1: AVOID REASONS FOR BUYERS TO PRICE HAGGLE
Before you decide to list your property for sale, remember that your number one goal is NOT to give potential buyers any reason to haggle down the asking price.
2: VIEW YOUR HOME WITH A POTENTIAL BUYERS EYES
You may have been living in your home for many happy years, but when you're selling, you need to step back, take a deep breath and start looking at it with fresh eyes – potential buyers eyes!
3: NOTE ALL POTENTIAL SNAGGING POINTS
Grab a pen and notepad and walk around each space, make a note of all potential snagging points and areas of potential improvement.
4: REPAIR & REPLACE BROKEN FIXTURES & FITTINGS
Remember most new homeowners will want to move in right away, so the idea of them having to professionally clean or replace flooring, repair broken or faulty fixtures & fittings, paint and decorate grubby or damaged paint or woodwork is going to be off-putting to many and will simply be reflected in a much lower offer.
5: REASON TO FIX ISSUES MAINTENANCE ISSUE NOW
Potential buyers accidentally make massively inflated maintenance & redecoration valuations based on what they believe certain repair and replenishment works will cost, so by getting these jobs done in advance, you will not only make the property more saleable, but it gives buyers less wriggle room when it comes to making an offer.
6: APPEAL TO A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIAL BUYERS
Make sure the bare bones of the property are in good decorative order, remedy overdue property maintenance issues and "quirky" personal touches, you may like the shrunken head lampshade in your bedroom, but I can guarantee 99% of potential buyers will not, so keep spaces neutral enough to allow buyers to picture themselves living in your home.
7: TAKE A PICTURE
Test to see what your property looks like in pictures. Grab a camera (or phone camera) take a picture (wide-angled landscape) from each corner of each room, and take a long hard look at them, see what stands out.
Ask yourself two simple questions when looking at each picture: Should I move it? Or Should I remove it?
Do you need to replace the worn cushions on your sofa? Invest in new bed linen for viewing days? Add a few potted plants to liven the space? De-clutter surfaces? Invest in storage boxes for the children's toys? Box up and store paperwork from the study? Re-paint grubby walls?
Every property is different, but looking at your property through a picture will help you refine your spaces and create the attention grabbing marketing images you're looking for.
8: DON'T REDUCE THE PRICE - INCREASE THE APPEAL
If your property is already for sale, but has been on the market for some time, it is important NOT to let your agent persuade you into knocking thousands off the asking price.
Dropping the price rarely makes a sale move any faster, it also erodes potential buyers' confidence in the homes real value and will nearly always result in a further reduced final offer.
9: CHOOSE AN ESTATE AGENT WITH A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER
Make your property stand out for all the right reasons. Houzz and Pinterest worthy pictures sell properties! Whether you own a city flat or a country manor, your property images are your number one marketing tool, so they need to be good and stand out from any competition!
10: CALL IN THE EXPERTS IF YOU NEED HELP
It's never too late to ask advice from a local home stager. Many stagers offer fixed fee Walk & Talk Consultations, even after your property has been listed. Presentation & Staging advise could potentially save your thousands, even tens of thousands when compared to drop price reductions.
11: STAGE A VACANT PROPERTY AS A POTENTIAL HOME
If you are planning to sell a vacant property, staging makes a huge difference. It allows buyers to be able to visualise the space and if done well, can transform an empty shell into and an aspirational home.
Alx Gunn Interiors - Home Staging & Interior Design
London, Sussex & Kent
www.alxgunn-interiors.co.uk
Main Service Areas: Brighton | Worthing | Hove | Eastbourne | Hastings | Haywards Heath | Burgess Hill | East Grinstead | Uckfield | Crowborough | Tunbridge Wells