How To Make Your Home Appealing To Buyers

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Tuesday, 15th March, 2022

Preparing your house for sale is an important part of the process. Not only will it make it more appealing to buyers, but it can add value to your property.

There are a few things to remember before you get started on improving your property. Our useful tips will help you impress potential buyers from the moment they set eyes on your home.

Top tips on how to make your home more appealing to buyers

First impressions matter, especially when it comes to prospective buyers. And there are many light touch improvements you can make to your home to ensure the first impression is a good one. We’ve noted some top tips that are easy to implement and make your property far more sellable.

Declutter

Potential buyers want to visualise themselves living in your house. This is difficult to do in a house filled to excess with your belongings.

By clearing out the clutter in your house, not only do you provide buyers with a blank canvas to picture as their own, you’ll also make the rooms appear bigger. But don’t go too overboard. It is important to leave a little personality behind, as not every buyer is as imaginative as you may be.

A fresh lick of paint

Try painting your walls with neutral colours to make your home appear bigger and brighter.

Potential buyers will be able to imagine how they can put their own stamp on the property and start with a blank canvas. They will also find it easier to move in without having to paint over walls painted in bright colours that are specific to your taste.

Make it look light

As well as painting in neutral colours, adding mirrors can make a room look bigger and capture more light. Hallways and smaller rooms will benefit from this greatly.

Clean the windows on both sides and replace broken light bulbs to maximise the feelings of brightness and airiness.

Minor fixes

Minor repairs can go a long way, as potential buyers can be put off by a large number of projects, no matter how small. Any holes in the walls, cracked tiles, or broken cabinets are easy fixes which don’t cost much, and go a long way.

Clean

It may be an obvious one, but it’s surprising how many people don’t think to clean a property before hosting a viewing or taking marketing photos. Hoovering, bleaching, waxing (and grouting if you are feeling adventurous) all go a long way!

Tidy the garden

Make it look as low maintenance as possible and start by cutting bushes back and cleaning patio furniture. This will let potential buyers feel like you have taken care of the rest of the property. They will be able to visualise themselves enjoying the garden space.

Sort the exterior

Ever heard of curb appeal? Most buyers will make up their minds within seconds of viewing a property, and it all starts with the exterior.

Take a look at your property from the front entrance and see what you notice. Fix any broken fences, paint the garage door, and tidy the front garden, sweep the front path and pick up any litter you might see nearby. These are simple tips, but important ones.

Update your kitchen

Many people believe the kitchen is the most important room in the house. A modern kitchen goes a long way towards adding value to your home.

If installing new cabinets is out of the question financially, consider refacing the existing cabinets. Although upgrading countertops is pricey, it can add a lot of value to a property, and make it more appealing.

Be sure to declutter as you would any other room, putting any bulky appliances into storage for viewings and photos.

Get rid of bad odours

They say the smell of freshly baked bread can help sell a house. On the other end of the scale, nothing can put a buyer off your property quicker than a bad smell. Pet odour, stale smoke, greasy cooking – these are all smells to be avoided. Open windows and air out musty rooms before hosting a viewing.

How can I add value to my house?

Every seller wants to get as much money as possible when selling their house, and there are many ways to achieve this.

For example, some studies have found that doing something as small as adding decking to your outside space can add up to 2% value and encourage potential buyers to picture themselves enjoying the summer days in their new home.

Making the home more energy efficient will also add value. Installing double glazing will not only reduce energy bills, but can also bring a good return on a reasonable investment.

Other ways of adding value include:

Adding bedrooms
Converting the loft
Breaking down walls to extend bedrooms
Installing solar panels
Upgrading the kitchen and bathroom

You should consider all of these to make your home more appealing to buyers.

Of course, some of these alterations take time, effort and money. If you would rather not go through the hassle, there is a simpler option. Sell your property to a cash house buyer like WeBuyAnyHome. We buy any house, no matter what condition it is in – and this will save you the time and stress of ‘doing up’ your house.

Is it worth decorating a house before selling?

The answer to this question depends, because spending money on unnecessary upgrades can feel like a waste, but adding value can see your property sale go through faster.

Some decorations are easy to ignore because they don’t seem to add a lot of value to your property, but leaving the house looking a little tired can give a potential buyer more room to negotiate the price down.

In some cases, painting and decluttering alone can add an extra 5% of value to your home.

Remember that first impressions count for a lot when it comes to selling a house. So unless your property is in good shape, replacing tired furniture, and re-carpeting can help make a property more desirable.