Hiring an estate agent to help sell your house is, perhaps, the first stage in getting your house onto the market. But when it comes to giving your house the very best chance of attracting the right price, it’s very much over to you. Your estate agent can do a lot to get your house noticed and get people along to view. When they arrive, it’s your job to make sure your house is presented in the best possible way. Here are our top tips to make your house attractive and inviting to prospective buyers.

Don’t encourage prospective buyers to just drive past

First impressions matter a great deal. You don’t want to put buyers off before they’ve even been inside your house. Don’t have rubbish strewn around your house. If you have a garden, make sure it’s tidy and, if weather conditions allow, cut any grass and do any necessary weeding. Also, if the kids have toys in the garden, pick them up and tidy them away.

For the house itself, make sure your windows are clean – inside and out. Check the guttering and clear any weeds growing or leaves that have gathered. If the window frames and doors need painted, it’s best to deal with this before any viewers turn up.

A clean and tidy house makes a great first impression on viewers.

Clutter, mess and untidiness

When you walk into a house that’s cluttered and untidy, what’s your first impression? A cluttered house always looks smaller than a neat and tidy house, even if they are exactly the same size! Before any viewings take place, make sure you tidy away any kitchen appliances that usually sit on the worktop and make sure all dishes are in cupboards.

Don’t leave your clothes lying around in the bedroom and make the beds. In the bathroom, put away shampoo and bodywash from the bath or shower area. It’s best to put them into bathroom cupboards wherever possible.

Finally, try to remove personal and family photos for the viewings. The aim is to have viewers see themselves living in your house. That can be difficult if your personal items are in place. If you can, store these away until the viewings are over – you’re going to have to pack them up anyway when you move!

Light up your house to show its best features

It is very important to light up your house effectively. Open any blinds up full if viewers are visiting during the day. If you let daylight into your house, it will give the impression of being larger than it actually is.

When viewers are visiting in the evening or if it’s a particularly dull day, make sure you put lights on, especially if there are any dark corners. You are looking to show your house at its best, so shine a light on it to impress!

Unfinished DIY jobs don’t impress

Some people are very good at DIY jobs, but most of us aren’t. If you are planning to bring your property to the market, please make sure to finish off any current DIY jobs. If there is anything that will put potential buyers off, it’s walking into a house with a half-finished DIY project they might have to take over. Get the job over the line and reap the benefit on your sale!

Open your house up to the fresh air

When you live in your own house, it’s very easy to become “nose-blind”. You don’t notice any smells, but someone walking through your front door certainly will. It’s not that these smells are “bad”. They’re simply the day-to-day smells of one sort or another that everyone has.

There may be pet smells from your furry best friends. Or there may be the residue of a recent cigarette or vape. Cooking smells can be particularly pungent, especially if the last meal you cooked was a curry!

You might think about installing air fresheners, but these tend to mask the smell. However, if you truly want to blow those smells away, open up as many windows as you can before any viewers appear. This will allow in the fresh air from outside and blow away any smells inside the house you don’t realise are there.

You might want to top it all off with some fresh flowers and even a pot of freshly brewed coffee!

Specialist Estate Agents in North Berwick and Dunbar, East Lothian

We are a firm of solicitors and estate agents and are able to provide an excellent service, helping you bring your house to the market for sale, all under the one roof. Our dedicated estate agency team will look after all your marketing needs, promote your house to potential buyers across all the main marketing channels across Scotland. Our aim is to show your house in the best possible light and encourage the highest possible price for your sale. If you would like to know more or just have a chat about bringing your house to market, just get in touch with us today.