Estate Agent Tricks – 5 That Can Add Value To Your Home

A house can be a combination of a financial investment and a family home.  It can be a store of personal wealth where the grown-ups organize the money and children get their first lessons in how important it is to always have savings. Buying and selling a home can have major financial effects as well as emotional ones, so it may be a good time to get some expert advice from a financial advisor. If you’re selling a home, it can also be worthwhile investing a little time and sometimes a small amount of money on your home to achieve the best possible price. Here are some ideas to help you.

Create curb appeal

The outside of a property is where the first impression is made, so make sure your viewers are impressed. If your garden is a major selling point then it may be worth asking a professional gardener for a few tips on how to make it look its absolute best.  For example, some strategically placed lighting could emphasize its best features to people arriving for evening viewings. Even if you don’t have a garden, you will have an entrance door and some attractive looking fittings (number or name, letter box, door knocker…) can make a big difference to its appearance.

Make sure viewers are comfortable when they arrive

Viewers aren’t exactly guests but they are people you want to stay in your home for a while so they need to feel welcome.  Ensure that there is somewhere obvious and suitable for them to put their coats and having some extra pairs of slippers to offer them adds a nice touch (which might also be good for protecting your floors). You could offer tea or coffee and some biscuits and serve them in nice-looking cups or mugs.

Remember allergy sufferers

Common allergies include nuts, pet hair and pollen. It is therefore worth taking time to remove any of these before viewers arrive.  While fresh flowers can look very attractive and some viewers will love them, they are unlikely to impress people who suffer with hay fever.  Green plants and/or fresh fruit, however, are more allergy-safe and look just as nice. Remember to display them in bowls/plant pots which match the general décor of the room.

Make sure your home passes the sniff test

You should also take steps to ensure your home is free from any potentially offensive odours. Firstly, if anyone in the household smokes, then they need to stop doing so inside the house until it is sold and the house will need to be thoroughly aired.  If you have young children or pets that may have accidents then you need to have a convenient way to deal with them quickly.  If you have a cat that uses a litter tray then it may be worth upgrading to an enclosed one in case your cat chooses to use it when you have viewers.  Empty it regularly & outside of viewing times and make sure pet cages are kept thoroughly clean. Though it may be tempting to try to use fragrance to enhance the aroma of your home, bear in mind that people react to scents differently.  You therefore run the risk of unintentionally giving your home a scent that you love but your viewer hates.  Also remember that pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell and so even the lightest of scents may seem overpowering to them.

See your walls and shelves as others may see them

Remove anything which could be the slightest bit controversial, such as an object showing support to a football team or political organization. Take a good look at everything else and determine if it is in keeping with the image of your house that you want to give.  A professional studio portrait of your children could be an attractive feature in a family home but it may be better for basic family snaps to be moved out of sight, along with children’s paintings and home-made gifts etc.