If you’re getting ready to put your house on the market, you’ll need to ensure your home looks its very best so you can secure a sale, and one that's at the price your home deserves. So, how do you do it?
Before we get to some advice and tips for preparing your home, here’s how we can help you with the process. At Kangaroo Self Storage, we can offer you the best storage deals for all those items you don’t want to leave on show. There are no long-term commitments, and we have storage units available in a wide variety of sizes to suit all needs. Take a look at how we can help with self storage in Dundee, self storage in Glasgow and self storage in Edinburgh.
Here’s how to get that house ready for viewing:
Who wants to see heaps of old magazines, unopened post or the washing pile? Or surfaces overflowing with miscellaneous items? Whether you want your home to look perfect for photos or a viewing, you must clear every single surface, file paperwork and tidy those rooms, so your home doesn’t look disorganised. Make sure the beds are made and that books, toiletries or toys are put away.
Store excess or outdated objects, such as bulky furniture, which can make the house look smaller. You may be tempted to tuck them away in the garage or attic. However, viewers interested in your home will want to see all the rooms, and the last thing you want is for them to discover heaps of stuff hidden away. Find a place for everything or move items into storage if you can’t find space for them.
Removing clutter, even if temporarily, doesn’t mean you can get away with being too minimalist. After all, removing all the personality from your house isn’t a good idea; people want to imagine what the house will look like if they lived there. This can be difficult to do if your house looks staged with generic and impersonal hotel-like objects.
It can be easy to go too much the other way, however. So, make sure you stay away from hoarder-style but don’t stray into spartan territory. It all boils down to making your house look like a well-loved and lived-in home but still with enough space for viewers to envision their own lives there.
It may feel counter-intuitive to leave some items on display instead of putting them in storage after you declutter your home; but a stylish look goes a long way to making a good first impression.
Dress the table for dinner (or, at least, place a centrepiece to add an additional element to the décor), ensure there is symmetry in every room as much as possible (symmetry appeals to people) and turn on lamps if it’s later in the day. You can add a finishing touch with fresh bouquets of colourful flowers for pops of colour that look amazing in pictures and smell wonderful to everyone who visits. It also helps to make your house look presentable from the outside. This is called kerb appeal and is very important for a good first impression.
Natural light is a popular demand for homes, so you’ll want to show prospective buyers what your house has to offer. Keep your curtains open wide during viewings (or take them down if they’re heavy or dark), add extra lighting to dimmer places in your home, repaint rooms with light, airy colours, and prune any trees or shrubs that may be casting shadows on the house.
No matter how large or small your home is, the airier and brighter it is, the bigger it will look. Make the most of your space by ensuring all windows are sparkling clean to let in as much light as possible, replace any broken light bulbs and consider adding a wall mirror to make rooms look larger.
There are plenty of tricks that can help you to maximise your available space, so take full advantage of them to make great pictures – and show viewers how spacious your house is.
Why not update the interior design of a space or room if it’s outdated? For example, a refurbished kitchen looks a lot better without clunky cabinets or 70s furniture and outdated appliances. However, if remodelling is not be a feasible option, don’t worry! You can still redesign your house to impress without spending a lot of money.
Fixing up a home can be as simple as replacing worn cushion covers, repairing cracks in the walls, taking care of any dripping taps, giving the walls a fresh coat of paint, getting a new shower curtain, replacing any broken light bulbs, weeding your garden and planting new flowers, and fixing door hinges. Whatever you think might negatively catch people’s eye while they explore your home, see if you can implement a little DIY to improve it.
This one may not impact photos, but it’s still essential for potential viewings. Because you live in your house, you get used to scents that first-time visitors might not be so keen on. If you own a pet, you know what we mean… while you may be immune, others will instantly notice the smell of wet dog. So, make sure you air your home to get the scent out of carpets, curtains and upholstery. This is a key part of preparing your home for sale, so do it ahead of time. You may need to get a professional cleaner in if you can’t tackle it yourself.
The same goes for smoking. If you or your family smoke indoors, you may want to keep it to the balcony, garden or patio while viewings are underway. Stale smoke is certainly a scent that will turn people off your home.
Having a clean and tidy house is crucial, not just for pictures but for visitors as well, so pay attention to every detail. Dust your skirting boards and those light fixtures, vacuum everything, ensure your fridge is clean and devoid of bad smells, clean between the tiles to remove mould and grout, spruce up your garden and scrub the oven and the microwave; in essence, properly spring clean your home.
A lot of people viewing a home, especially second-time viewers, will also open drawers and cabinets to check out storage space, so make sure they’re organised and clean. Removing everything from drawers for a deep clean might seem like a lot of work, but it will pay off in the long run. The same goes for under-the-stairs spaces and any nooks and crannies you may have in the house – clean and organise until you’d have no problem with even the nosiest and most thorough of visitors.
Kangaroo Self Storage can help you to get your home ready for sale. We have plenty of storage units in Scotland just waiting for you, as well as boxes and packaging available for purchase to make your life easier. Let us know what we can do for you and our friendly staff will be more than happy to lend a helping hand.
