Top 3 Tips to Prepare Your Property for the Market

Whenever you intend to sell something, regardless of worth, you have to make it look its best. The item in question must be presented in the best possible light to attract buyers. The same goes for your home, should you decide to put it on the market.There are many ways to do this, but some are much more effective than others, especially if you’ve never sold a house before. Here are a few tips to help prepare your property for the market.

1. Get an Agent

Real estate agents, like car salespeople, take their share of flak from people outside their industry. They’ve got a reputation as greedy, unscrupulous people and that’s just not the case (at least, not for the majority). Not only are real estate agents an extremely effective way to move your property quickly, they’re typically bound by very strict laws that prohibit them from doing any of the things you may think they have a reputation for doing. Going through a real estate agent also allows you to draw on their experience in the market; they’ll be able to instruct you on how to better prepare your property for sale. If you’re having trouble finding a real estate agent in your area, or you aren’t sure where to look, then hit up sites like Local Agent Finder to see which agents are in your area and compare their rates.

2. Develop a Green Thumb

First impressions count for an awful lot. The first thing prospective buyers are going to see when they come to inspect your home is the front garden, so it’s vitally important that the garden be flourishing and the lawns well-maintained. You’ll need to be extremely vigilant with your gardening for the duration of the sales process because inspections will happen often and sometimes by surprise. Mow the lawns once a week on around half-height to keep it looking lush. Strike down weeds with great vengeance and furious anger (a bottle of pesticide could be helpful too). Keep trees and bushes pruned, especially any that are near entrances or exits to the house. Get yourself a high-pressure hose and clean off your paths and driveway. It’s a lot of work, but it’s work worth doing.

3. Show off Your Living Arrangements

Pruning should also be occurring inside the property. Give the house a full-blown spring clean and make sure everything is in perfect order. Paint over any scuff marks on the walls that won’t wash off and repair any damage to skirting boards or tiles. Remove any excess furniture too because that will open up lots of space and give the impression of roominess when potential buyers come to inspect. Keep detritus around the house to a minimum; no stray mugs or kitchenware lying about and no more stacks of books next to the bed. Get rid of it all. Even if you’re still living in the property, when preparing to sell it, you should be trying to keep every room in as pristine a condition as possible.

There are obviously many, many other facets of preparing a property for the market, but these are three that are often overlooked by first-timers. What are your dos and don’ts for taking a house to market? Sound off in the comments below!