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| Getting the house ready for sale |
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Real estate agents have told us that a “well polished” house appeals to a broader spectrum of buyers and will sell faster and for a better price.
So how much should you spend?
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Spend as little money as possible when preparing your house for the market. Buyers may be impressed by a brand new bathroom. But they are not likely to give you the extra it cost to install. There is a big difference between making minor alterations to your house, such as painting the diningroom or even the whole house and undertaking a complete renovation upheavel and doing something like building a new roof. Naturally if you have undertaken to completely paint the whole house, this will give every room an uplifting effect. A simple thing like a coat of paint definitely goes a long way.
Your estate agent shall be well abreast of buyers expectations in your area and he is in a position to advise you on what improvements need to be undertaken to maximise the potential of your property. But you should be able to see these for yourself too.
Maximising street appeal
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Prior to putting your property on the market take the time to maximise its exterior and interior appeal as cost effectively as you can.
Enhance your homes exterior by:
*Checking outer doors and windows for flaky or peeling paint
*Clean the gutters, make sure no plants or grass is growing from the eave-runs and eliminate any moss attached.
*Cut the lawn and cut around its edges. Keep it watered.
*Check the surrounding walls, paths, steps and patios for cracks and broken bits. A little bit of mortar goes a long way.
*Prune trees, weed the garden and trim hedges. Maybe put down a little moss peat around plants to give your garden a healthy look.
*Repair any loose timberwork, brickwork or plaster. This will not be as difficult as you think and you will find it enjoyable upgrading the overall look.
*Check the chimney, maybe give it a coat of dash or paint and have it cleaned.
*Keep the pathways clear of leaves. They give a very messy look.
*Make sure there is no litter around the house or that bins are overflowing.
*Clear away all outdoor clutter lying around, stuff like bottles, tins, jam jars. It's a time to visit the recycling bank with all that stuff.
*Possibly buy a few potted plants or shrubs and place near your door. Even one plant at the door makes a little difference.
*Keep the garage door closed and locked.
*Don’t have old vehicles parked in the driveway, store them elsewhere.
*Reseal the asphalt driveway.
*Paint or varnish the front door.
*Paint the front windows and upgrade the window sills.
*Have your curtains open and drawn.
Preparing the interior
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Enhance your homes interior by:
*Hire a professional cleaning service every few days or once a week while the house is on the market. This is definitely money well spent. You just may not have the time to do a thorough job yourself if you work daily.
*Remove all clutter from kitchen work-tops, the sittingroom and diningroom.
*Put away all childrens things such as toys.
*Have your kitchen spotless with no dirty dishes lying around, clean floors etc.
*Make sure the bathroom is spotless, mirrors polished and no dirty towels lying around
*Have all carpets well vacuumed and odourised and keep them clean.
*Have a car-boot sale to get rid of unwanted items around the house.
*Try and have the furniture so placed as to give each room a spacious look and feel.
*A few extra plants around the house is always a good idea.
*Repair any cracks on walls or tiles or replace damaged wallpaper. If its washable wallpaper have it washed.
*Replace any broken window mouldings or cracked panes.
*Spruce up the kitchen area with a bit of paintwork,
*Make sure the heating system is working to its full potential.
*Check that the burglar alarm works.
*Make sure all the plumbing is in order and that there is no leaking.
*Have all the beds made and hang up in wardrobes any loose clothing
*Don’t have any laundry hanging around the house.
*In winter make sure you have a good open fire lit.
*Clean any dirty blinds or wash curtains. You will be surprised how brighter an effect washed curtains will give.
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