General tips for improving a house's saleability (or even value)

Jami74

I didn't even know what TRVs and HIVE was so wouldn't have noticed when viewing properties, I do now though and they're on my list of things to get for my new home, thanks OP.

Things that put us off when looking: big crack in a wall, garden so overgrown couldn't work out how big it was (I have a dog, this stuff matters to me) and was then told it had many 'water features' so quite obviously wouldn't be an easy job to clear, extension leads taped to walls.

Make sure the estate agents description is accurate. 3 bedrooms means 3 rooms big enough to fit a bed in, excellent decorative order means the wallpaper shouldn't be bubbling and peeling in places, bathroom with WC means there really should be a toilet in the bathroom, gas fire means pipes, not plugged into an electrical socket. 

The house we are waiting to exchange on I had discounted because it had an EPC D, eventually I got desperate and viewed it anyway to find it had a new boiler, new 270mm insulation and energy light bulbs throughout. It would have been higher up my list if the EPC had been up to date and I would have viewed it a month sooner. Although a month earlier the asking price was £10k more.

flowercandle

up north here, we have bought and sold quite a few houses over the years

loft insulation dont bother most people dont even look in the attic! 
as for heating system most people just want to know how old the boiler is so dont bother updating heating
(unless your property is targetting the younger part of the market like a flat) older people wont know how to use hive so in a way could be waste of money putting it in
top tips are : make sure you have on price that you are happy if someone still knocks some off (as they usually do)
have it squeeky clean and no smells (looked at loads and you wont believe how many houses stink) dont use too many artificial smells like those sprayers as it can look like you are masking a smell
bathroom and kitchens need to be spotless no mould and put away as much as you can for lots empty surfaces
have towels hanging just for viewings that are new and fluffy
get carpets cleaned if they look a bit dirty
get new cushions bedding to look good (you take with you so not a loss)
no one wants to see a shrine so get all those photos tucked away in drawers
declutter especially your gothic statues and any "tastless" ornaments (i have loads) LOL
dont believe any !!!!!! the estate agent tells you (they are good at ripping yarns)
if you put an offer on something get it confirmed by email - someone bought a house we wanted for £20k less than we offered once.
ALWAYS get at least 3 estate agent valuations and quotes for how much they charge to sell.  Do this only close to when you are ready to sell as prices go up and down.  Then go for the middle one and ask them to match the lowest quote to sell, i.e. we would like to go with you but Faggy estate agents will only charge 1% plus VAT can you match this? make sure it gos on rightmove as everyone looks on there.
clean your paintwork like skirting boards
if you have garden make it tidy and somewhere to sit (most people never use the garden but like to imagine they do)
remove your valuables and then you can let people look around themselves 

when buying :-

dont buy new build - seriously the brickwork outside gives a clue to quality.
we made mistake of new build had problems with leaking roof on valleys and you cant do anything without planning permission, stone sills are now degrading and need replacing, holes behind radiators, floors not level and move, showers not sealed some of the kitchen is not matching as different shades on the doors etc - list goes on! they used to be good but these days are all sub-contractors on the minium doing the job yesterday.

buy the older house that no one wants on a good street that needs doing up that you can do in your own time

good luck! 

Albermarle

peepo321a said:

Clean top to bottom. Declutter as much as possible. Repair or camouflage any damage or eyesores. Fresh flowers inside and out. If the place looks cared for there will be fewer red flags for buyers. For viewings - the old trick of vanilla essence in a warm oven, keep a set of new bedding to drape over your beds to save the effort of remaking them- fold and put to one side in between visits to keep it nice. If you have pets keep them out of the way, a surprising number of people have phobias or allergies. Don’t spend any big money, you won’t get it back.

Not heard of that one, I thought fresh ground coffee smell was the way to go.

Another tip is to try to get the viewers to see the best part of the house first, and hope the initial positive feeling stays when they see the rest.
In our house many visitors say how nice the garden looks through the patio doors. In fact it is nothing special, just tidy/green, and bigger than people expect to see from the size of the rest of the house.
So if we were selling it we would probably do the viewings ourselves, and lead people quickly through the hallway into the kitchen, to get the 'garden effect' .

Greengirl24

Have a folder with all your building work and boiler checks  and heating bills. Get your family and dogs out of the house on viewing days. Tell buyers how nice your neighbours are. Offer tea and cake. Clear the hall of coats and clobber so they have a good first impression.

Slinky

flowercandle said:

as for heating system most people just want to know how old the boiler is so dont bother updating heating
(unless your property is targetting the younger part of the market like a flat) older people wont know how to use hive so in a way could be waste of money putting it in

That's a hell of a sweeping generalisation. I have several friends/relatives in their 70s who have Hive or other systems, and are perfectly able to run their homes using smart technology. Most 'older people' are smarter than you give them credit for.

RHemmings

Having been put off some houses that were dark, if I were to put my current place up for sale I might change the curtains a bit so that they can be closed for semi-privacy, but let in more light. 

I second the suggestion above of putting in low-energy lighting. I'd also put in higher wattage LED bulbs so that the rooms are lit well when they're turned on. I'd leave them behind too

Kerb appeal - as mentioned. I'd definitely do something to refresh the gravel at the front of my house if I wanted to sell. And the big black oil patch would definitely go. I'm hoping to add roses at the front too. 

I'm not planning to sell anytime, but I am building up a list of electrical tasks for the house. I'm curious to know how expensive it would be to add some more lights to some rooms. For my personal livability, but I suspect that would help if I wanted to sell, too. 

All weeds removed from back garden, and neat and tidy. 

A house near me that sold some time ago doesn't have a dropped curb in front of it, though there would be space to park at the front if a car could get there. I note that just applying for a dropped curb (not actually having it put in) is inexpensive around my way. If I was in such a situation I'd consider applying for the drop kerb, but if granted just add that to the details about the house. Not actually have the curb put in. Assuming that, like planning permission, the approval could be actioned by the new owner.

Skiddaw1

Greengirl24 said:

Have a folder with all your building work and boiler checks  and heating bills. Get your family and dogs out of the house on viewing days. Tell buyers how nice your neighbours are. Offer tea and cake. Clear the hall of coats and clobber so they have a good first impression.

We did the folder thing too, along with the usual 'staging' things such as clean, fluffy towels, vases of flowers and everything scruplessly tidy and clean. And I always left a tray with home made cake or biscuits when we had viewings. I did the same when the buyer's surveyor was in (they had a level 3 survey as it was an old house and I honestly think the folder and the biscuits helped things along when it came to his report!)

badger09

flowercandle said:

……..
loft insulation dont bother most people dont even look in the attic! 

………

older people wont know how to use hive


……..
when buying :-

dont buy new build -

1 Agree must people won’t look in the loft, however loft insulation is relatively cheap & will save OP money if they’re still there next winter. 

2 How patronising, and inaccurate. 

We had Hive system installed when we replaced our boiler in 2021 shortly after house move. Both 70+ which I assume qualified us as ‘older people’. I am perfectly capable of balancing the system & controlling via app from wherever I happen to be in the world. Shock horror, I even managed to give my son access to the control for when he occasionally stayed here when we were out of comms in the middle of the Atlantic or wherever. 

3 Sweeping statement. There are lots of regular posters on here who are happily living trouble free in new builds 

ReadySteadyPop

Nowadays if the price is wrong most people will just scroll away on RM, no amount of vanilla or coffee smells will make a difference, but clean and decluttered is sensible advice, as is not spending any money on it, that is very unlikely to add much value.

YoungBlueEyes

ReadySteadyPop said:

Nowadays if the price is wrong most people will just scroll away on RM, no amount of vanilla or coffee smells will make a difference, but clean and decluttered is sensible advice, as is not spending any money on it, that is very unlikely to add much value.

Bluddy 'ell Crashy, look at you staying on topic and talking sense!