This time of year is a good time to sell, buyers have less choice and are more focused on finding their new home before Christmas. While the sultry days of summer may be fading to a memory, Autumn is filled with activity as everybody gears up for for the festive season.
To make your property as appealing as possible to potential buyers there are a few Autumnal tips we can share with you, to make your house warm, cosy and inviting on viewings. Those first impressions really, really do count!
Dress up warm
Just like we dress ourselves differently for the onset of Autumn and Winter, so too should we afford that same effort in our homes.
Splashing out on a new pair of luxurious curtains for your living room and some cosy throws and plush new cushions can make that space feel really warm and inviting. Warm looking rugs in a living room or hallway can help too. If you have a fireplace have it cleaned and a fire made up ahead of a viewing. If your home is centrally heated put the heating on an hour before your viewing, invite them in and let them feel the warmth of your home and imagine themselves living there.
NOT SO FAST
Don’t start moving out before you have sold.
This may seem an obvious one but it is surprising how impatient some people become when it comes to wanting a move and a sale.
Selling a home which you have already begun to move out of will be a lot harder, people like to see a space lived in. YES, clear away unnecessary clutter but don’t be tempted to start storing furniture and soft furnishings ahead of a move.
Light IT UP
Little things like making sure the lights are all on when a viewing is about to take place can also make a big difference. While there’s no need to go overboard and have numerous candles furiously burning away, adding a table lamp to a dark corner, turning bathroom lights and extractors on and even the cooker hood light can help illuminate your property and show its potential on short winter days.
Show off storage
We mentioned earlier not to start moving out ahead of a move and we meant it, however prospective buyers will want to see inside your airing cupboard, the understairs cupboard, your utility area and your downstairs loo. Try to strip back the amount of coats on hooks, shoes on the floor and show storage space off in an ordered way. Everyone realises the importance of storage in a home and most people know that certain areas can become a bit of a storage nemesis.
Don’t forget THE GARDEN
Clearing leaves in Autumn may seem an obvious one but sweeping them away from your driveway, paths and outside the entrance to your property will give a good impression, PLUS, slippery leaves in autumn can be a hazard and you don’t really want them walked through your house before the next viewing. There’s a tendency to forget the garden once the grass no longer needs cutting but an effort to edge it, weed and cut back any dead herbaceous plants and even lightly forking border soil can make your garden look ship shape. Add splashes of colour with winter pansies in tubs, heather, cyclamen and other vibrant floral displays.
Pop the kettle on
Life shouldn’t be on hold on the day of a viewing, making a brew just before hand and not being afraid to pop a casserole in the slow cooker, or some bread in the oven will actually help make a house feel like a home. Some scented autumnal candles which you can smell without necessarily lighting can be a good idea to create that cosy winter home feel too.
If you are thinking about selling or just want an idea of the value of your home then give us a call at Osprey and we will happily chat to you about your property with no obligations.
Oakham: 01572 756675
Stamford: 01780 769269