Tips for sellers

Get the right price for your property

There are many things you can do to improve your prospects of getting the ultimate price for your property. The most important thing you can do is to put yourself into the prospective buyers’ shoes and imagine yourself seeing your property for the first time. First impressions really do count and it’s worth taking a little time to get the property looking its best.

• Keep the entrance to your property clean, tidy and welcoming. A freshly painted front door is a good idea.
• Smell the coffee – we all know the cliché about freshly brewed coffee welcoming prospective buyers into a property. While you don’t have to go that far, do ensure that there is a pleasant smell in the air rather than stuffiness or mustiness.
• Good lighting can transform a room, even in the daytime. Ensure rooms are nicely lit with lamps and overhead lights if necessary on a grey day. If rooms have good natural light, show them off by opening curtains and blinds. If it’s a nice day open a few windows and if you keep the windows shut make sure they’re clean!
• Give your buyers somewhere comfortable to sit and relax. They say that if a buyer sits down in a property then they’re at ease with the place.
• Look around for small improvements and repairs that need to be undertaken and attend to them before viewings commence. Peeling paint and damp stains can be used by prospective buyers as an excuse to knock down your asking price.
• Bunches of flowers and healthy looking plants can add a homely feel and splash of colour and style.
• If you have outside space ensure it is as neat and tidy as the inside.
• In winter, if you have a fireplace, have the fire lit to welcome in your prospective buyer.
• If your property is vacant leave some furniture behind to give the place a ‘lived in’ feel.