Guide t selling
your home
Introduction
Selling your home can be an extremely stressful life event. From deciding on an estate agent to preparing your house for sale down to packing and moving it can all be overwhelming. However it doesn’t have to be. Deciding to sell is not a decision that you will not have made overnight. You will have looked at all your options and decided that this is the right move for you. So we’ve put this guide together to help make the whole process that much easier
The ideal scenario is for your house to sell fast and at your top asking price but this may not happen without you putting in the work to get your home buyer-ready. Take the time to prepare before putting it on the market. Look at the overall picture of your house, what work has to be done and what work could be done to increase buyers interest in the house.
One of the main reasons people look to move house is because they need more space than what their current living space can offer. Take advantage of this fact and make sure that you stage your house to show off its ample room. Don’t look like you have run out of space and this is why you are moving as this wont appeal to buyers who are looking for more space themselves.
This guide will give you some tips and ideas on what you need to do to prepare your house for sale. Unfortunately it cant do the work for you but it can help you get organised and ease your stress.
Best of Luck!
Declutter & Clean
A common reason people are looking to move house is due to lack of space in their current house. They have outgrown their current living conditions so the last thing they want to see when they come to view your house is a space that is cluttered and running out of room. It can be difficult to view your house impartially, when you look in each room you see the memories behind everything. Unfortunately this is not going to help you sell your house and get the best price possible for it. You need to constantly put yourself in the place of the buyer, what do they want to see.
Start going through your house and decide what you are going to take with you to your new house. Anything that doesn’t make the cut can be gotten rid of now. If you don’t want to see it in your new house chances are buyers are not going to want to see it either. You will be surprised how spacious your home can look once your start clearing out.
One thing to note when potential buyers are viewing your home they will open presses. Make sure everything is in order, have everything organised and not overflowing. Show the potential of the storage space.
Pack up anything of value
Pack up anything of value that could go missing or get broken in an open house. You don’t need the unnecessary stress of worrying about the valuables in your house when you trying to sell it to a potential buyer.
Remove anything you don’t want
If you have items that you don’t want to bring with you to your new home then it is time to get rid of them. Go through everything and donate or dump anything that you no longer want or put things in storage until you move to your new home.
Pare down everything on shelves
The idea is to show the usefulness of the space not the cluttered mess in your home. Make sure to find a balance as you don’t want it to look too empty either. Give buyers an idea of how their items will look there.
Clear out your wardrobes
Wardrobes look best when they are well organised and show the space inside. Don’t have it overflowing with your clothes. Only have one or two items on the top shelves, have the floor space clutter free. Show off the potential!
Pack up photographs and portraits
Your personal photos and portraits can be distracting to buyers. They will spend more time looking at the photos than they will looking at your home.
Overflowing toys
Confine toys to a child's bedroom, don’t have them scattered all over the house. Of course your child will need toys to play with while you are waiting to sell your house. The easiest way to keep them tidy is to give your child a storage container that they can fill with the toys that they want now and then the rest gets put away until you move to your new house.
Declutter the garage
Same rule applies when it comes to clearing out the garage as it does in the house. If you don’t want to bring something to your new home then its time to get rid of it or store rarely used items like gym equipment or furniture. Have only garage appropriate items in the garage. You want to show the garage off to its full potential just like your house.
Tidy out your kitchen and bathroom cabinets
Remove half of the items in your cabinets. The kitchen and bathrooms can make or break a sale. Make sure buyers can clearly see the space your home has to offer. Make it easy for them to visualize themselves in the house.
Find offsite storage
Find somewhere outside of your home to store all the items that you have packed up while you’re trying to sell your house. The last thing a potential buyer wants to see when they are viewing your house is a home full of boxes. It makes them think of all the work they have to do to move. You want them to have a clear open mind when looking at the house.
When it comes time to sell your home you may need to decide what changes will help sell your home quickly and increase the sale price and what changes are a waste of time and money.
When deciding on what work to do to your house you should look at the current market you are selling in. How quickly have similar properties been selling in your area. Are people getting the asking price for them? Is there a lot of interest at viewings? If so then minimal repairs should be enough for you to sell your house.
However if the market is slow then more work may need to be carried out to entice buyers. When there’s a lot of choice available to the buyer they can afford to be selective about what they’re looking for and what they are willing to pay.
Where possible you should research houses for sale in your area. Look at photos they have posted online or if possible attend open houses. Compare your house to theirs, are they offering more for the same price you are asking for? Is their house more up to date and in better condition? Take note of the areas that you should focus on improving in your own home.
Remember the point of looking at other homes is to get an idea of what is on offer and how you compare, it is not for you to turn your house into the same as everybody else's.
A way to decide on what changes you should make is by working out the cost of making repairs and updating your house. Then evaluate how much you would need to reduce the selling price of your house by if you don’t make the changes. If you sold it as a fixer upper, how long would it take to sell. Assess both options and decide which is the best for you to decide if it’s worth making the changes.
No matter what you decide a fresh coat of paint throughout the house can be a quick and easy way to make positive changes. A neutral pallet can help buyers see the full potential of the house. It can open up the space giving the illusion of more room and increase the attractiveness of your house
.
Cleaning before open house
It’s amazing how dirty a home can become just from living in it. While you probably clean your home regularly it’s not until you start to go through it with a fine tooth comb that the dirt and unnecessary clutter will become visible to you.Of course before anyone comes to your house you will do the standard clean of making sure rooms look tidy, that surfaces and floors are clean, that your house has a fresh and tidy feel to it.
But a quick clean is not enough when it comes to selling your house. You need to go through your house room by room and do a thorough clean. This may seem like a lot of time-consuming work and you can just do it before someone comes for a viewing or your house, but you shouldn’t wait. If you do a big clean now when people do start to view your house you will be ready and wont have to panic.
The better your house looks the better your chances are of receiving an offer quickly. When someone comes to view your house they’re looking for it to be in the best condition possible. They understand that someone lives there but they don’t want to see the wear and tear in every room they look at.
When you own a pet they become part of the family so it can be hard to see the downfall of them when it comes time to selling your home. You need to bear in mind that not everyone will share your love of animals and when it comes to selling your house the aim is to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. You don’t want to alienate someone the second they arrive at your house.
A side effect of owning a pet is the odour that comes along with them. You may have become desensitised to it but a potential buyer definitely won’t. As soon as they walk into your home they will be aware of the smell and knowing how difficult it is to get rid of it they may immediately rule your house out as a potential. You can avoid this by thoroughly washing floors and deep cleaning carpets and curtains to give your home a fresh smell. On the day of viewings try to minimise your pets impact on the house. Where possible arrange to have your pet looked after offsite by a friend or family member. This will avoid a potential buyer being distracted by your pet and you wont have to worry about them during the viewing. Tidy away pets food bowls, toys, beds etc. try to keep evidence of a pet to a minimum.
First impressions are incredibly important, especially when it comes to selling your house. Many people spend so much time preparing the inside of their house, they forget to clean the outside too. The idea behind creating kerb appeal is to give your house an inviting look that makes the potential buyer want to stop and see the inside of your house. Spending some time focusing on kerb appeal can really help you attract more buyers—and sell your house faster.
People make snap judgements everyday just from looking at something. This is no different when it comes to viewing a house. The first thing people see is the outside of a house so this is where they will make a snap decision on whether they like your home or not. If they do not get a positive feel from the start it’s going to be a struggle to change this opinion no matter how great the interior of your home is.
When preparing your home you need to think like the potential buyer. Ignore the emotional attachment you have to the house and objectively look at what needs to be done to improve the potential of your house. Look at both the positives and the negatives. Consider what you are looking for in your new home, would your current house appeal to you in its current state?
There is no need to spend a fortune updating the outside of your house. In most cases some simple tidying and repairing will greatly improve the exterior of your home.
Kerb appeal preparation
Clear away any clutter you have lying around outside. Tidy away toys and clear up any debris that has gathered around the house.
Look at doors, windows, footpaths and driveways. Make sure that they are clean. A freshly power washed driveway can make the world of difference to the outside of your house.
Weed the garden and sweep up any leaves lying around.
Look at the landscaping, could you benefit from some minor improvements. You would be surprised how easy it is to brighten the outside of your home with some fresh plants in the garden or flower pots. You don’t have to spend a fortune just some minor improvements can really make a difference.
Is there someplace for potential buyers to park? Have room in the driveway or a parking space ready that they can use. Remember you are trying to show how wonderful it would be to live in your house. Don’t have them stressed from trying to find parking before they even get to your house.
This can be one of your most valuable tools when it comes to selling your home. Think of how a buyer considers which homes to view. They usually start by searching property sites online. The only interaction they have with your house initially are the photos that you post. People flick though properties at such speed that there needs to be something about your photos that makes them want to view more.
You can have an amazing description of your home and fabulous photos inside but unless that cover shot stands out people will overlook it.
First thing you need to do is to stage your house and get it ready to be photographed. Remove clutter from each room, anything that will distract in a photo. The aim is to have rooms looking bright, airy and open. If needed remove any furniture that is adding nothing to the room. Small touches like setting the dining room table, fruit in the fruit bowl, a vase of flowers on the hall table can all add to the finished photo. They will bring life to the room and allow a potential buyer to envisage themselves living there.
One option is to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of your house. Their experience and knowledge will result in you getting great pictures to show off your house. They can help you with staging, offer advice on how a room should be dressed and help with the finishing touches. Many estate agents will arrange an experienced photographer for you as part of their fee.
If you decide to take the photos yourself it can be helpful to look at photos online of houses for sale. Get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. By reviewing these you can have a better knowledge of the angles you should try to take your photos from and what makes certain photos stand out from the rest.
When photographing your house look for the rooms best angles, take photos from a doorway or corner to try and include as much of the room as possible. An exterior shot taken at an angle can show the depth of the house. Look for an angle that does not include telephone poles, wires or anything that can obscure the house.
Try to have as much natural lighting as possible in your photos. In the interior open the curtains and turn on all the lights to make the room look bright and open. Avoid using the camera flash if possible as this can create shadows in the room . When you are photographing the exterior look for an overcast day to avoid dark shadows showing up on pictures.
One of the great things about a digital camera is you can take as many photos as you want. Experiment with different angles, move furniture around in rooms and see what works best. The more options of photos you have the better your chance of finding the perfect photos to use is.
When to sell
Trying to decide when is the best time to sell your home can be stressful. Your decision to sell your home is often based on your changing lifestyle, like a growing family, new job or downsizing. You may find that your need to sell your home does not coincide with the best property market conditions, but it is worth noting that if property prices are low you may not receive the asking price you were hoping for on your house. But in turn the price you expect to pay for your new home can be less.
Its not possible to predict when is the perfect time to sell your home if it was we would all be in the property market making money. You need to evaluate when is the best time to suit your needs.
When you speak with estate agents they often suggest some seasons being more popular that others to sell in.
Spring is often cited as the best time of year to sell. The weather is
improving and people’s homes are starting to look better with gardens coming into bloom. People have gotten through the distraction of Christmas and the summer holidays are still months away.
Summer - it has been suggested that during the summer people are not
looking to move. They are out enjoying the good weather, gone on holidays or busy with children or family life as much.
Autumn can be a good time to sell. The exterior of peoples homes are still
looking well and the weather can be ideal during this time. People have more time to move house and would hope to be in for Christmas. There are no big holidays in Autumn to distract them.
Winter - during the winter your home does not look its best and the kerb
appeal is low. You’re relying on potential buyers to visualise how it can look. Many people start getting prepared for the Christmas season so don’t want the added stress of moving house.
However the reality is when you look at any time of year you can come up with a list advantages and disadvantages of selling your home. If everyone followed the above suggestions of when to sell your home there would be an overcrowding of houses in the market during one particular season and not many would see the benefits. You need to assess your own situation, look at your needs and wants for buying and selling a house and pick a time to sell that suits your situation.
Checklist for Cleaning your home
Remove all clutter from rooms
Wash down tiles and re-whiten grout if necessary
Hoover and wash all floors (deep clean carpets and curtains if needed)
Wash all windows and window frames
Make sure all surfaces are clean and free from dust
Paint any room that is tired looking
Wash all kitchen appliances
Clean and remove pet litter boxes, toys and bedding
Checklist for Cleaning Property Exterior
Clear away any clutter or debris in the garden
Make sure lawn and flower beds are neat and tidy
Wash windows inside and out
Tidy away children's toys
Repair any gates, fences/ or lights
Paint any area that looks tired and dated e.g. front door, fence
Tidy out the garden shed
On the day of viewing make sure there is somewhere for the potential buyer to park
4-5 Burton Hall Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18 • (01) 2907800 Old Airport Road, Swords Road, Dublin 9 • (01) 8468900
Kylemore Road, Dublin 10 • (01) 6426100
Deansgrange Business Park, Deansgrange, Co Dublin • (01) 2190214
