Interiors expert and former estate agent Laura Rich from the online store Furniturebox gives ten quick and easy ways to prepare your house for the market and add £10,000 to the value
The most popular month to sell a home is September, research finds.
Two out of ten sellers (21%) choose September to put their home on the market, followed by March (20%), February (15%) and January (12%). The slowest month for new sales is December (just 2% list then).
Sell-tember is popular with both sellers and buyers who are keen to get moving after the long summer break.
Early autumn is a good time to showcase a property and garden when the weather is still mild and viewings are more enjoyable.
The autumn colours can make a home look better and estate agent pictures are often shot in summer sunshine in preparation for a September listing.
Buyers are often keen to pin down a deal before Christmas, so a quick sale is most possible at this time of year.
Interest rates falling – mortgage deals are at their best value for two years – make September 2024 a particularly strong time to sell.
Interiors expert and former estate agent Laura Rich from the online store Furniturebox gives ten quick and easy ways to prepare your house for the market and add £10,000 to the value.
1 Declutter – have a huge clear-out before engaging an estate agent. If you have bulky furniture that makes a room feel small, put it in storage. Buyers need to envisage what a house will look like when they are living there, so make it easy for them to enjoy all the space you are offering.
2 Get painting – cover up stains and chipped paint with a fresh coat – the front door especially. First impressions last.
3 Boost kerb appeal – surveys show that two-thirds buyers make up their mind on a property in the first two minutes of a viewing. Make sure the lawn is mowed and plants are well maintained. If you have garden tiles, deep clean them.
4 Spring clean and fix – the house should be immaculate for each viewing – exhausting when you are on your fiftieth but well worth the effort. Make sure all minor repairs are done – no peeling plaster or flaky paint and all lightbulbs are working.
5 Kitchen make-over – this is the most valuable room in your house and whether the buyer likes your kitchen is often the most important deal maker or breaker. Give it some love – clean the tiles and particularly the grout and consider a new colour scheme for units if they are a dated colour such as natural pine.
6 Accessorise – wall mirrors can make a room look bigger and lighter. Maybe add a new rug to make floors more appealing.
7 Pass the smell test – make sure there are no lingering odours before a viewing. Air your kitchen after cooking and, if you are a smoker, try to do it in the garden or street while the property is on the market.
8 Make it look pretty – add to the appeal with new cushions, potted plants and vases filled with fresh flowers. Good lighting including the additional of lamps makes all rooms bright and airy.
9 Leave it out – if you are selling in the autumn, chances are there may be leaves strewn all over the garden when the estate comes to do their pictures. Treat that lawn like a carpet – pick them all up and make sure the grass is immaculate for both the pictures and viewings.
10 Take the weather with you – check the forecast and make sure it is sunny when your home is pictured by the estate agent. It is amazing how sunlight can transform the appearance of a house. If your garden is big and well lit, do some night pictures to provide a new perspective.
