subject: Open The Door To A Window Of Opportunity [print this page] In this funny old market, selling a house can be pretty tough, as can selling it and being able to afford a bigger and better place. If thats what youre looking to do youd be well advised to get your property up to the highest standards before you put it on the market. From a buyers perspective theres nothing worse than being shown around a run down or half finished house unless its a bargain project for someone who likes a challenge.
What the majority of people want to see is a beautiful, finished work of art that they can stamp their mark on easily and quickly and these days, security is a really big deal too. The whole place should be finished to a really high standard but if you simply cant afford a complete overhaul, there are options and they do not involve simply covering things up. Any savvy buyer will be on the lookout for rugs covering up carpet stains, paintings and mirrors hiding damp patches and dodgy paint jobs temporarily masking a mouldy bathroom so quite frankly, its not worth the effort. Efforts would be better spent sorting out these problems properly or letting perspective buyers know theyre there and adjusting the price accordingly.
If you do have to pick rooms to prioritise, think about where you spend most of your time when youre at home and also which rooms really see wear and tear the most. What youll probably find is that you end up doing up the kitchen, the bathroom and the living room. You can get away with outdated bedrooms as long as theyre uncluttered, bright and clean but an outdated bathroom or kitchen is an absolute no-no.
Updating a kitchen, bathroom or living room can be as simple as a lick of paint, something plain, bright and fresh that new owners can easily make their own without having to spend a fortune redecorating. The two things that a lot of people forget about when theyre selling their house are the exterior and level of security. The first of these is easily overlooked as you get fixated on making the most of the interior but dont forget the saying about first impressions they count. The first thing people will see when theyre driving or walking past or when they visit your house online is the outside so if youve got a scruffy garden or ugly and old windows and doors, it can be a real turn off.
Get yourself a nice new composite front door (addressing the issue of aesthetics and security in one) and do some weeding and itll make all the difference to the people interested in your house.
