Springtime is one of the optimum times to sell a house - flowers are blooming, warmer days are coming and lighter days and evenings mean more natural light to show off your property. So how can you make the most of the season to captivate and entice springtime buyers?
Clean and declutter
As with any potential house sale, a thorough clean and declutter is your starting point. You need to get every surface in your property gleaming and clear away the clutter to show it off at its best. This will also make it easier when you do move since you will have already thinned out your belongings.
If there are things that you really can’t get rid of, but which are taking up valuable space, then invest in additional storage to hide them away or store them elsewhere – such as at a friend’s house or in a paid-for storage unit.
Spring clean inside and out
Your thorough spring clean shouldn’t be restricted to the interior. Outside, clean everything from gutters to patios to make them sparkle and create added kerb appeal. Cut the grass, clear away weeds and let the springtime flowers bloom or, if it’s looking bare, then plant a few bedding plants or invest in a few potted plants that can move with you.
Check on maintenance jobs
While you are cleaning and tidying, you’ll likely uncover parts of the property that look a little tired. Take note of these as a checklist for the maintenance jobs to tackle next. It might be a lick of paint to freshen up a wall, or a wonky kitchen cupboard door that needs fixing.
Again, pay attention to what’s outside. Did the winter have any impact on your roof or guttering for example, such as loose tiles, that a buyer might spot or which could cause problems further down the line?
Staging for summer
Once these jobs are done you can begin on the fun part - the staging of your property. This is crucial since staged homes help properties sell quicker, spending on average half the time on the market than non-staged homes, according to the Home Staging Association. Think light, bright and clean.
Stage your property according to the type of buyers you are trying to attract. If it’s a family market then ensure the property is set to appeal to parents with children with child-friendly bedroom spaces and a dining area set up for everyone to catch up over dinner. If you have a spare room that could be the perfect home office then a simple table, chair and laptop could help appeal to those who want to work from home.
Potential buyers will be looking at your property and perhaps imagining themselves in for the summer so help them with that dream by staging your property, both inside and out, to make the most of the warmer weather and lighter days while still adding light and heating when miserable days demand.
Ensure any outdoor space fulfils that summer promise by perhaps adding some outdoor furniture or setting up a BBQ so that prospective buyers can imagine al fresco dining or sipping on a glass of wine as the sun sets.
A little elbow grease and a touch of imagination will go a long way to helping you tempt those springtime buyers, allowing you to also move sooner.
For more information on how we can assist you on your sales journey, please contact one of our branches in Essex, London or Hertfordshire today. We also offer a free and instant online valuation to give you an idea of how much your home could be worth on the current market.
