The art of presenting a home for sale takes careful planning and plenty of effort. But there’s no hiding the fact that some blue skies, colourful gardens or sunshine streaming through the windows can create all-important kerb appeal and give an uplifting effect to the photos which will be shown to potential buyers.
But if a sale can’t be delayed until spring or summer, what’s the best way to capitalise on the beauty of the colder months of the year in order to create a memorable and enjoyable viewing experience?
Our top tips, drawn on our 40 years of experience in home removals, should help you create a winter wonderland that potential buyers will remember for all the right reasons.
If you don’t have outdoor lighting to welcome potential buyers to your home during the dark winter afternoons and evenings, invest in some solar lights to give an attractive first impression and light the way to your front door. Solar lighting sets can be bought relatively cheaply and can look stylish as well as assisting with safety.
When it comes to the interior, ask a friend or neighbour for an unbiased opinion. If rooms appear dark they can feel unwelcoming and look smaller. You may have got used to the gloom, but it could be offputting to someone trying to imagine your place as their own. The addition of lamps, feature lighting, or even higher wattage bulbs can transform how a home looks.
If it’s cold or wet outside, make sure your home is a welcoming haven from the elements! Make sure it’s warm without being stifling, and if you’re lucky enough to have a real fire then show off your home’s assets by making sure that it’s lit. Draw the curtains or close blinds to make the place cosy.
Muddy shoes and wet coats or brollies can be a problem when you’re inviting numerous people into your home. Invest in a good quality door mat so people can wipe their feet thoroughly, and if you don’t have a space to hang coats or umbrellas, offer to take them from your visitors when they come in and store them somewhere appropriate. This way, there won’t be alarm bells ringing about lack of storage space.
Make your potential buyers visualise themselves enjoying life in your home. There’s plenty of little touches you can do to create a festive atmosphere. Create a welcoming smell with festive scented candles, or cinnamon sticks. Lay the dinner table and add crackers for a seasonal twist.
If it’s close enough to Christmas that you have decorations up, make sure they’re memorable for the right reasons! Throw out any broken or tatty decs and try to keep within a colour scheme to tie everything together – you want them to add to the beauty of your home, not distract the buyers. And be warned, mistletoe above the front door should probably be reserved only for friends and family!
If there are seasonal plus-points to your home at this time of year, make sure your viewers know about them. Does the council keep your road well gritted? Do you have a garage or car port to keep your vehicle out of the elements? Does your home have good insulation or double glazing? Have you recently had a new boiler?
The winter months can often bring unwelcome surprises for new home owners, so anything you can do to reassure your potential buyers will go down a treat.
Winter can be a time where homes become filled with all sorts of additional belongings. Warm coats are packed in the porch, presents are filling the cupboards and decorations are decking the halls. To give potential buyers a clear view of your home, put any non-essential items into storage. If you don’t have room in the attic to store things tidily, short-term containerised storage is a cost effective option. Andrew Porter Limited offers excellent rates on containerised storage, and our crews will even collect your items from your home and deliver them back to you when you need them.
We wish all vendors the very best! If you’d like any information about any of our home removals services, just give us a call today.
