Forget the Coffee and the Baking Bread – Meaningful Tips to Sell Your Home

It’s become an old cliché now with regards to baking bread and making a pot of fresh coffee before a potential buyer comes to see your home and according to the property experts, it’s one that is best ignored. Overall, there are far more serious matters to deal with before you invite anyone in.

Let’s deal with the question of odours first: It is advised that you try to achieve a neutral smell in the home and this would involve airing the property completely to rid it of any musty odours that may be lingering. If you’re selling in the summer then feel free to open some windows but don’t overdo it as it will look as if you’re trying to mask something.

Property expert Phil Spencer also advises a fresh coat of neutral paint to help neutralise any musty odours,

“A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired-looking property,” he advises.

Phil Spencer also goes on to underline the importance of first impressions and as such, he suggests painting the front door too before any potential purchasers arrive. However, you may even like to take this a step further by replacing any tired old door furniture including the letterbox and fingerplates.

The entrance hall is important too and it simply vital to create a good initial impression when would-be buyers enter your property.

Most property experts will also tell you to address the issue of clutter. Not only is selling your home an ideal chance to make a fresh start, it is essential that you clear cluttered rooms before any prospective buyers enter.

“My golden rule is that if you haven’t used it for one year then either store it elsewhere or bin it completely,” said Graham Lock, director of House Network.

Arranging for a small skip is a good idea but if you really can’t bear to part with anything, then consider booking a storage unit so that surplus items are kept away from your property during the selling period.

Another good tip is to make sure that the rooms highlight their intended purpose when you start to sell. You may have turned your dining room or spare bedroom into an office or play room but you should redesign all areas to highlight their intended purpose.

So put away the coffee pot and the bread maker because potential buyers can see through the disguise. Strive instead to apply these techniques and they will have a far more positive effect on anyone looking to buy your home.

Interior design tips: Never judge a book by its cover…

Never judge a book by its cover …or not?

So, consider this…before:

Selling your home is always a challenge and can take some time.  To help sell the property it is always a good idea to give your home that final piece of love and attention.  The more effort you put into making your home look nice, the more money it will sell for.  Try and look through the buyer’s eyes, investigate every corner and think of how you could make it better and more attractive.

Home staging is becoming ever more the norm and is often needed in today’s demanding property market.  With the pressures of meeting buyers’ high expectations it is important to concentrate on the overall look and feel of your home and ensure that it is not only appealing to the buyer, but also inviting.

There is nothing worse than going into a home that is full of clutter, which has been left to its own devices. Over the coming weeks I’ll be providing tips to help sell your home and get it off the market – so book mark this blog or sign up to recieve my tips by email.

It is a service provided by Sav Design, so for more information please visit my website and follow me on twitter @savvy_sav for helpful advice, tips and other random tweets!

Helpful Hint 1: I know we are always told never to judge a book by its cover, but be honest how many times have you seen something and immediately made a judgement?  It is quite common for people to form an opinion of some sort within the first few minutes of seeing something, be it a property, person or a pair of shoes!!

So ensure that the entrance to your property is tended to, be it a garden or a corridor.  Make an effort to get rid of unwanted rubbish. We are all hoarders of some type and just need that extra push to de-clutter¦ believe it or not you will feel lighter and maybe slightly liberated!!

So get rid of those weeds in the front garden and give it a good sweep. Pick up the mess from the corridors and create an atmosphere of calm, welcoming your new guests.  Small entrances can be tricky, but adding a long mirror and additional lighting automatically tricks the eye into seeing more.  Another way to add more depth and space is to add a small console table at one end; this draws the eye forward again creating the illusion of more space.  As the eye is being drawn to this table it would be a good idea to add a simple accessory such as a tasteful flower arrangement or vase.  Leaving the entrance ticked off of your list!!

Now consider this…after:

Consider the impression that the two pictures above would give a potential purchasor.  The key is to make that initial impact and create not just a ‘good’, but a fantastic impression.

I hope you enjoyed this article and are looking forward to the next helpful hint! In the meantime please do not hesitate to get in touch for personal advice from Sav Design.

Author Biography

Savita Kalia is the principal interior designer at Sav Design, an interior design firm offering a variety of commercial and residential services.   Sav Designis a young company fresh with new ideas and old, ensuring that all client needs are fulfilled.  Life is too short to be badly designed, contact Sav Design today! design@savdesign.co.uk