Showing your home

You can get the best price and selling time for your property just by changing a few things to make sure your home looks it's best and then staying on top of it during the process.  Here's a few tips to consider to show your property at it's best, both for the marketing photos and during the selling process. 

General

• Clean your house fully
• Clear away any clutter
• Clear all paperwork - especially anything you wouldn't want others to see
• Review the pictures on your walls - do they give a good impression?
• Replace any blown lightbulbs and consider adding additional lighting for the photographs and during viewings
• Clean the windows and window sills - viewers are likely to want to look out to see what the view from the property is
• Hide all wires, chargers and unsightly plugs - especially for your photographs - it's amazing what gets missed in the background
• Tidy away children's toys as best as possible - especially outside of their rooms
• Get some plug in air fresheners or diffusers to create a pleasant smell in the property
• Put away ANYTHING you wouldn’t want a ‘stranger’ to move

Living room

• Clear fires/fireplaces or if relevant you could light them
• Plump up all cushions and straighten curtains
• Make sure you tidy up this room to give the best feeling of space
• Consider getting some throws or cushions if you need to brighten up the room

Kitchen

• Tidy up the work surfaces - put away all food or packets, dishes and other general worktop clutter
• If you're short on space, then move things out for the photographs so you can give the appearance of an uncluttered work space
• Make sure the room is clean and all dishes are put away
• For viewings try to make the cupboards as tidy as possible - people will be interested in the storage space in the room and are likely to look in

Bedrooms

• Make sure beds are made and look attractive
• Consider getting new bedlinen and curtains if you think it would make your room look brighter or bigger
• Make sure all clothes are put away and tidy and all dirty washing is in a basket or hidden away
• Clear tops of wardrobes and under beds
• If you are short on space, and do have boxes under the beds or on wardrobes, then move or cover them for the photgraphs

Bathrooms 

• Make sure your bathroom is clean and free from clutter
• Make sure bath mats and towels are clean and tidy
• Put all bottles, sponges and cloths away
• Try to keep the bath and shower areas as free from clutter as possible

Outside

• Make sure the garden or outdoor area is tidy
• Quickly remove any obvious weeds that may be growing on the way to the house
• If possible/necessary cut the grass and tidy the borders
• Bring in any washing off the line and tidy up any toys or other garden clutter
• Make sure your bins are tidied away
• Be ready to move your car off the drive