10 tips to get your home ready to sell

1) Make minor repairs

Leaky taps, dents in walls, broken tiles, doors that don’t close, dead light bulbs - fix them all. You are more likely to attract a buyer if your property doesn’t need any repairs.

2) Declutter

Clutter can make your home seem smaller than it is so get rid of anything you don’t need or put it into storage. Remember that during viewings people might snoop through your cupboards and wardrobes so consider decluttering and tidying these too.

3) Depersonalise

When a potential buyer is looking round your home you want them to imagine themselves living in your property. To do this you should remove as many family photos or items of personal taste as possible.

4) Make it bright and airy

Consider changing heavy curtains or blinds for more lightweight ones to let extra light into your home. Regularly open windows and doors to let fresh air in and clear any lingering smells. Refrain from smoking in the property too as the smell can stick to carpets meaning they may need replacing by the new owner.

5) Improve kerb appeal

To sell your home you’ve got to get people through the door. Sprucing up the outside of your property to make it attractive to as many people as possible will help encourage more viewings.

6) Fresh coat of paint

Give your walls a fresh lick of paint to get rid of grubby marks and give your property a fresh, look. Keep the colours neutral too - bright or unusual colours can put people off.

7) Clean

Before putting your property on the market give it a thorough clean and keep it clean throughout the viewing process. Think about cleaning the carpets and also areas such as inside kitchen cupboards where people might want to look to get an idea about size.

8) Rearrange rooms

Try to arrange furniture so that rooms look as big as possible. If you have been using rooms for a different purpose think about turning them back into what they originally were - for example a home gym back into a bedroom. Doing this will help people imagine their own family living there.

9) Finish any DIY jobs

Still got some unfinished DIY jobs to do? Get them done before putting your house on the market. Some people can be put off by DIY that needs doing or may try to haggle on the price of the property.

10) Tidy the garden

Don’t forget the garden. Make sure it’s neat and tidy to show off its full size and potential.

If all this sounds like too much hassle you could consider using a professional property buying company such as Reader’s Digest Property. We will make a cash offer for your home, with no fees and no chain - and we can complete the sale in any timescale to suit you. To find out more fill out the form below or call us on 0800 433 7979.

Do you have any tips to add to help get your home market ready? Go to the comments section at the bottom of the page and add your tip and we'll feature it in a future article.