small patio garden, particularly when the edges of the mirror are hidden by plants.
4) Remove all evidence of pets
Not everyone is going to feel the same way about your little Pookums as you do, so make sure you remove all evidence of having a pet at all. In fact, if you can get them to go and stay at a friend's while you're selling then so much the better. Hide all food bowls and doggy toys and make sure the garden is thoroughly poop-scooped. Finally, give all the carpets a good vacuum with an odour-absorbent carpet cleaner like Vax and get a trusted friend to come around and give your home a "sniff test".
5) Remove all evidence of yourself!
Now you've done the dog, the next step is to remove yourself. Make sure that only the bare minimum of personal items are on display - remove any family photographs, postcards stuck to the fridge, clothing or shoes on display and all but the most basic bathroom toiletries to really depersonalise your home. This will allow your buyers to "mentally move in" and imagine themselves living happily in your space. And maybe, to give you an offer you can't refuse!
