Improve the kerb appeal.

So let’s start with kerb appeal! Nine times out of 10, the first thing people will see when they view a property (either in a photo or in person) is the front garden and elevation.

It doesn’t matter whether you have a large detached house with a front big garden and sprawling driveway or a terraced house with little to no front garden. Good presentation can immediately attract a potential buyer, whilst badly presented property could mean that potential viewers won’t even call to book a viewing.

So, where to start? Well, the first rule is:

Avoid Bin Day!!

Seeing the neighbours bins lined up down the street on your photo isn’t a great start.

Here are a few more basics to consider:

• Ensure the entrance to your property is viewer welcoming
• The front door and windows should be cleaned (and re-painted if necessary)
• Paths and driveway cleared and swept
• Mow the lawn & trim shrubs and bushes
• Gutters cleared
• Fences painted or wall repaired if necessary
• If your front elevation has a painted finish, give it a fresh coat
• It is nice to have flowers planted, if not in beds, scatter a few pots around for colour

And here are some examples of ‘how to’ and ‘how not to’ do it:

Create Garden Envy

OK, so you don’t need to have a garden designed by a landscape gardener (although, obviously that would be great), you just need to think about how to best present it.

Since the first lockdown, outside space has proven to be more important to buyers and can be a deal breaker. Therefore, no matter how big or small your outside space is, show it at its best and create an environment that buyers can envisage themselves relaxing after a hard day of work.

Here are the basics:

• Mow the lawn and define the edges
• Trims bushes & hedges and prune trees
• Plant colourful borders or add potted plants
• Paint or fix any fences
• Define sunny areas with seating (even set a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine out)
• Add solar lights
• For balconies, add colourful planted pots, a little bistro table and chairs and paint the railings if necessary

And a couple more examples of ‘how to’ and ‘how not to’

Thank you for reading, we hope these tips are useful and remember, we are here to help in any way we can with the sale of your property. We also welcome suggestions for future written and video blogs.

1 – Tackle the little jobs. Every house has those little jobs that have been nagging at you for a while. If the paintwork needs freshening, get it done, maybe the bath needs resealing and the grout freshening up, perhaps the carpet in the hall and stairs is looking a little worn, whatever it is, now is the time to get those jobs done. Take a walk through the house and make a list of things that need doing and be your own worst critic.

It is better to spend a few weeks preparing your property to get the marketing right from the start. In isolation, one little job may be unnoticed by viewers but a number of unfinished jobs could add up to the viewers thinking that the property is unloved, it may lead them to question what else needs doing and could put them off making an offer.

2 – Improve the kerb appeal. Nine times out of 10, the first thing people will see when they view a property (either in a photo or in person) is the front garden and elevation. It doesn’t matter whether you have a large, detached house with front big garden or a terraced house with little to no front garden, the presentation (or lack of) can either attract or repel a potential viewer.

Ensure the entrance to your property is viewer welcoming. The front door and windows should be cleaned (and re-painted if necessary), pathways cleared and swept, lawn mown, shrubs trimmed, gutters cleared and fences painted.  If your front elevation has a painted finish, give it a fresh coat. It is nice to have flowers planted but if the time of year is against you, just buy a couple of colourful planters to put near the door entrance.

3 – Create garden envy. OK, you don’t need to have a garden created by Capability Brown, but during lockdown outside space has proven to be more important to everyone, therefore no matter how big or small your outside space, show it at its best.

This can be as simple as investing in a folding bistro style table and 2 chairs, a couple of hanging solar lights and a few pre-planted pots (remember to water and care for them though). Again, the outside space needs to be cared for with lawns cut, hedges trimmed, pathways clear and fencing/outside buildings to be repaired if necessary.

The image above is a great example of how to make the most of even the smallest garden. This may be a small space but you can clearly see how setting a breakfast table in the sunshine, having a clean patio and nice planting can create a welcoming garden. We would love to relax in this garden with a glass of wine on a summers evening.

4 – De-clutter, clean and tidy. Prior to marketing is a good time to start removing items that won’t make the move with you, get rid of unwanted items and present your property as a clutter-free environment.

Go for a full spring clean and ensure the property is spotless throughout. We know from experience that this is not going to be a pleasant or easy job in a teenager’s room, but hey, thanks to Covid, at least you have a face mask to hand.

Let the property have a good airing out and then strategically place a few air freshers around the house, you may even consider fresh cut flowers for viewings for a beautiful, natural scent.

If you figure out how to clean your house and be as happy as these people, please let us know.

5 – Stage for photography. Take your time staging your property for the photographs (and for each viewing), we cannot stress this enough. There shouldn’t be any dirty cups or overflowing washing baskets anywhere in sight. We suggest a walk through your property with a critical eye, looking for anything which shouldn’t be there.

Our top tips include:

• Ensure kitchen worksurfaces (and the sink) are clean and clear.
• Also, a photo of a lovely kitchen can be ruined by a washing machine full of washing.
• If you have a real fire or stove, light it and make the room feel cosy and welcoming.
• Plump up your sofa cushions.
• Set the dining table with placemats, cutlery, crockery, wine glasses and a table centre piece.
• Make all the beds in the house.
• Remove excessive bottles of cleaner, bleach, shampoo etc. from the bathroom and put the toilet seat down, no one wants to look straight down the toilet in the photo.

Remember a house that is loved and cared for will find a new owner quicker…………

Our video content is designed to really sell the viewer the dream of living in your property, the more time you take doing these steps, the better it will be. Not only will it create an environment that potential buyers will want live in, it can also add value.

We hope this guide is helpful but if you have any queries on getting your property ready for sale, you can call us on 01472 514060 or email us at sales@meteorhomes.co.uk and we will arrange a time to give you personalised advice.