Adding value and appeal to your home doesn’t need to cost the earth. Often all that is required is some love, attention and effort! If you’re serious about selling your home and want to give the best first impression possible, just follow some of these low cost tips and tricks.
1. Tidy up!
Let’s start with the basics. Most people hate cleaning, even though it can be one of the most rewarding and therapeutic exercises to carry out at home! But with the risk of sounding like your mother, get off your back side and tidy up! You’ll need some household cleaners and a bit of elbow grease!
2. Kerb Appeal!
The first thing people will usually see when viewing your home is the entrance! Sweep up any debris on the driveway. Repaint the front door. Fix the doorbell. Purchase a nice entrance mat. If people see a scruffy entrance they will immediately think that your property is poorly maintained.
3. Gardening and Plants!
It doesn’t take Monty Don to be able to mow your lawn, weed your path and potentially pot a few plants here and there. If you don’t own a lawnmower you can buy one for between £30 and £40. And if you’ve not got green fingers you can read this house plant buying guide or grab some tips for outdoor gardening.
4. Redecorate!
Sometimes all your home needs is a lick of paint to breathe new life into it! Keep your colours neutral. Just because you like bright orange doesn’t mean that everybody else does. Stick to a pale colour palette to appeal to more people and create the illusion of more space.
5. Restore!
Old furniture is not necessarily bad furniture. In fact, old furniture is often made from solid wood unlike some of the inferior chipboard and MDF variants that we see today! Prepare, sand, prime, paint and finish to create some beautiful recycled furniture!
6. Repair!
All those niggling issues that you’ve had for months now – yes, the leaky taps, the creaking floorboards, the squeaking doors – now is the time to fix them all as you prepare your home for sale.
7. Stage!
By staging your home we are referring to how you can present your home to make it look more appealing.
Make sure you don’t have furniture sticking out and impairing the flow of your home. Keep things looking minimal yet ‘lived in’ at the same time. Remember that selling the ‘experience’ is part of selling the home!
Remove any controversial items – whether it be decor, furniture or anything else – you are leaving too much open to interpretation. And if your home doesn’t appeal to as many buyers as possible you risk losing buyer interest.
8. Declutter!
Whether your property is small or large, decluttering your home is one of the best practises to create the illusion of more space. Pack the kids toys away into a nice storage box. Hide all your shower gels and bath salts in a nice bathroom cabinet. Pack away a few of those ornaments into storage boxes too. And grab yourself a nice shoe rack to keep all your footwear tidy and in one place!
9. Use Mirrors and Open Curtains!
Mirrors reflect more light, and can create the illusion of bigger rooms and a brighter environment. Now I’m not saying you should transform your home into the famous ‘Hall of Mirrors‘ scene from Enter the Dragon, however when used correctly and subtly they can add a new dimension to your room.
Couple some nice mirrors with lots of natural light and you have a winning formula! So keep the curtains and blinds open whenever you’re conducting a property viewing!
10. Homely Fragrance!
The scent of something can create a big (but not always positive) first impression. I personally love the smell of freshly cut grass – it reminds me of summer! And I hate the smell of the local fishmongers – generally because I hate fish (unless it’s battered).
Scents can create memories and perceptions. And the same can be said for the scents in and around your home. Nobody likes to turn up to a home to find it smelling of your hamster’s urine-soaked shredded paper, your rabbit’s poo-infested sawdust or a wet dog (admittedly it’s not just animals that can create bad smells!).
Instead you can purchase some cheap fragrance sticks and/or air fresheners that you plug in to the wall. I’d probably avoid potpourri nowadays. The once popular item of the 1990’s is now old-school and little bit messy.
Article disclaimer: We are not affiliated to B&Q or B&M. The links throughout this article are intended to provide good value for money and maximum convenience – by visiting 2 stores (located nationwide) you can be ready to prepare your home for sale!
