Making your home sale ready

Make sure your home is looking its best before viewings begin:

• Kerb appeal – think about first impression for potential buyers. Does the property need a lick of paint, or the garden need tidying?
• Snags – try to fix any unfinished DIY projects.
• Tidy, de-clutter and clean – make your home look inviting.

Review your Energy Performance Certificate – does it reflect your property now? Have you had a new boiler or insulation fitted? Consider whether any recommendations could be implemented to improve the energy efficiency of your property.

Consider having the boiler serviced and an electrical installation condition report carried out.

Be prepared to tell your estate agent any relevant material facts about your property, which may have a major impact on the buyer’s decision to purchase. Estate agents are legally required to share this information with potential buyers.

Do not mislead potential buyers by covering up any defects. Any problems are likely to come up in the buyer’s survey, which could lead to price negotiations. Consider having any problems assessed and present the cost of remedial works to potential buyers before an offer is made.

It may be worth rectifying significant issues in advance of putting your home on the market. Otherwise, you should factor that into the price of your property and inform your estate agent. Potential buyers are less likely to ask for price reductions if they have better information up-front.

Consider any fixtures or fittings that you do not want to take to your new home which could be included in the sale or offered to the buyer for a fee.