While you can sell your property at any time of the year, there’s something special about spring. It’s the season of new starts, the days are getting warmer and longer and people are hoping – quite reasonably – that they’ll be in their new home before the summer ends.
You can make this ideal season even better by using some of our staging tips. A survey by the Home Staging Association UK found that 94% of the estate agents it asked said that staging leads to more viewings, with all of them thinking that it helped buyers to imagine the place as their own home.
Furthermore, 75% of the respondents said that viewers spent longer looking around a staged property and almost 90% said that staged properties sell up to three times faster.
Here’s how you can set the stage (ahem) for a great spring sale
Increase your kerb appeal
That vital first impression starts on the pavement. Lots of potential buyers drive past a house before they arrange a viewing so you need to make sure your front lawn, garden path and fence look their best. You should also clean your windows, repaint your front door, hang up some flower baskets and tidy up the garden as it’s probably still suffering from the effects of winter.
Spruce up your hallway
Once you’ve taken care of the exterior, it’s time to think about what’s inside – or just inside – by tidying up the hall. Your hallway gets the brunt of domestic life, with kids, dogs and you piling in day after day, throwing coats and bags about and sometimes forgetting to take off shoes.
Too many of us rush through the hallway without thinking about its potential as an inviting space and the opportunity for building on that great first impression.
Clear away any out-of-season coats and shoes, as well as any other clutter that’s built up over the winter months, so that your hallway is streamlined and welcoming.
It’s called spring cleaning for a reason
We tend to hibernate in the winter and once the days are lighter and brighter we can see all the grime and grubbiness left behind by rain, snow and general winter demotivation.
Make sure your place sparkles, including any wooden floors and any shiny surfaces. Book a professional carpet cleaning service and, if some carpet areas are beyond redemption, replace them altogether. This might feel painful at the time, but it’ll pay off in the long run.
Let the sunshine in
A big turn off for buyers is a dark property, so bring as much light to the place as you can.
Winter can leave your windows covered with dirt and even salt if you’re near a road and this layer can cut out quite a bit of light, so get them cleaned.
Open your curtains as much as possible and invest in a lamp or two for stubbornly dark corners. If you’re having evening viewings then it might be getting dark, so forget about the electricity bill for half and hour and light the place right up.
Dial up the heat
We’re all looking forwards to turning off the heating, but if you’ve got viewings, then hold that thought. No one likes walking into to a cold house, especially if you’re looking to buy it, so don’t be shy with the thermostat when you’ve got viewings.
