Page 22 - Hayward Tod Brouchure

Six tips for staging your home
If you are considering putting your house up for sale, but are not sure where to start, then there are methods you can follow
to help ensure you help the process along.
De-clutter
This is one of the most important things you can do. You’re going to be moving home anyway and will have
to pack, so it makes sense and is straight-forward to de-clutter and start packing at the same time. Pack
up everything you don’t need and store the boxes
out of sight in the garage if you have one, or consider temporarily renting a small storage unit. Keeping the look minimal can help sell your home.
Organise
Whilst we don’t like to think of strangers opening our cupboards, the reality is that they probably will. If you have built-in wardrobes, hang similar colours together and similar garments together. Why? Because it will make the cupboards look bigger. Really! An organized space always appears bigger, and you want your cupboards to look as spacious as possible.
De-personalise
You should de-personalise your home as much as possible when preparing to put it on the market. This is so that potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house.
This means minimising and putting away everything you don’t need or use. Clear kitchen worktops as much as possible, stash away all those appliances you don’t use and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes out of sight.
Look from the outside
Go and stand on the street to see what prospective buyers see when they drive up to your house. Be aware of any negative impressions they may get such as overgrown borders, peeling paint, broken windows and so on.
A poorly maintained exterior will make a prospective buyer think that the house has not been well taken care of. Even if you have spent the time and money to ensure the interior is amazing, it will all be wasted if the prospect gets a bad first impression as they approach your property.
What do you really see?
Step outside your front door and close it; then stand on your step and simply look around for a couple of minutes. This is mimicking the likelihood of your estate agent fumbling around for keys before finally opening the door!
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