2021 was a year where we all saw house prices in the UK rise. According to the ONS House Price Index, prices increased by nearly 11% year on year. The market witnessed low interest rates, which were due to people changing jobs throughout the pandemic in addition to the stamp duty holiday. Ross Counsell, a charted surveyor and director of GoodMove, stated that he “strongly believes that house prices will finally begin to fall this year.” This would be amazing news for first time buyers and people who are wanting to upsize. But the looming worries of rising house prices raises a plethora of questions. Now life is slowly getting back to normal, will the property market mirror the changes? Here at We Buy Any House, we have compiled our top things for you to consider to avoid losing money on your property during a sale.
Think About Decluttering:
When potential buyers are looking around your home, they do not want to see your belongings scattered around the house in random places. They need to walk into your property and immediately vision where they would put their belongings, and if the house is in neat order, this will be easier for them to do. This then also gives a bigger feel to the property and feels more spacious, decluttering increases the size of your home in the potential buyer’s mind.
A tip for decluttering, place your belongings into 3 different piles. First, the items you want to keep, don’t hang on to unwanted items. Secondly, the possessions you want to throw away. Finally, the things you want to sell as a quicker way of removing unwanted items from your home.
Now this can sound daunting for a lot of people, but start by doing little stints throughout the day, no longer than 10 minutes to gradually clear the room. Just make sure to give yourself enough time before the viewing. Envision your home as a potential buyer yourself, make it look like the way you would want to walk into a home you are potentially buying.
Give Your Home a Deep Clean:
After you have decluttered your home, give it a good old deep clean from top to bottom. Make sure the space is free of any dust or debris on the floor or in high areas- as it’s surprising how much a dusty property can put someone off. The worst places for excess dust to gather are extractor fans and oven hoods, make sure these places aren’t missed when doing a deep clean.
If it’s too much for you to handle, or you don’t have enough time- hire a professional! There are people that are deep cleaning experts, who will ensure your home is sparkling clean- which is especially important for when the photographer comes round to take pictures of your home.
Need repairs? Get it done:
Once you have decluttered and deep cleaned, it’s time to look at making any repairs to your property if needed. This is a top tip that many people overlook when looking to sell, especially if they need it selling quickly. This can be a deal breaker- especially if someone is looking to put an offer in for your property straight away. Avoid this from happening as you don’t know how long it will take until someone else is willing to buy your property.
Another good tip, give your home a fresh coat of paint. Many people looking to buy a new home want it to be neutral, so they can come in and instantly put their stamp on it. Try to stick with your greys, whites, creams to stick within the majority.
Curb appeal matters:
Another major factor when people are looking to buy a home is curb appeal. People want their home to look presentable. They want to come home after a hard day at work and be happy that they are walking into a beautiful house that they call home. This is also the first impression for potential buyers when they turn up to view. It is essential that the home looks warm and welcoming, making sure the garden is nicely presented can be a great selling point to, clean cut grass, no weeds in the pavement are all selling points, no matter how small.
The windows need to look nice and fresh, you can’t be having them look old and worn as this is not appealing, and we are talking about curb appeal. Even just a simple paint job can bring them back to life, you can even use this on the door as well and make sure to give the handle a quick shine, it’s the little details that count.
After you feel you have increased the curb appeal of your property, have a friend or family member over to view your home as a potential buyer, ask them how you could improve the property.
This article was written by a quick house sale company We Buy Any House. If you’re wondering “how can I sell house fast?”, head to the We Buy Any House website for more information relating to all property related enquiries.
