Presenting your home in the best possible light really does make a difference when it comes to sealing the deal on a sale.

Positive first impressions are crucial for a good viewing experience.  It is widely believed that most purchasers decide within minutes, if not seconds, if this is the home for them.  The aim is to present your home as a calm space offering relaxed, stylish living; the sort of home a purchaser aspires to.

Selling a lifestyle: Many of our quickest sales are those that ‘sell a lifestyle’. Selling a property is so much more than just selling a house. Think of it as selling a dream. When a purchaser arrives at your home, you want them to feel they are opening the door not only to their dream home but to the lifestyle that will come with that home. Choice pieces of furniture, tasteful accessories, a full fruit bowl and fresh flowers, all help paint a picture of relaxed, homely luxury.

 

Where to start

The approach to your home, be it a sweeping drive or a garden path, needs to be immaculate. A clear driveway and fresh paintwork on the main entrance door all paint a picture of a home that has been well cared for and is in a good state of repair. Dead plants, weeds and peeling paint all suggest neglect. A garden can be tidied up and paintwork touched up for minimal cost and maximum gain.

Declutter: we cannot overemphasise the difference clean lines and clear worktops and surfaces make, creating an overall sense of space and calm. Throw away or sell unwanted items to free-up space. Move large items to storage or an outbuilding and put clutter away in cupboards.

Paintwork can be easily touched up, dirty marks washed off walls and chips in plasterwork filled. Neutral colours are preferable allowing potential purchasers to better envision living in the property and offering a ‘blank canvas’ to the new buyer.

Seasonal awareness: brightening soft furnishings in the spring and summer months and using warmer tones in the winter months helps create a calm ambience in keeping with the seasons. Changes can be as simple as updating cushions and throws. Ensure blinds and curtains are open to allow maximum light into the room.

Give your house a name: research shows that houses with names rather than numbers sell more easily. If your house has a number only, think of a pretty name; this makes the home instantly more special and unique.

The finishing touches: ‘Dress’ to impress: ‘dressing’ your home helps paint a picture of the sort of lifestyle a home can deliver. Tasteful soft furnishings create a homely feel. Mirrors are useful for reflecting light and making a small space feel bigger and room scent and candles create ambience.

Garden and Grounds: ensure lawns are mowed, borders weeded, and dead plants removed. You may wish to consider adding pots with flowers to a patio or placing topiary either side of a front door. Repair outbuildings and clean swimming pools and hot tubs.

Preparation for photography: as soon as you have instructed us we will agree a date for one of our talented photographers to attend your property.

Professional photographs are a game changer to the sale of a home.

Ensure you have been through our checklist before the photographer arrives and on the day remove cars from the drive and put bins and hosepipes etc out of sight; even if you have a large drive, cars look unsightly in photographs.

You may wish to remove children’s play equipment from the garden to give a greater sense of space and calm. It is also a good idea to dress living spaces, both inside and out; perhaps a bottle of wine and glasses on a dining table or seat pads and cushions on outside furniture.

All these things help create a sense of lifestyle