Is your house for sale? Then you are likely keen for viewings of the property to go well. If the interior looks all spick and span it might be baffling when potential buyers are put off. However, there’s one little thing that you should never do if you want to sell your house. It comes down to what is visible outside your house – but it is easily remedied.
The trick is to never leave your rubbish bins on view outside the house.
You should also avoid parking your car immediately in front of the property.
According to personal finance website Money To The Masses: “Tidy up the garden and move wheelie bins to a less visible location, if possible.
“Consider moving vehicles away from the front of your property when viewings are taking place as it will open up your property and give it more ‘kerb appeal.’”
Consumer site Which? advised walking around the property yourself and pretending you’re on a viewing to help you work out how to improve the exterior.
The same rule applies when it comes to taking photos of the property.
Which? recommends: “Before the photographer comes round, make sure that rooms are brightly lit and clutter free – remove bins, open curtains and make beds at the very least – as small touches make a big difference.”
It’s also worth asking friends and family for their honest opinion about photos or the property itself.
Having a general declutter of the property before a viewing can also help buyers envision themselves living there.
“A tidy room should never be underestimated, especially as dirty or cluttered rooms can be an immediate turn off for some buyers,” property website Propertymark said.
Cleaning each room thoroughly and getting rid of clutter, such as excess furniture and children’s toy can clear up the space.
When it comes to a garden, if you have one, it’s best not to just place lots of plants from the garden centre in random spots.
“It’ll just look incredibly artificial,” gardening expert Carol Klein said.
Instead, she recommended focusing on some particular sections of the outdoor space. “Maybe concentrate on spots, a few pieces of it, and containers are always a great idea because then you can go to tend things that are looking good right at that moment – because you’re usually putting your property on the market over a month or so, aren’t you?”
For those with restricted outdoor space, such as a small courtyard, “pots are your answer,” Carol advised.
“And, if you’ve got none of that and it’s all indoors, then still, I think it’s important to have a few pot plants about.”
“Even if you haven’t got a garden, if you’ve only got a balcony or a window box, there are going to be loads of ideas of things you could do,” she said.
House gurus at PropertyPriceAdvice.co.uk have explained a conservatory can add up to 10 per cent to a property’s value.
The average price of a detached property in the UK is £365,697. This means the addition of a conservatory could potentially add £36,569 to the property asking price