Is it clean and free of issues?

Please follow the checklist below:

• Start the moving-out countdown in your mind now!
• First impressions matter, and it begins at the kerb
• Tidy up, declutter, de-junk, de-personalise and then do a tip run
• Get the property professionally deep cleaned by a service that pays attention to detail – you want it gleaming and spotless!
• Mow the lawn, trim the edges, clean/paint the front door and paint/fix the fence – you want to achieve the very best property valuation
• You want to make the property look purposeful and inviting

We would always recommend paying a professional cleaning company (and gardener) to give your property a deep clean inside and outside, as one of the first steps to freshening up your home.

Sometimes, a good clean down of walls and cupboards may be all that’s needed. You’d be amazed at the difference just a deep clean can achieve.

The key to helping potential buyers visualise the property as their own is to:

• Emphasise natural and other lighting – it can make all the difference
• Remove all non-essential items – de-personalise the rooms
• Show space where needed and be savvy with furniture placements

Potentially, you may need the help of an expert in staging properties – somebody who can advise you how to present your home in the best way possible to achieve maximum interest and value.

A fresh set of creative eyes will be able to identify if any rooms will need to be improved to show what the industry experts call The Four Fs – functionality, feel, focus and faith (more about these in Module 4).

What is home staging? It is professionally assessing and evaluating a property using a holistic approach. It is formulating a plan to highlight existing features (and solve any issues), to help attract buyers and compel the target audience to imagine themselves living there.

It is elevating and transforming the property (and NOT just all about displaying some pretty flowers and baking bread!).

Research by Staged Homes shows that home staging is a great investment. Statistics have proved 91% of professionally staged homes sold within 1 month and sell for up to 20% more than the competition.

Based on an average house price of £250,000, that’s potentially a whopping £50,000 of extra cash in your pocket! PLUS, you’re saving money by avoiding estate agent fees! A DOUBLE win!

We’re not in the business of ripping anybody off or exploiting people, but it’s important to remind you that people will also pay what THEY want to (and been approved for), and sometimes they have a little wriggle room to offer over and above what the valuation and selling price is.

Keep an open mind when it comes to WHY the buyer has expressed an interest in your house. There are many reasons why a person would want to live in a particular street/area. Value is sometimes derived from emotion and how much a person is willing to pay!

Make the effort to improve your property’s value:

• Maximise the number of bedrooms – revert an office to a bedroom
• Avoid empty rooms (unfurnished rooms make them look smaller)
• Clean the front door and tidy up the garden
• Kerb appeal – first impressions count
• Any hidden features or benefits that add to the value of the property?
• Any recent major purchases? I.e. new boiler, insulation, windows etc.

Three things sell a home – location, price, and condition:

First impressions are everything when selling a property and it starts the moment you pull up in front of it! The way it is presented to the world matters a lot. Taking decent and professional looking photos is a very important step in your selling journey.

Your images should compel the buyer to imagine themselves living there. The aim is to sell it – so we implore you to do it with pride, and if you can afford it, use a professional photographer and/or videographer (well worth the investment).

Your photos should give buyers a realistic view – we do not recommend using fish eye or wide lens as this will skew the buyer’s expectations. You want to set, maintain, and EXCEED expectations as much as possible – not dupe and disappoint them!

There are loads of web pages online which can advise how best to take photos of a property. Click here to learn 6 tips for taking the best property photos.