First impressions are vital!

In today’s market, selling your home for the best price in the least amount of time requires making an excellent first impression on your potential buyers, and this requires a little planning. You have only one chance to create the first impression! The objective is to sell your home as quickly as possible at for the best price. Buyers form an opinion of your home within seconds of seeing it for the first time. If they like what they see on the outside, they will be keen to see what is inside. You need to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer and recognise that the little touches that make house a home for you are not necessarily going to appeal to anyone else.

Although every house is different, there are certain principles which apply to any home.

A well presented home will seem spacious and uncluttered. Buyers want spacious rooms, as well as cupboards, wardrobes, and garages. You can accomplish this and simplify your move in the process. Many people only think of discarding the items they no longer need when they come to pack up to move. Why do it when you put your home on the market? Even pantries and cabinets that are cluttered and jammed full of stuff are sending a message that the kitchen does not have enough storage. By organizing shelves and leaving some empty space, you are changing that first impression. It may be worth putting some of the items you intend to keep into storage for a while – ornaments, books, clothes you won’t need until next summer all take up space.

Furniture arrangement is very important. A room overcrowded with furniture looks smaller. With proper furniture placement, even a small room can be made to appear spacious. Consider traffic flow and that the buyers are trying to picture their furniture and accessories in your rooms.

Highlight the best features such as a fireplace, beautiful view, or spacious kitchen. With proper lighting and colour, dark rooms can be made to appear brighter. Neutral and earth colours will make your home appeal to the greatest number of people.

Pay attention to the outside. This is the first sight a prospective buyer will have of your home, and the impression they get will remain with them. Take a good hard look at the front of your property. Do you see a green lawn that has been cut and edged, bushes trimmed, flowers blooming, gutters clean, and paint in good condition? Or do you see an oil-stained drive with cracked paving slabs and weeds poking through?

The ideal time to prepare a home is before it is placed on the market. However, if it has been on the market for several months and is competitively priced, take a good, objective look at it  before you reduce the price. There are usually small, cost effective changes that you can do or have done, and it could save you lots of money.