With the current state of the economy, the housing market is very much a buyer s market. Sellers are having plenty of trouble selling their houses and properties can quite often be on the market for months. If you are looking to sell your house you need to make every effort to ensure that your house stands out from the rest so what steps can you take to give yourself that competitive advantage? Here are some simple steps to take when preparing your house to ensure that it is sold as quickly as possible.
You should begin by having your home appraised and valued. An estate agent can often help you with this, but remember that you want to find out what you can realistically expect to sell your house for at the time you are looking to sell. Bear in mind potential fluctuations in the market and prepare yourself for the unlikely possibility that the valuation may be less than what you originally paid. There is no point in simply throwing your house onto the market at an inflated price just to test the water and see if it will sell as any interested buyers may not give your house a second look if they see the optimistic asking price.
Now it is time to look after the aesthetic aspect of your house. Clear out any unwanted or unnecessary clutter from your home and make sure that it appears neutral. It is important that potential buyers are able to picture themselves in your house. Most people will want a home that they will be able to move into straight away as homes that are ideal for the DIY enthusiast are less appealing. Clear away any distracting ornaments and ensure that any bright or garish walls are painted in a nice neutral colour such as white or beige. If any of your walls are painted red, blue, green, pink or yellow then you should consider a fresh coat of an alternative colour. You may also wish to consider taking down any extensively patterned wallpaper.
Once your home has been put up for sale it is important that you are prepared for a prospective buyer to take a tour of your home at very short notice. Make sure that your house is kept clean and pay particular attention to any bathrooms and kitchens, making sure that they are immaculate at all times. Bathrooms shouldn t have toothbrushes, hairbrushes or curling irons lying around and kitchen tops should be free of unnecessary utensils and cutlery.
A very good idea is to arrange a home staging . You can either do this yourself or get a professional home stager to do it for you. Arrange your furniture in a regular, flowing patter where people will be able to see themselves spending time. The function of each room should be clearly defined and uncomplicated (i.e lounge, dining room, etc).
So after reading these handy hints, you will be in a much better position to get your home into great shape and ready for selling!
Author Resource:
Dave Matthews is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour (http://www.shepherdgilmour.com ), a leading Manchester Estate Agents.
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