Get The Best Sales Price For Your Home

Get The Best Sales Price For Your Home

Last updated on December 10th, 2020 at 05:40 am

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking to build a new home. For some of you, that might even mean having to prepare your current home for sale – a huge task to say the least. So, we spoke to Own It Finance to find out how you can get the best possible price for your property. Here’s what they had to say:

Presenting your home in the best possible manner can have a big influence on the valuation process when selling your home. The same goes for presenting your house to a prospective buyer. If your home looks like it hasn’t been cared for properly, then chances are, you’re not going to get a very good sales price. However, if your home looks like it’s ready for a photoshoot, then you’re likely to get a great price at sale! In fact, there are 3 main price points for any property, which are outlined below:

Heart Price:

• Your home is picture perfect and ready for the cover of a magazine
• Your home has everything that the buyers and valuers are looking for
• Similar competing properties lack the presentation that yours has

Average Price:

• Your house looks average from the street, and does not stand out from the rest
• Your gardens are mostly tidy but clearly unloved
• The interior is untidy and appears ‘lived in’

Fire Sale Price:

• The gardens are overgrown and show no signs of maintenance
• There is mess throughout the house and the bathrooms and kitchens have not been cleaned thoroughly
• The house is dark, dusty and does not smell inviting

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a simple checklist to help you prepare your house for open homes and valuations, to hopefully help you get the highest possible valuation and sales price:

• Ensure all gardens, exteriors, and outdoor entertaining areas are maintained and presentable. It’s amazing what a freshly mown lawn, some weeding and a few trimmed bushes can do to the look of your home.

• The front door is a visitors’ first point of contact with your home, so ensure it looks as presentable as possible. Remove any lingering shoes, sweep the floor and don’t forget to refresh your welcome mat.

• Maximise all natural light. Natural light is known to make people feel happier and will also open up your home. If you have time, clean windows and light fittings, and leave lights on in dark areas of your home.

• If it’s a very hot day, be sure to turn your air conditioner on, or open doors and windows so that the house feels cool and airy. Alternatively, if it’s a cold day, be sure to turn the heater on or get the fireplace raring so that the house feels warm and cosy.

• Tidy up! There’s nothing more repelling than a home that’s messy and cluttered. Store all your clutter in cupboard and boxes, ensuring it is out of site. Clear all clutter from the bathroom, put bottles and creams in drawers and only have matching towels and fresh hand soap on display. Keep your kitchen benches as clean as possible with only fresh fruit and maybe a kettle out. It is also crucial that you remove any dirty tea towels or floor mats.

• Ensure each room is as presentable as possible. Some new bed-linen in the bedrooms and cushions or a throw rug on the couch can help to modernise and freshen up any room.

• When a valuer enters your home, you want them to feel as welcome as possible. It’s always good to offer them something to drink and eat. You don’t want any “hangry” valuers determining the value of your home.

• Do your research! Find out the sales prices of similar properties to yours in your area and present the results to valuers and prospective buyers.

Whilst this list doesn’t guarantee a high price for your property, it will certainly help to improve how valuers or prospective buyers perceive the value of your home. As you can see, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to increase your house’s price. The most basic improvements usually have the highest return.

Good luck!