How to Impress Potential Buyers

It goes without saying that first impressions count, the majority of prospective buyers decide whether or not they like a property almost as soon as they've seen it, so you need to win them over FAST!

By taking a few simple measures you can make your house more appealing to potential buyers:

OUTSIDE

Garden

• Mow and preen your lawn 
• Hanging baskets or window boxes will make a house look welcoming and cheerful
• Remember to leave space on your driveway for buyers to park
• Clean or sweep paths, patios, decking and your driveway
• Weed flowerbeds and trim any overgrown shrubs and foliage
• Put garden tools, hoses and bins away or out of sight
• Put a table and chairs on your patio or decking to showcase extra ‘outdoor room’
• If needed give your garden fence a lick of paint  

INSIDE

Living Room

• Paint grubby, or dark walls in light, neutral shades
• Clear floors of clutter to give the illusion of a bigger room
• Dust all surfaces, lampshades and fittings
• Buyers will appreciate the sight and smell of fresh flowers 
• Open windows to ensure your room smells fresh
• Reduce the amount of ornaments and books or magazines on display
• During winter viewings ensure your house is warm
• Open all curtains and blinds fully
• Lights will create a relaxed atmosphere and brighten your living room

Kitchen

• Thoroughly clean your oven, hob and sink
• De-clutter and clean all work surfaces
• Put away appliances to create more space on work tops
• People will often look in cupboards so ensure they're tidy and organised
• Put away anything that shouldn’t be on display
• Use scented candles to avoid any over powering cooking smells
• A bowl of fresh fruit is a sure fire way to brighten up your kitchen

Bathroom

• Thoroughly clean your toilet, bath, shower, sink, mirrors, and cabinets
• Clean white towels give a much better impression than mismatched, tatty, or dirty ones
• Replace half used bars of soap with fresh new one
• Put a new toilet roll on the toilet roll holder
• If applicable ensure tiles are clean and grouted
• Remove any items from cabinets that you don't want buyers to see

Bedroom

• Ensure your bed is neatly made
• Re-arrange furniture to maximise space
• Tidy away anything that you don't want buyers to see
• Reduce the amount of clutter on display
• Draw curtains and blinds back to allow as much light in as possible