When it comes to making a house sale, there are certainly things you can do to boost your home’s appeal to potential buyers. From baking a loaf of bread to displaying fresh flowers, there are countless methods that experts recommend to homeowners looking to sell their property quickly and cleanly. But let’s put this thing delicately; some of these tips and tricks are less effective than others. Did anyone ever actually buy a house because the kitchen smelt of muffins? We doubt it.
Perhaps your home has been on the market for a while but has had little interest in the way of viewers? On the flip side, maybe the viewers come in droves but you get little in the way of subsequent offers that match your asking price. Both situations can be disheartening, however, there is always something you can do to improve your chances of securing a sale.
With that in mind, here are 8 ways to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers, IDEAL for those looking to sell their home in the months ahead.
Boost Your Home’s Kerb Appeal
When it comes to viewing a house, first impressions really count. Simple things you can do to boost kerb appeal – a term which encapsulates that first impression a potential buyer makes via appraisal of a place’s exterior – include tidying up your front garden, placing window boxes on ground floor windowsills, and painting the front door.
Even small things such as buying a new doormat can help, though perhaps the best way to guarantee a positive impact on arrival is to invest in a new door altogether. Doing so, in the minds of prospective buyers, can be indicative of the fresh, clean place that lies within.
It’s just as important to exercise damage limitation as it is to spruce things up. Make sure that there is no litter lying around outside your property and move bins or other items that could prevent viewers from seeing your property in its best light to a place both out of sight and mind.
Take control of that first impression and make it count.
Do Small DIY Jobs That Will Improve Your Home’s Overall Appeal
From small painting jobs to fitting new door handles, there is a lot you can do yourself to quickly make your home appear a more attractive prospect to potential buyers. However, take care not to commit to large projects where you may not see a return on your investment. Instead, focus on the little things; a dripping tap that needs fixing, greasing up a squeaking cupboard door or addressing a painting which hasn’t been hanging quite right…all the little touches add up to a larger whole.
Cut Down On Clutter
An overly busy home has the potential to put off potential buyers as excessive clutter can present a metaphorical barrier to the viewer imagining their new life in a favourable light. Clutter also creates a physical barrier, as potential buyers may not be able to move around effortlessly and assess your place easily. When you combine the real and the imaginary, it creates a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to a quick, easy purchase in the buyer’s mind.
Moving large, bulky items that dominate rooms into temporary storage can really open up a room and create a sense of increased light and space which may be enough to seal the deal for potential buyers.
Depersonalise Your Home
Similarly, potential buyers will be unable to visualise themselves in your home if it is too personal and geared towards your specific tastes and lifestyle.
Tips for depersonalising your home include removing family photos and anything that is very personal to you and your interests, for example, memorabilia relating to your favourite football team. Should a viewer be an Arsenal fan and you’ve Spurs shirts hanging up, fireworks might fly. Best to keep things neutral, we think.
It may even be the case that your home’s colour scheme is putting off potential buyers, too. In this case, a few coats of neutral paint should be enough to create an attractive blank canvas that viewers can imagine themselves moving into and painting on.
Get The Photography Right
The majority of buyers will see your home online long before they ever set foot inside, so the listing photos carry an enormous amount of weight. Dark, blurry or wonky shots taken hastily on a phone do your property a real disservice & can mean otherwise interested buyers scroll straight past. It is well worth asking your estate agent whether professional photography is included, or arranging it yourself if not.
It also helps to see how your competition presents itself. Browsing houses for sale in your area will show you how the best listings photograph their rooms, gardens and standout features, giving you a clear standard to match or beat. Before any photographs are taken, treat the day as you would an actual viewing: declutter surfaces, open curtains, and tidy outdoor spaces. Photographing on a bright day and shooting each room from its corner to capture the full sense of space will give your listing the best possible chance of generating viewings.
Consider Staging Your Home
This tip is especially relevant if your property is currently empty. Employing the help of a professional staging company may initially seem somewhat extravagant – ridiculous, even – however, consider that staged homes typically sell much quicker than non-staged homes and have the potential to command a higher asking price. If real-life staging is too costly, you may also look at digital staging which can help to show your home in its best light.
Let The Light In
Bright, airy rooms feel bigger and more welcoming, so do everything you can to maximise natural light before a viewing. Pull back curtains, raise blinds fully and give the windows a proper clean inside and out, as grimy glass dulls a room more than people realise. Swap heavy drapes for lighter ones if your existing window dressings are blocking light, and position mirrors opposite windows to bounce daylight further into the space.
For viewings that fall later in the day or during darker months, layer your artificial lighting rather than relying on a single overhead bulb. A mix of lamps at different heights creates warmth and depth, while replacing any dim or mismatched bulbs with brighter, consistent ones stops rooms feeling gloomy. Trimming back any shrubbery or trees outside that cast shade over windows can make a surprising difference too.
Be Realistic About Your Asking Price
It can be difficult to hear, but an overambitious valuation is one of the most common reasons a property lingers on the market. If you feel your house is worth every penny of the asking price yet the interest simply is not there, it may be that you were given an unrealistic figure to begin with, something that happens more often than you might think when agents are competing for your instruction.
If your estate agent suggests reviewing the figure, it is worth listening rather than digging your heels in, particularly if the local market is slow. Researching what comparable homes in your area have actually sold for, rather than what they were listed at, gives you a grounded sense of where yours should sit. You can check sold prices through the official Land Registry data on gov.uk.
The Bottom Line
Selling a home is rarely as simple as sticking a board outside and waiting for offers, but none of the above asks for a fortune or a full renovation. Get the basics right, present your property honestly and at a sensible price, and you give yourself the best possible shot at a clean, timely sale. The rest, more often than not, takes care of itself.
