When buying a new home, you will remember that you first saw a picture or drove by, if you didn’t like the look of the outside, then you just kept driving. This is an important fact to remember when we now go to sell our own home.

The first impression of the house is the one that will mean stop and come in or forget it.

So we need to make that street or curb appeal inviting and welcoming.

Start by trimming, cut everything back so it nice and neat and tidy. Make sure you can get to the front door with out your hair being skewered by a tree.

Get rid of all the dirt on the outside of the house, it is amazing how much street grim builds up on your walls. Hose down the house, remove the dirt, cobwebs and anything else lurking under the eaves.

Sparkly clear windows, inside and out, with no damaged glass are a must have, they make you house feel larger and accentuate your views.

Make your entrance inviting, surround it with good looking well cared for plants, perhaps some flowers in a pot, they always look cheerful and provide color. Remove anything dead and give the entry a good sweep and hose down. Paint or stain the steps, replacing any broken tiles. Spray for mould or slippery greenery that may be living there, you don’t want them to injure themselves on the way in!.

Make the entry neat and tidy, it provides a good first impression.

There are simple things that we forget, that is that perspective buyers look everywhere, even in the dishwasher, so make sure you have at least washed the dishes, no nasty smells left for them to find.

This does take time but it has a double barrelled effect, clean out all cupboards and wardrobes, this makes the spaces look larger and gives the appearance that the spaces are large and adequate. This also saves time when it comes to moving out.

Run around the house with a duster and remove cobwebs, look for mould on the walls and children’s drawings! Get rid of any victims. You want to make sure that you house looks well cared for and not neglected.

Let as much natural light into the home as possible, open up blinds and curtains, go easy on the window opening, especially if it is windy!

Some simple things which can often be overlooked, make all the beds, yes even the children’s! Put all the dirty washing in the laundry or better still wash, dry and put away! You want to make sure there is nothing to turn off a potential buyer.

One important area is the kitchen, simple stuff here, keep it clean and tidy. Decorate by adding a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of fragrant flowers to create a pleasant aroma. There are two minds about the fresh coffee brewing, it can be an unpleasnat smell for some so if in doubt, keep the smells simple.

Architectaria - Architect and Planners

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