Selling Your House
 By
James Anthony
They say that for most people your house is
your biggest asset. Therefore it follows that selling your
house is one of the biggest things you will ever have to do.
So, how do you prepare that most precious asset
to maximize its monetary value?
Now being in the process of selling myself,
here are a few of the things I have picked up on and can suggest
as being sensible cost-effective tips.
The main thing is to present you house as a
well-cared-for place with no glaring problems. Remember the
first impression is the one that sells!
No.1 De-clutter
This just doesn't mean tidy up a bit, this is
the Spring clean to end all Spring cleans. Get the skips in
and throw out anything that is not an heirloom, of extreme
personal or financial value, or has not been used in six months.
If you have kids then get savage with the toys.
Ours still had baby things lying around in the cupboards,
broken toys and an unexplained number of stupid little plastic
things from a certain Scottish fast food outlet.
When your house is open for potential buyers
you want them to see an orderly, spacious abode that has a
feeling of lots of room. This is achieved by de-cluttering.
No.2 Tidy up the Garden
Now this is a biggie. Get out and weed those
gardens, trim branches and plants from near windows to let
more light into the house, mow the lawns, cut the edges of
the grass.
Then mulch, it makes a garden look so much more
attractive and also helps save you water. Clean out your gutters.
And promise yourself you'll never, ever plant a cabbage tree
again.
No.3 Odd-jobs time
We are all guilty of letting those little jobs
"that I'll do one day" build up. They must get done before
the buyers come through. Fix that broken tile, oil the door,
get a glazier in to repair the cracked window and clean stained
baths or basins.
No.4 To Paint or Not to Paint?
Don't repaint the entire house - unless it desperately
needs it - although be prepared to do ceilings or smaller
rooms. Get rid of any peeling paint on gutters, doors or window
surrounds and give them a fresh coat. Repair or replace any
peeling wallpaper.
No.5 Clean as you have Never Cleaned
Get stuck in here guys. Windows should sparkle,
so should the shower, bath, taps benches and floors.
Hop up on a ladder and clean the fly poo off
smoke detectors, hunt down cobwebs and dust, dust, dust. But
remember, on the Open Days make sure your place doesn't stink
of cleaners. Use all the chemicals early in the day and then
open up all the windows and doors. Heat up some essential
oils in a burner and then brew some percolated coffee or you
could always bake something.
No.6 Don't Go Overboard
Resist the temptation to go overboard with pre-sale
improvements. Don't put in new carpets, a kitchen or bathroom
unless the existing ones badly let down the overall feel of
your home. Spend a few thousand bringing the place up to scratch
but don't go overboard.
No.7 Desperation Calls
If you hit a problem that you can't handle,
or don't have the time, then maybe get professional help.
Ask your estate agent for recommendations about handymen,
gardeners or even decorators. A little money spent fixing
a problem can be a major earner come sale time.
… And lastly
Keep the tidiness up throughout the campaign.
Real estate agents, being the organised types they are, tend
to give you about an hour's notice of buyers coming through
so being at a high-level of readiness makes life easier and,
hopefully, a sale more likely.
The real annoyance of all this is the fact that
it is exceptionally unlikely your house has ever looked so
good as in the weeks before you sell it. Ah well, at least
you'll have plenty of cash in the bank.
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