Whether you’re a first-time buyer, in a property chain or free to move quickly, buying a property is daunting at the best of times.
And with the cost-of-living crisis and rising mortgage interest rates, potential buyers need a lot more persuasion to invest in a home these days.
While this may be positive for buyers, some sellers may delay putting their home on the market or see it taking a lot longer to get that all important sale.
Getting ready to sell a house is a project in itself (Alamy/PA)
“Adding value isn’t just about converting the loft or landscaping the garden. Simply paying attention to easily fixable issues can be the difference between buyers putting in an offer or not,” says homes expert for Amy Cutmore.
She continues: “Not everyone is looking for a project. In our current economic climate, most buyers are drawn to properties that are clean, tidy and aesthetically pleasing.”
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Here, Cutmore highlights the top five things to pay attention to before putting your house on the market…
1. Declutter your house
“Clutter… it’s everyone’s guilty secret. And it goes without saying that it is very distracting for viewers,” opines Cutmore.
“Buyers want to visualise the space with their own furniture and belongings in it. Clutter not only makes this difficult, but it can also make rooms look smaller than they actually are.”
Decluttering will make rooms seem larger (Alamy/PA)
She says crowded kitchen countertops and piles of clothes and toys can make viewings overwhelming and create the impression your home doesn’t have adequate storage space – pushing potential buyers to question what other problems might be lurking inside it.
2. Carry out those repairs
Poorly maintained features, such as old appliances, stained doors, or an untamed garden, can make a home feel outdated and unappealing, says