Blog>Questions>What work can I do to best present my house before I sell it?
Last updated: 22 April 2021
What work can I do to best present my house before I sell it?
I want to sell my house but I need to do some work on it first. I need advice please? I just don't know where to begin, there are some obvious things that need doing but I need help to present my house in the best way to sell it.
Question: I want to sell my house but I need to do some work on it first. I need advice please? I just don't know where to begin, there are some obvious things that need doing but I need help to present my house in the best way to sell it.
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Answer(s):
Charlie Cox, Official Flooring, Brighton
Hello, I work in a lot of properties that are trying to sell or have just been purchased and I find these few things make the biggest difference.
Fresh paint throughout the whole property, choosing a neutral colour is best
A professional clean throughout
replace flooring in bedrooms and living room. Again choose a neutral colour, so people can work with the colours. Not everyone wants to rip out the house and start again once they have just bought it, so knowing the bedrooms and living area are new and unused is a massive upside.
I hope this helps.
Alex Simmonds, Simm Electrical Services, Maidenhead
As an electrician, I would highly recommend having an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) certificate done on the property. This will help the potential buyer of the property know the house they are purchasing is in good electrical condition. The only issue you may have is that there may be a few things that need to be resolved to get a satisfactory result from the electrical report.
Sean Saunders, Sean Saunders Painting & Decorating, Sherborne
I get asked to do a lot of pre-sale decorating. Usually, I suggest decorating everything that looks tired. Getting rid of any cracks and loose paint makes a big difference. Decorating the hall, stairs, and landing can transform the look and give a great impression when a potential buyer enters the house. Updating a tired kitchen by painting the units makes a great visual difference. On the exterior, fresh paint if it’s looking tired, and get any obvious repairs done - there's nothing worse than leaky gutters. But you obviously have to weigh up the cost and whether it will be worth doing. I’m sure any decent estate agent will advise.
Paul Fearns, Roofing Services Edinburgh, Edinburgh
There could be many factors a good property won't sell as quickly as it should. Space is key and a fresh coat of paint in a light colour will help wonders as it can make rooms look bigger than they are. Also, I would say when you have a viewing de-clutter as much as you can to let the prospective buyer see what the property could look like in their style of furnishings etc.Try moving your living room around a bit so there is as much floor space visible as possible. I would do this in all the rooms of your home and if you have a garden make sure your grass is cut and you have it looking as tidy as you can, as we all know space is a premium in properties nowadays so try show as much floor space as you can and give your walls a coat of light paint to give the illusion of space and de-clutter as much as possible. Also if you have had any tradespeople do any work recently, mention this and always mention all the plus points, ie close schools, shops, train stations etc. Also, you could have a roofer come round and give your roof a written survey. If you have no issues with your roof then it's another good selling point. Apart from that, good luck to you.
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