Selling a home is something most people only do a handful of times in their life, and with property values continuing to rise across the UK, it’s likely that a house sale is the most valuable transaction most people will do in their lifetime. With so much on the line it’s important that sellers give themselves the best chance of attracting a good buyer so here’s 5 things to do to help attract buyers for their home.
First impressions count
When buyers view properties they’ll often only have time for a quick look before making a decision on whether to offer or not. Their first impression of each home they view can leave a lasting impression and if things are not tidy on the outside it might put some off seeing on the inside. For this reason it’s worth making sure the exterior is neat and tidy. Painting the front door is a good, relatively-inexpensive starting point and if there’s a garden it’s well worth making sure this is neat and tidy as gardens are a huge selling point.
Sort the small things
We all do it; we get so used to living with the small quirks in our house that we never get round to fixing them. It’s well worth taking care of any small repairs that have been outstanding for years; things like fixing that broken downpipe, regrouting the shower, painting over these marks on the walls up the staircase or screwing down that loose floorboard you’ve learnt to avoid when creeping around the house first thing in the morning. These things all make a difference and, if taken care of before viewings, avoid buyers getting concerned that there’s going to be a lot of work ahead.
Declutter
Sellers will need to do this when they move out anyway, so why not get the job done nice and early. There’s no doubt that homes look their best when they’re decluttered; rooms like brighter and normally look bigger without lots of ‘stuff’ lying around. Buyers visualise their own belongings in each home they view so removing any unnecessary items will help them imagine themselves and their furniture in the space. If a seller has belongings or furnishings that are cluttering up the space but are worth hanging onto, arranging to store these items during the marketing stage is worth doing so that each room looks as spacious and clear as possible.
Keeping things clean
This is a term many estate agents use to describe all the visuals they’ll create for marketing. The depth of marketing assets can range depending on the estate agent and the property to be marketed. With one shot to make an impact on potential buyers it’s worth investing in high quality marketing assets including; 3D tours, floorplans, professional photographs including aerial photography and videos including drone footage; all created to show each property off at its best.
Choose an Estate Agent that will show off your home at its best
When selling your home you get one shot to show it to the world so taking the 4 steps above help make sure the property is looking its best for advertising. The final step is to choose an estate agent that will make sure your home is promoted well to catch the eye of these all-important buyers. Low quality photos and brochures can make a home feel very flat and forgettable when buyers are searching on the online portals. A good estate agent will arrange for professional-quality photographs and nowadays buyers expect to see a promotional video prior to viewing. A great promo video will catch the eye of buyers and make a home stand out from others on the market so it’s absolutely worth the investment.
Umega is an Edinburgh Estate Agent and Letting agent with multiple award wins to our name and one of the highest Google ratings of any estate agent in the UK. We pride ourselves on our high quality property marketing, as well as the quality, and attentiveness of our sales team and their negotiation and communication skills. If you’re looking to sell your home in Edinburgh please contact our Edinburgh Estate Agency team today or get the ball rolling with a free, instant online valuation.