Getting views from around the world can often provide useful insight or a different perspective on what might seem a simple subject – such as how to sell your home. Here, British lettings agency Belvoir has provided its top tips to sell your property.
1. First impressions last.
“When selling your property creating the right first impression is vital,” according to Vaughan Schofield, owner of Belvoir Wrexham and the company’s top sales performer this year.
“Just like meeting a new person, when viewing a property for the first time we immediately arrive at assumptions based on our first impressions, and then we look for evidence to back these up or contradict them.
“As the saying goes, ‘there’s no second chance to make a great first impression’, so make sure the front of the property is the best it can be. Paving slabs and driveways should be weed-free, and front doors and window frames should be neatly painted.
“Certainly in my own house-hunting experiences I’ve always known within 10 seconds of walking into a building whether or not I was going to buy it.”
2. Objective observations.
“Because we see our own homes every day, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine them through a fresh pair of eyes,” added Schofield.
“Therefore it’s useful to look at other houses which you believe are really well presented, and then take a really hard look at your own afterwards. Perhaps make a list of all the things that you believe make the well-presented house look so good and compare this list with your own.
“Snagging issues with your own property will become more apparent once you have seen somewhere that is absolutely immaculate.”
3. Personal possessions.
“De-cluttering the property is essential,” said co-owner of Belvoir Bedford Nigel Bywater.
“If you have lived in a property for many years, you’re likely to have accumulated a lot of personal belongings and these may prevent people imagining the house as their own.
“Also, remove as much unnecessary furniture as possible. Replace over-sized items with smaller ones if you can. It’s important to maximise the feeling of space as much as possible, and large pieces of furniture can make a room look cluttered and dramatically smaller than it actually is.
“Don’t totally de-personalise the property, though,” he continued.
“You don’t want to turn it into a ‘hotel room’ and you still want to retain some of the character of a well-loved home.”
4. Market matters.
“Try and identify what type of people your property will appeal to and market it accordingly,” said Schofield.
“It is unlikely that a six-bedroomed house, for example, is going to be bought by a single person, and likewise a small apartment is unlikely to attract a large family. However, if your house is medium-sized (two- or three-bedrooms) it can appeal to a wide selection of people and offer flexibility in living. It’s quite common for smaller bedrooms to become dressing rooms or studies.
“It’s important that you make sure prospective buyers are aware of the potential flexibility and versatility of the property in your marketing material so you can widen the target market audience as much as possible.”
5. Get the picture.
“We tend to remember more vividly the things we see rather than what we hear, so including well-presented photography in your marketing material is a major advantage,” added Schofield.
“This photography should be well thought through and effectively executed, plus it should have a good ‘flow’.
“While it’s good to ‘tell a story’ through your photography, be careful not to include unnecessary pictures. Photographs of narrow corridors or small bathrooms will simply highlight the limitations of the property rather than increase its perceived value. The purpose of the photography is to enhance the best aspects and virtues of a property, so only take pictures that can help achieve this.
“It goes without saying that the exterior photography should be up-to-date and re-taken if necessary,” he continued.
“Pictures of snowy scenes which appear on your marketing material on a summer’s day will simply draw attention to the length of time the property has been on the market and these need to be avoided.”
6. Added ambience.
“Many sellers will seek to add some extra atmosphere and ambience when trying to sell their property,” said co-owner of Belvoir Andover Greg Greatbatch.
“Make sure the property is warm and welcoming for prospective buyers by putting the heating on if it’s a cold day or the air-conditioning if it’s hot, plus open the curtains fully to maximise natural heat and light.
“Having bread baking in the oven, fresh coffee brewing and vases of fragrant flowers can also appeal to the senses and help create ambience.”
7. Local life.
“It’s important to arm the agent and the prospective buyers with all the benefits of the property, including those which are available in the local area,” said Schofield.
“The quality of the local schools should be highlighted, and nearby parks (especially if the property has a small garden), plus the local bus stops, rail links and road networks are also useful to point out.
“Add these to the text of the sales material to make sure potential buyers can understand the added benefits of your property that may not be immediately or visibly recognised. This is the kind of information that will help them make a decision about if it is the right house for them.”
8. Neutral attraction.
“When selling your property you’re trying to create a lifestyle and aiming to help the person viewing the property subscribe to that lifestyle,” said Bywater.
“As colour is a very subjective thing, keeping the property as neutral as possible is advisable. Not everyone will love the same colours as you, and bold, bright colours or vivid patterns and prints may prevent potential buyers imagining themselves living there.
“Neutral colours also create a feeling of light and will make the property appear more airy and bright.”
9. Pristine and clean.
“You need to present the property in the best possible way, so making sure it is clean, neat and tidy is essential,” said Schofield.
“Most buyers will be buying on emotion; they will be buying a dream and will be asking themselves questions like, ‘is this where I want to live?’.
“Pristine presentation helps to sell properties. Untidiness and poor cleaning habits are not attractive, and it’s very short-sighted to believe that potential buyers will look past this. They will not.
“If you haven’t got the time or inclination (or both) then employing the services of professional cleaners to help can be beneficial.”
10. Garden guidance.
Do not forget the garden, if you have one. “Head outdoors and assess what could be improved to make it more appealing,” says Greg.
“Landscaping, refreshing gravel, weeding borders, mowing lawns, fixing and painting boundary fences, plus cutting back overgrown shrubs can all help your outside space look well-managed and easy to maintain.
“Think about introducing some containers and pots too,” he concluded.
“They are a quick, easy and cost-effective way of injecting colour, helping you to create maximum impact with minimum effort.”
This story was written by Andrew Batt, Group Editor of Dot Property Group. Send your news, views, press releases and comments to him at [email protected].
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