So, you’ve decided to take the leap and list your home for sale. Whether you’re offloading a part of your property portfolio, or making your first home move, Centrick has a few tips to prepare your property for a successful sale and take the stress out of what can be one of the most significant financial moves of your life. From taking perfect pictures, to ensuring successful viewings, here are Centrick’s tips for preparing your property for sale:

The Photos

Once you have agreed to sell your home with your chosen agent and they have provided you with an initial valuation, they will arrange for photographs and floorplans to be completed. These will form the backbone of your property listing, and are far more important than you’d think! According to a 2017 study by the American National Association of Realtors, listings with just one photo spent 70 days on the market, whereas adverts with 20 images were snapped up within 32 days – more than twice as fast! Twenty photos may sound like an excessive amount, especially for smaller homes, which is why Centrick advise taking photos of each room from multiple angles, as well as taking images of specific features such as ornate fireplaces, original tiles, or views from your property’s windows.

Photographs provide the initial impression of your home, especially the front aspect of your property which is traditionally used as the first image on any listing. Try your best to get your front image taken on a sunny day or, alternatively, some agencies will offer editing options to adjust the lighting on your images. We also advise moving any vehicles out of your driveway, if you have one, to enhance this space and allow for a more comprehensive view of your front aspect, as well as tidying up any outdoor space on the front of your property to make it as appealing as possible.

Ultimately, your photos should help to justify the asking price of your property, which is why it’s important to pay attention to the presentation of your internal images. For indoor shots, you should be focused on creating space. The easiest way to do so is to tidy up any clutter and open up any curtains to let as much natural light flood in as possible. Light creates the illusion of space and, in property, more space means better value for money.

The Viewings

Presentation for viewings is much the same as for photos, although now you have the option to introduce extrasensory elements to make your home more presentable and comfortable to your potential purchaser. Part of this sensory impression is scent: if you have pets, your property may smell a little less fresh than it could, but you may have become nose-blind to it. Make sure to deep-clean your carpets before a viewing, and utilise reed-diffusers or air fresheners to reduce any unpleasant smells – candles are another viable option for odour elimination, but they may not be as potent and cannot stay alight during the viewings due to health and safety hazards.

This is also your opportunity to make your property feel like a space your viewers can live in: to encourage them to envision themselves in your space, try to remove your personal belongings such as photos and toiletries from plain sight. An additional tip is to demonstrate the utility of the space by making each and every square foot of the property seem purposeful: place an office desk in your spare room to make it the ideal work from home space; place lawn chairs on your balcony or in your garden to create the perfect space to unwind.

Quick Tips

In a pinch to fix your property before viewings, photographs or a valuation? Here are some of Centrick’s best quick fixes:

• Hoover, dust and clean up as much as possible! Your property doesn’t have to look utterly pristine, but it certainly helps if it doesn’t appear to be too ‘lived in’, as this may impact your viewer’s ability to imagine themselves in the space
• Tidy your garden with the aim of enhancing the amount of outdoor space you have. Post-pandemic property sales have greatly favoured those with access to outdoor space, so it’s vital that yours is looking tip-top – mow your lawns, trim your hedges, and position any garden furniture to make the most of the space you have
• Plump up your pillows to make your furnishings look plush, fresh and new
• Skirting boards looking a bit worse for wear? Starting to notice scratches on your kitchen cupboards? Give them a lick of paint – it will make your property feel more looked-after

Still wondering how to prepare your property for sale?

Centrick has an abundance of useful blogs to help you make the most informed decisions about your property – from the cost of amendments to your property to ensure the best first impression, to specific advice on enhancing your garden space and boosting curb appeal, we have a blog for every situation.

At Centrick, we’re passionate about making your property look as perfect as possible in preparation for a sale. We believe that each property has innate character that should be shown in the best possible light – for more tailored advice, check out our YouTube content here, or request a valuation of your property using the form below.