A Brief History
In 2019, when it comes to selling a property, we all aim for the same two things. The first is to have the house sold as quickly as possible – or at the least in perfect time with when we want to move. The second is, without a doubt, for it to sell as closest to the highest market value as possible. Unfortunately, both of these things can seem like a bit of a stab in the dark at times, as we are ultimately left at the mercy of how well the property market is doing at the time of sale. If it is booming, you could be lucky and sell up quickly for the maximum amount you have charged. If not, then you could be waiting a little while, and selling for cheaper; however, regardless of the market there are a few things you can do to add value onto the property you’re selling, and here are some insider tips on how.
Digging Deeper
Neutralise, Neutralise, Neutralise
Before you even think about searching for a quick sale house valuation, the first thing you should be doing is neutralising your property.
Have you ever heard of minimalism? Originally it began in Japan as a cultural phenomenon that preached the importance of living minimally, and often living by the rule one of “one in one out” – meaning you’ll never have more than you need. Most of us are secret hoarders by nature, so could do with taking a leaf out of the book of minimalist living.
Anyway, back to neutralising. Minimalism, although beginning as a way of life, has now become an interior design trend that does not seem to be going away anytime soon. It is all about optimising the space you have available to you, and not going OTT with outrageous design. If there is anything that adds value to a property, it is the lightness and airiness of it.
That being said, give your property a go by embracing neutrality and going minimalist. Get rid of some of your furniture, and try going for more neutral shades throughout your house. Light and neutral is the key. Going for colours such as stones and creams will give each room the immediate illusion of being larger. You do not have to have space, to sell space – remember that.
As well as optimising space, neutralising a property makes it more appealing because it gives buyers a blank canvas. The more neutral the décor, the easier it is for them to visualise how it would be with their own furnishings in it. Harsh as it might seem, they are not there to admire what you’ve done with the place – they’re there to view the potential of what they themselves could do. Make this as easy as possible for them, and you’ll sell up quickly.
Up Your Curb Appeal
People’s first impressions will be formed of your property before they even cross the premise, which will ultimately affect their first decision on how much your house is worth. Make sure this is positive by taking the time to up your curb appeal prior to viewings.
It doesn’t have to cost much, and it doesn’t have to take forever to do. It’s really as easy as making the outside of your house look presentable, and adding a few finishing touches along the way. So long as it looks great from a street view, you’ve done a good job.
That being said, trimming the lawn and painting the fence can be a great start. If your gutters are a bit grubby clean them out, and make sure any pathways are cleared. Finishing touches could be adding hanging baskets, flowerbeds, painting the front door or even just putting out a fun welcome mat. People notice the small details and it makes a difference.
Give Your Bathroom a Makeover
Finally, did you know that a lot of people, believe it or not, will notice the bathroom above other rooms? This is because it is more often than not the most neglected – so give it a makeover and impress your potential buyers. After all, it is the one room in the house we can guarantee everyone will use at some point.
Make sure your white goods are sparkling clean, and the air is fresh. Put out your best luxury towels, and a nice handwash and cream never goes amiss – think hotel bathroom. Lastly, a few house plants and candles can give a bathroom the spa-like effect that people so often desire, so go the extra mile and do this too! It will make the world of difference.
Question for students (and subscribers): Have you ever sold your home? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Brown, Ray and Eric Tyson. Selling Your House For Dummies. For Dummies, 2018.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by A McCarron of a house for sale, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. This image was taken from the Geograph project collection. See this photograph’s page on the Geograph website for the photographer’s contact details. The copyright on this image is owned by A McCarron and is licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.