How Can I Get My House Ready For Sale?

How can I get my house ready for sale?
There are plenty of ways that you can make sure your house is ready for sale, including;
1. Deep clean
2. Repair any issues
3. Declutter
4. Neutralise colours
5. Keep it fresh.

Now the lockdown is easing, more homeowners are starting to look at selling their house. For some, it’s continuing the process that they started before the lockdown and had to pause, but for others, they’ve spent so much time in their house over the past four months that they’re ready for a change. Whatever the reason for your sale, Quick Sell Your House have outlined how you can get your house sale-ready.

“I need to sell my house fast!” – Get a cash offer for your house today!

Do I have to make changes to my house to get it ready to sell?

Depending on how you’re choosing to sell your house will make a big difference in how much work you might want to put into your house before selling. If you’re choosing to sell traditionally, on the open market through an estate agent, it’s recommended that you do make some changes to your house to entice viewers and avoid any issues when they come to see the house. The most common advice you’ll get is to redecorate to freshen the house up, but if you’re not selling through an estate agent, you might find you don’t need to do this. If you don’t want to redecorate and put money into the house before selling, you can use companies like Quick Sell Your House, that will buy a house in any condition. This means minimal effort on your part, with a quick and easy sale.

What if I don’t want to make changes?

If you’re not looking to sell on the open market, this probably won’t be too big of an issue. However, if you want to sell through an estate agent, you may find that your house gets overlooked if other properties are similar to yours that look to be in a better condition because it’s recently been decorated. This can lead to your house being sat on the market for longer, meaning you could end up having to reduce your price to achieve a sale. When thinking about selling your house, take some time to decide what you want to achieve. If you want a fast sale with little hassle, a quick-buying company could be the perfect solution for you. If you prefer to sell on the open market, however, you will probably need to consider making some changes to get your house ready for viewing.

What changes should I make to help achieve a sale?

There are several changes that are recommended to increase your chances of selling your house, and we’ve made a list of the most popular and successful ones for you to put into place before you put your house on the market.

1. Squeaky clean!

While this one might seem a bit obvious, some homeowners don’t think about it, and it could be the make or break of achieving a sale. Before you have your property photographed for your listing, take some time to clean the property top to bottom and make sure it looks its best. Bad listing photos will put buyers off, so taking some time to get the best photos possible will increase your chances of selling. If you don’t do this, your house will look worse compared to similar styled houses that have made sure to put in this effort and will mean that less potential buyers look at your property.

2. Repair any issues

Most houses have little issues that we put off fixing, but these problems will stick out when your potential buyers come to view. If you’ve been meaning to fix a broken door, or fill in a cracked wall, do this before putting your house on the market. Even superficial damage will tend to put buyers off, as they will start to question what other issues could be hiding in the house. Go round each room and make sure any problems are fixed, however small. It will reassure your viewers and encourage them to pursue your property.

‘Can Quick Sell Your House help me sell my house?’ – Learn how we can help you today!

3. Declutter

Similar to cleaning the house before you have your listing photos taken and you arrange viewings, do what you can to declutter too. Decluttering is a great way to make your house look more welcoming, and will also help to make rooms look bigger, which will entice any viewer. It’s also a great way to get you ready to move out; no one wants to move unnecessary items or things that they plan on throwing away once they start unpacking in a new house, so this gets you one step ahead. Focus on places like your kitchen, bathroom, and any tables – these are the places that tend to get cluttered more easily. If you’re not prepared to throw things away, putting them out of sight is just as good an option. Both will result in your house looking clean and spacious and give your viewers a better chance of imagining living in the house with their own belongings.

4. Neutralise

Redecorating an older house is recommended, especially if there’s lots of bright, somewhat garish wallpaper that could put viewers off. When you redecorate, it’s best to stick to neutral colours, as these will make the rooms look bigger and act as a blank canvas for your viewers. Some viewers will be able to look past it, but not all will, so if you have any very bright or very dark walls in colours that could clash with furniture, redecorating them is a good idea. Neutral colours very rarely clash with others, so it means that any colour scheme that your viewers might have should work well in your house.

5. Keep it fresh

When asking potential buyers what puts them off when viewing a house, one of the top answers was bad smells. This could be anything from stale air to a touch of damp, to pets in the house. This is a really easy issue to avoid. You can light candles before your viewings, have air fresheners in different rooms, or open windows to get good circulation. A popular estate agent trick is to put some vanilla essence in the oven on low for half an hour before your viewings. This will make the house smell almost like a bakery and is an incredibly homely and welcoming smell for your potential viewers when they enter your house for the first time. Keep in mind, even if you aren’t aware of any smell in your house this could just be because you’re used to your surroundings, but when someone new comes into the house, they will be hit with a variety of smells. Do what you can to make sure that those smells are fresh and enjoyable to help them feel comfortable at the viewing.

These tips will help you give your viewers the best possible experience when viewing your house, and raise the chance of them putting an offer in for your property. If you don’t want to make these changes or aren’t interested in selling on the open market, we’re here to help. Get in touch with Quick Sell Your House today, and see how you can sell your house in as little as 7 days!

How do I sell my house fast?

If you’re looking for a quick house sale, you’re in the right place. Quick Sell Your House can get you a free cash offer on your property and show you how you can have your house sold in as little as 7 days. If you want a quick house sale, get in touch with us today.

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Good to know

Frequently asked questions

No. Because we purchase directly, there are no estate agent fees involved when you sell to us.

No, our service is completely free for sellers. We cover all legal costs and there are no estate agent fees or commissions to pay.

No, there are no hidden ‘catches’ with our service. We buy any house, given that we agree on a fair purchase price in accordance with the market. Once we have your details, we’ll make an offer (in as little as 15 mins!), and you can accept or simply turn it down if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

You can expect no hidden fees also – our services are completely free to use!

You will receive a formal offer from us in as little as 15 minutes. After you tell us a bit about your property, our team will undertake a detailed analysis of the area, marketplace and the property itself to present you with an informed offer.

There’s no obligation either. If our offer doesn’t meet your expectations or requirements, then you can simply turn it down.

It depends on the selling method you choose:

With Quick Sell Your House: Once the Grant of Probate has been received, we can complete a sale in as little as 3 working days from the point contracts are exchanged. We can also work to a longer timeline if you need more time. There is no chain and no risk of the sale falling through.

Via a traditional estate agent: A sale through the open market typically takes an average of 6–9 months from listing to completion, and that is before probate is factored in, which typically takes 6–12 months in itself. 

Quick Sell Your House can begin the process while you wait for probate, so your sale can be ready to complete almost immediately once the Grant arrives.

This is a tricky question. As we’ve covered above, there are many stages to the selling process on the open market. Every sale is different, but it can take up to six months from listing to handing over the keys. By selling with Quick Sell Your House, you can cut this time down to a tiny fraction of that.

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