How To Make Your Home Attractive To Buyers

*This is a collaborative post on how to make your home attractive to buyers

The housing market is continuously up and down, but despite this there are houses that sell fast and those that don’t. And if you’re looking to sell yours, you may be wondering what the trick is. But here’s the thing, there’s no magic wand at all. It’s just a case of getting the basics right and giving buyers what they always need. With that in mind, here’s how to make your home attractive to buyers.

Get the exterior in good order to make your home attractive to buyers

Let’s start with the exterior, as that’s what buyers see first. This is perhaps the most important thing to get right, as buyers often make their mind up about a property before they’ve even stepped inside. Basically, they’re judging a book by its cover.

So, you need to carry out all those maintenance jobs you’ve been putting off. And that’s probably going to mean spending a bit of money to get in the right trades to fix any problems. 

There are not many buyers who want to tackle big or complicated jobs when buying a home. The idea of needing to repair a roof is a scary prospect for first time buyers and older couples looking for an easy life. So, any slipped tiles and mossy roofs will be noticeable and off-putting. As will sagging and dripping guttering. So, get them cleared out too and repair broken brackets. The cost of gutter repairs and minor roof maintenance can be reduced by doing these jobs at the same time, as scaffolding will only need to go up once. And if your home is rendered, you may want to resolve any cracks and apply a fresh coat of paint while you’re there.

Make sure it’s thermally efficient

One thing that has grown in importance over recent years is the thermal efficiency of homes. The EPC rating of your house gives buyers a good idea of how efficient it is. And a poor rating is very off-putting.

If time and money are short, stick to quick and easy fixes. If you can’t replace heating systems or windows, install blanket loft insulation and change light bulbs to efficient ones throughout your home. Get rid of any old fluorescent lighting and fit LEDs where possible. If you have a hot water cylinder, fit it with a new thermal jacket and if your heating system is lacking a thermostat, ask your heating engineer to fit one. These are relatively inexpensive jobs, but thermostats do need wiring in and any smart controls need a suitable Wi-Fi connection. 

Give the impression of space to make your home attractive to buyers

The majority of buyers are looking for more space to accommodate their growing family, or a forever home that they can grow into. So, you need to give the impression of space, even if the house is a bit small for your needs. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is clear the clutter. As you’re looking to move anyway, there’s no better time to clear out the stuff you don’t need or use. Some charities will even collect furniture and other bulky items for free, which could make the task easier. 

If your house still looks really cluttered after a good clear out, you’ll need to consider better storage and organisation. Failing that, you could move some of your things into storage. This may seem like a huge undertaking when you’re looking to move, but it could get you a quicker sale or a better price for your house.

Define each room

Potential buyers will try to picture themselves living in your home. So, you need to make this easy to do. This is why each room should be clearly defined and have a purpose. A box room full of junk, just won’t do. It doesn’t matter if it’s too small to be a proper bedroom, it just needs to look usable. If you can’t fit a full-size bed in it comfortably, set it up as a nursery or home office instead. 

Many homes with a traditional downstairs layout that includes a lounge, dining room and kitchen, aren’t reaching their full potential. Kitchens can be too small for modern living and dining rooms can easily become dumping grounds. But if that’s obvious to a buyer, they’ll see these issues over the house’s potential. You could widen the doorway between the kitchen and dining room to open it out and create a more modern layout. But if this isn’t possible, then simply keep your kitchen clean and tidy and leave worktops uncluttered, so you don’t emphasise any size issues. And set your dining room up with the table laid, to make a clear statement over its use and show off its sociable and family-friendly aspect.