They say that moving home is one of the most traumatic experiences of an average person’s life. As we enter the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, I believe that sort of thinking may need to change. However, as someone who has moved several times, I know that it is still up there – at least in the top ten – as one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done. So, you’ll want to make sure that it is an experience that you don’t dawdle over. The ideal is a quick sale for as close to your asking price as possible, but to achieve this you may need to be more strategic than you might think.

Presale preparations are vitally important. It is entirely possible that you have a fabulous home that your ideal buyers find infinitely desirable and you keep it in show home conditions, but that would make you a rarity. Most of us own homes that are, well, lived in, and look it, so there are a few things you can do to help you achieve the best price as quickly as possible:

1. Declutter. You don’t need to look like you’re auditioning for Britain’s Biggest Hoarder to have a home that could do with decluttering before it’s put up for sale. The reality is that over the years we all collect bits and bobs, too much furniture, nick-nacks, ornaments and such like. However, although these are the things that make your home your own, it’s important to make your home look like it could be right for your prospective buyer, so consider storing some of your things to make your home look and feel a little more spacious and a little less uniquely ‘you’.
2. Redecorate. A lick of paint is one thing that almost anyone can do to make their home look and feel a little brighter, a little more ‘edgy’ or traditional (depending on what’s appropriate), fresher, cleaner and newer. Whether you buy a few cans of paint or find a professional for a reasonable price (if you’re looking for someone I can certainly recommend a good painter decorator), and whether you spruce up just your hallway or your entire home, redecorating is always a good starting point to making your home look more desirable and more worthy of the price your estate agents place on it.
3. Odd jobs. You know that leaky tap in the downstairs toilet or the guttering that seems to overflow every time it rains, the loose step out front or the weeds that have taken over what was once your patio? If you have a long list of odd jobs you’ve been putting off for years, now’s the time to tackle them. Any one of these ‘cheap to fix’ issues could put a buyer off, or give them reason to offer thousands lower than you’d hoped for. You want your home to look perfect and to give them no excuse to try to bargain you down.
4. Garden glory. Not every home has a view, but many do have gardens. We love our green spaces in the UK, but all too many gardens are left to return to nature and become overgrown and unruly. Once again this can seem like a big job to a buyer which could put them off, when getting the right gardener or landscaper in (once again, if you need someone I know a great company) could make your home more desirable, potentially even upping its value, and the desirability of your property to buyers.
5. Kerb appeal. You’ve probably heard estate agents talk about this. Kerb appeal is how your home makes someone feel before they enter. Poor rendering and pointing, untidy driveway and paths, scruffy front door or overgrown shrubbery could all make your home look unkempt, giving it a feel of a ‘project’, rather than a seriously desirable property to buy. Give your home as much kerb appeal as you can by asking a handyman to tidy things up for you out front.
6. Windows on their world. You’ve decluttered and redecorated, you’ve made sure that your home looks great from front and back, but all this can be for nothing if your home doesn’t have the right ‘feeling’. Dirty, bird poo streaked, dusty, stained or pollution dulled windows can make a lovely home seem dreary, a light home seem dim and a clean home way too lived in. Getting the right professional window cleaners in to make your glazing sparkle will show off all those other things you’re doing to make your home more saleable, because the number one thing buyers look for (after a large kitchen-diner) is a light, bright home.

For all your window cleaning needs, whether you have a house or a flat on the twenty-third floor, call London Window Cleaners 020 3954 2900. 

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