8 Secrets to Selling Your Home

1: Half-empty Cupboards & Wardrobes

All buyers are looking for storage and the more storage you have the better. If you take half the stuff out of your cupboards and wardrobes then neatly organize what’s left in there it would look like there is plenty of room for everything they need. Buyers will snoop, so be sure to keep all your cupboards and cabinets clean and tidy.

2: Light it up

Maximize the light in your home. Good light is one thing that every buyer says that they want in a home. So take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine. Do what you have to do make your house bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable.

3: Conceal the Pets

You might think a cuddly dog would warm the hearts of potential buyers, but you’d be wrong. Not everybody is a dog or cat lover. Buyers don’t want to walk in your home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell the cats litter box or have tufts of pet hair stuck to their clothes. It will give buyers the impression that your house is not clean and also the smell of dog could but potential buyers off. If you know there is a viewing planned, try and arrange for the pets to be out the house.

4: Don’t over-upgrade

Quick fixes before selling are always the best thing to do before marketing your property. Big makeovers and refurbishment jobs may not always pay off in the long run as you may not make the money back. Just be putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls or even changing dull colours to natural/bright colours to make the rooms appear bigger. Also maybe get some new curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones; replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout. All the little things pay off!

5: Take the home out of your house

One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff and try and put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes. Obviously you have to live in the house whilst selling it but the clearer and tidier it is, the better the house will look. Also arranging your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space is a great idea.

6: The kitchen comes first

A lot of the time you’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodelling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back. It may cost you a bit of money to replace worktops and replace kitchen cupboards but a buyer could knock off £5,000 – £10,000 if they know they are going to have to completely replace the kitchen when the move in. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware. Try and use a neutral-colour paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style.

7: Always be ready to show

Your house needs to be “show-ready” at all times – you never know when the next buyer is going to want the view your property. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will get your house sold.

8: The first impression is the only impression

No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly coloured flowers. Tidy up your drive or front garden and make it look beautiful before anyone even walks in the door.

Lawler & Co will provide you with ideas of what you can do to your property before coming on the market, we know the best things to do to help sell your home and can offer you free advice on the valuation.

Call now to arrange your free valuation!

Marple – 0161 914 7620

Hazel Grove – 0161 300 7144

First Time Buyer? Things to Consider…

Buying your first home can be a daunting experience, even with the advice and support of parents and friends, so here are some useful tips to consider before owning your own property.

Take mortgage advice…

Before looking at properties, obtain independent mortgage advice. A specialist mortgage advisor can look at the whole mortgage market and match your individual circumstances to the right mortgage products available, taking into account your income, credit history and deposit.

This simple step could save you thousands of pounds over the life of the mortgage and ensure that you are eligible for a mortgage in the form of an ‘agreement in principle’ – something which means that Estate Agents will take you more seriously when you start to view houses.

You will also be able to find out just how much money you can lend to buy a property, so you know what price houses you can start viewing.

Plan your finances…

Once the mortgage advisor has given you a borrowing limit, do not be tempted to take this to the maximum and never borrow more than you can comfortably afford to repay.

You must allow for all the other expenses of home ownership such as council tax and utility bills, home insurance and property maintenance. This is particularly important if you are leaving home for the first time and have never budgeted for these before.

Choose a property carefully…

Once you start your search, look for properties which are likely to re-sell easily such as in popular locations close to amenities. Look for standard types of construction and styles which have a universal appeal to first time buyers such as modern two bedroom terraced properties or semis.

Most first time buyers stay for an average of three years before moving on, so you want a property which can easily be re-sold in the future.

Research the location…

Before you make an offer on a property, visit the location on workdays, weekends and at different times of day to assess issues such as parking in the neighbourhood when people are at home, noisy neighbours or other potential anti-social problems such as littering or graffiti which may occur only occasionally, but not at the times you viewed the property.

Do some research on crime statistics for the area and the performance of local schools to gauge the suitability of the area if you are not too familiar with it.

To look at all the properties we currently have available please click on the ‘Sale’ bar at the top of the page.

If you have any questions or queries or would like to book a viewing please call:

Marple – 0161 914 7620

Hazel Grove – 0161 300 7144

 

It’s a great time to be in the garden – and it can help sell your home

Springtime is a great time to sell your property. Many factors are coming together to help you. The weather should be improving and this helps one often forgotten about aspect to selling your property; the garden.

A garden of any size can really fire the senses of viewers. As the weather is starting to get better there’s some obvious and not so obvious things you can do if you fancy doing some gardening in preparation of selling of your property.

Let’s start with the obvious and the “quick wins”. However, don’t be fooled. An overly manicured garden can also turn people off if they are the viewers who want to design or implement their own changes to a garden. It’s about striking a happy balance.

  • Mow the lawn
  • Remove any weeds
  • Trim any trees – not excessively.
  • Cut back eager plants, like ivy
  • If you can, put a small tree by the front door, in our experience can help the eye when people come to view. A bay tree, for example.
  • Can you move recycling bins out of view?
  • If you have a patio, the presence of table and chairs can help the impression of a loved exterior environment
  • If you have a shed, a tidy up here is not only good for the soul but means your garden items are not spilling into the garden space.
  • Clear up all children’s toys
  • Clear away any animal mess

If you fancy doing a little bit more to your garden – either front or back – these ideas can help:

  • Lavender plants often help the scent on visiting vendors and helps create a great impression.
  • Pots around the patio area add a splash of colour. Even if you live in a property without a garden, pots can make the difference
  • Consider some bedding plants in your borders
  • Like the pots, hanging baskets add colour. Look for plants that trail – lobelia, for example.
  • Trim the edges of your lawn to give your lawn a nice finish
  • On the subject of the lawn, you can give your green area a refresh with some lawn feed. Ask your local garden centre for advice on what’s best for your lawn.
  • If the garden has potential, we would advise against any personal features – archways, statues – let your viewers visualise your property in the years after they have bought it from you.

Happy Gardening!

Call now to arrange your free no obligation valuation.

0161 914 7620 – Marple

0161 300 7144 – Hazel Grove