Home Sales Wales Guide Page

So you have found a prospective buyer? You are arranging a viewing? Welcome to our comprehensive guide section. One of the key reasons that people choose estate agents over a private sale, is because they are unsure whether they could present their property to a prospective buyer. Here Home Sales Wales takes you through the process step by step, providing helpful advice along the way.

Contents.

• 1 - Presenting Your House
  • 1.1 - House Styling
  • 1.2 - 1st Impressions
  • 1.3 - Cleanliness
  • 1.4 - Clutter
  • 1.5 - Lighting
  • 1.6 - Making use of Space
  • 1.7 - Smells
  • 1.8 - Accessories
• 2 Individual Room Presentation
  • 2.1 - Lounge
  • 2.2 - Kitchens
  • 2.3 - Dining Rooms
  • 2.4 - Master Bedrooms
  • 2.5 - Children’s Bedrooms
  • 2.6 - Bathrooms
  • 2.7 - Gardens
• 3 Pre-Viewing Preparation
• 4 Valuing Your House
  • 4.1 - Estate Agents
  • 4.2 - Surveyors and Structural Issues
  • 4.3 - Adding Value - Top 10 Ways

Guide

Presenting Your House

Most changes suggested here are relatively low cost. Remember it is important to balance the cost with the prospective profit. It is important not to go over the budget that suits you personally and be realistic!

1.1 House Styling

As obvious as it sounds good house styling will impress potential buyers. Sellers should simplify and unify, in terms of layout elegant styles and subtle colours should be incorporated. Colour is vital, it can be used in rooms for many purposes, to warm, relax, even to open up a space. When styling a house, sellers should enter with the frame of mind that a potential buyer will lack the imagination to improve on the current décor, this is critical as the image a buyer has after a viewing is the image that will stay with them. Nature can play an important part in the styling of a house, don’t underestimate it. As long as it fits in with the balance of the room, a healthy looking green plant in an attractive pot can really enliven a space.

1.2 1^st Impressions

First impressions are vital to a sale. Kerb appeal is the appeal of a house when a buyer first sees it from the exterior, it is vital to achieve. If the exterior is shabby and in need of repair, a buyer will expect the interior to be the same. In this area small investments of cost and time can reap large potential rewards, this should be the first area of priority. Here are some key considerations:

Exterior

• Cutback any shrubbery and entice buyers with some attractive potted plants around the entrance.
• Tidy the garden, remove all unnecessary items. Do the same in the window sills, remove all clutter, curtains should be neat and the windows themselves clean.
• A freshly painted door can make a difference, repair anything that needs attention such as the roof or guttering and ensure that all outside lighting works.
• The house number/name, and the for sale sign should be clean and clearly visible to passers by from the road.

Entrance

• Paint the walls a light welcoming colour, and have something that grabs the buyers focus on entering. Fresh flowers or plants if space permits are uplifting and can add a touch of colour.
• Thin the items on the coat rack to a minimum, reduce clutter completely also ensure the flooring is clean and attractive, use a rug if necessary.
• Lighting should be adequate, but non glaring. A mirror can add interest, depth and reflect light in the right place. But don't put in opposite the coat rack it will reflect clutter!
• Ensure the house smells fresh immediately on entering.

1.3    Cleanliness

Cleanliness is a major factor for any would be buyer. It is a fact that we se other peoples dirt more than we see our own, and its more repulsive! Make sure every area, particularly kitchens and bathrooms are sparkling. Windows should be cleaned also. An expert can be bought in fairly cheaply, and will save time helping sellers to achieve results more cleanly. If sellers clean the house themselves, the following tips can be useful to remember:

• Remember top to bottom, start at the top of the house and work down, also clean top to bottom of every room.
• Bedrooms, studies, reception rooms -1^st. Kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms - last. As you clean remember you will be replenishing supplies so save these rooms until last.
• Ceilings, walls, curtains, floors. Pull out all furniture and clean behind and underneath them.
• Wet First - Washing paintwork, windows, laundering. Dry next - Polishing, dusting, waxing. Vacuuming last - remove all traces of dust and debris.

Remember also it is important to keep on top of your daily and weekly routine, each viewing is a vital opportunity not to be missed by the effect of poor cleanliness.

1.4  Clutter

"Clutter can cost you money- it is the main reason for a house not selling or selling at a reduced price"

Problems with Clutter:

• Makes individual rooms and the whole house seem smaller
• Distracts the buyer's attention away from the good feature of the house
• Gives the buyer the impression that the house is badly maintained/neglected, and that there will not be enough space for their belongings
• Creates chaos and can make buyers feel uncomfortable
• Most people do not live amongst clutter, and if they do the majority would prefer to be able to manage their clutter better. They will not enjoy seeing a house that reminds them of their current house, they aspire to move upwards to better things!

Clear the decks and remove clutter!!! Allow people to see the potential in your house.

How to deal with the clutter, here are some tips that may be useful in terms of dealing with clutter in your house:

1. Be Brave - Get rid of as much as you can, if you don't use it or love it, you don't need it! This will give you extra space that you do need.
2. Box System - A Charity shop box, a refuse box and a box for items for the new house or for storage, being organised is the key to reducing your clutter.
3. Skip Hire - If you find you have so much clutter that can be thrown out, consider hiring a skip. This will save you endless trips back and forth to the tip.
4. Ornaments - Don't keep ornaments that were once appealing but no longer fit the room. Leave only the best on display. If you have sentimental items that don't fit the room's appearance, pack them safely away.
5. Storage and Space - Consider double use storage options, such as coffee tables and sideboards. This should create space for your items in need of storing that used to be on view. Also keep furniture arrangements simple to maximise space.
6. Cupboards - Remember, clutter is not just ornaments and old toys. Throw out any old clothes that you no longer wear.
7. Clutter Points - junk mail, shoes, mugs on the coffee table, bits and pieces on surfaces should be cleared regularly to stop them building up into clutter.
8. Clearing System - Go through the whole house, clearing all types of clutter. Then go through it again, preferably with someone who can question your need of items. When you have achieved a satisfactory look, go through this process regularly so it will not become a daunting task.

1.5  Lighting

Lighting is very important in a house, and done well can have a big effect on a space at a low cost. The following is a simple breakdown of lighting for a home staging purpose:

1.5.1 Natural Light

This is a massive asset in any property, but the quality of light depends on a room's aspect -

• North Facing - Cold and harsh rather than direct sunlight. Gives a truer colour rendition.
• South Facing - Warm light all day, but varied throughout the day and year. Sun can be so bright that it flattens out other features and colours, south facing rooms are ideal for rooms that a lot of time is spent in.
• East Facing - Bright 1^st thing in the morning, followed by long shadows and no light later in the day. Artificial light can be used to maximise natural light in north and east rooms.
• West Facing - Sunlight early afternoon can cause glare, later benefits from soft shadows and subtle lighting.

Maximising Natural Light

There can be some very simple cost effective ways to maximise your property's natural light.

• Place mirrors on opposite walls, this helps to reflect and disperse incoming light.
• Use filmy and light materials as window dressings, these help diffuse light
• Turn inner doors into glazed panels or glass.
• Use light reflective colours and surfaces - pale colours make rooms appear larger.
• Trim bushes/trees that are obstructing windows or casting large shadows into rooms

Changing lighting can change the way that the size of a room appears as much as changing the colour.

To make your room seem larger and taller:

• Use wall washers and up-lighters to illuminate large expanses of the ceiling
• Creating panels of light at one end of the room draws the eye towards it, making the room appear longer.
• Light all corners of the room
• Use vertical light beams
• Hang low pendant lights

To make the room appear cosier:

• Use table lamps to create lots of low little pools of light in a large room
• Don't allow light on the ceiling

1.5.2   Bathroom Lighting

Bathrooms can be used to create fantastic lighting arrangements with all the materials (glass, stainless steel, marble, porcelain) that are perfect for reflecting light. Be careful not to go over the top though, it's easy to create a glare nightmare!

1 Maximise natural daylight by removing unnecessary window dressings. If you're worried about being overlooked, frost your window. Either pay a glazier or use a frosting effect spray from any DIY store.

2 If you have a harsh central light only, fit a diffuser outside the bathroom door to create an ambient feel.

3 Replace existing fitted with frosted ones - you immediately get a lovely diffused light.

1.5.3   Electric Light

Electric lights can never light a room as well as the sun can, think of electric lights as adding atmospheric background - you can create a cosy environment or a really dramatic one.

• Choose something more versatile than a centred single bulb, directional lights on a track, and up-lighters can be used really effectively to highlight a room's best features such as architectural features.
• Remember to layer the light in a room. Use a variety of ceiling lights, table lamps and up-lighters
• Avoid having trailing leads across the room
• Each lighting feature should be controlled individually to prevent making the room look like Blackpool illuminations.

1.6 Making Use of Space

Here's just a quick summary of the above information that can be used to make use of the space in your house:

1 Use mirrors in small areas or dark spots to reflect light and open the space. Remember not to place the mirror opposite clutter! Also make sure that the mirror fits in with the room's general style and size, but is not too small. As a rule it is better to go too large than too small with mirrors.

2 Remove Clutter - See Clutter (link)

3 Colours can be very effective. Light reflective colours open a room up. Try to use pale pastel style colours, but basically the closer to white the larger the room will appear.

4 Lighting is important, and can often be as effective as colour. This can also be a relatively low cost option. - See Lighting (link).

1.7 Smells

• Animals and Cigarettes have a negative effect, don't chance it. Also important to remember you live there so a smell you may be used to such as an animal will appear stronger to a guest.
• It is always a good idea to give carpets a deep clean before a viewing just to make sure odours are banished, and ensure pets are out of the way.

1.8 Accessories

• Remove all old/tired objects as discussed in clutter. For viewing purposes sentimental items and personal items such as photographs should be stored away
• Choose some of the best accessories to remain, or consider buying some new ones which may be useful in a new home.
• "Dressing" a room can often be the difference between someone making an offer or not on a property
• For best effects, use creativity with balance, practicality in terms of cost and try to keep consistent with the feel of the property. Try different things and have an eye for what works.
• Accessories in groups work well, use some height and lower sized for balance. Keep colours simple and combining with the whole look.

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Individual Room Presentation

2.1  Lounge

The lounge is the room in which most buyers will spend the majority of their time, and it is therefore vital that this room is well presented. It sets the tone for the rest of the property, and arguably says a lot about a seller's lifestyle. The following considerations should be made prior to a viewing:

• Ensure that the 3 piece sofa is clean and fits in with the atmosphere of the room. Consider repositioning to create space if necessary.
• Try to create a focal point in the room.
• Furniture should fit the room size, consider storage if not. For example large coffee tables can reduce the impression of space.
• Do not block features, doors or sources of light including windows.
• Shelves in the room, (if applicable) need to be clean and clear and hold only a few quality items, rather than clutter.
• Window dressings need to compliment the décor and be attractive.
• It is worth investing in some accessories such as cushions, throws and rugs - remember they can all go with you when you leave.

2.2  Kitchens

• Cleanliness is absolutely critical
• Clear as many surfaces as possible, clear anything not used on a daily basis
• Remove anything stored above cupboards and also fridge magnets
• Keep accessories to a minimum, the occasional decorative item co-ordinated with the colour scheme can enliven the room.
• Moisture proof window dressings are important don't block natural light, if the view is good expose it, if not consider a roman blind that still allows light in to screen it. Clear window sills of clutter also.
• Clean colours and fresh smells
• Old units can be re-painted or the doors replaced, if not possibly modernise the door knobs/handles. Though prioritise, balance the cost effectiveness to you as a seller.
• If the floor is worn or outdated it should be replaced
• Store cleaning products out of site, and avoid visible pipes if possible.

2.3 Dining Rooms

• Even if there is no dedicated dining room, try to create an eating area in the kitchen or living area
• If the dining area looks squeezed try creating more space around it, and if possible fit all chairs around the table
• Dress the dining table well and positioning is key, if the table is a little worn cover with an attractive cloth
• Colours in this room can be more dramatic, often these rooms are used for the evening and less for relaxing
• Accessorise with art work, candles, and a nice centre piece such as a vase. Ensure that all wood is polished and the room clean

2.4  Master Bedrooms

• The number, size and condition of the bedroom is a big point for prospective buyers. No-one wants to think of the bed as just slept in, if it is soon to become theirs.
• Dress the bed in good quality linen, large pillows, a few cushions and maybe a throw
• In the master bedroom, inspiration can really come from high quality hotels
• Fussy borders should be painted out, to give a more clean and modern feel, avoid strong colours and fussy patterns
• Carpets should be cleaned thoroughly and ensure the room smells fresh
• The larger this room looks the better, keep additional furniture to a minimum
• Accessorise with maybe a few serene prints or candles, but try to keep accessory numbers low

2.5  Children's Bedrooms

• Major changes are not always necessary, but try to keep them as tidy as possible, try to de-personalise and de-clutter.
• Buyers may want to envisage the room as something else such as a guest room if they have no children, so neutral is always a safer option using pastel colours always works well in a children's room
• Keep to plain quilt covers to maximise space, also helps to not be overwhelmed by possessions

2.6    Bathrooms

A Bathroom has to look extremely clean and sterile to attract buyers, again try and take inspiration from hotels. Put yourself in the position of a guest, would you be happy with your bathroom if it was in a hotel room you stayed in??

• Fluffy white or plain colour towels give the effect of a very clean room
• Toiletries and dirty linen must be out of the way!
• Changing bath panels or taps can make a bathroom feel new at a fraction of the cost or even painting the wooden bath panel the same colour as the walls
• Consider installing a shower if you don't have one - people prefer them
• Try to avoid moisture holding materials such as carpets and curtains
• Clean all tiles, and ensure that grout is free of mould/mildew
• Limit accessories to decorative glasses, containers and soaps and maybe a vase of fresh flowers
• If the bathroom is very small, consider putting up a large mirror
• Have a natural pleasant smell pot pouri works well here
• Put in a new toilet seat, shower curtain and bath-mat

2.7  Garden

• A garden should always keep in effect with the house style and age
• Depending on your budget and the prospective return. A very simple technique is to clean thoroughly, trim shrubs, add a few extra plants for colour and possibly a few hanging baskets
• Gardens can be seen as an extension of living space, consider adding a small table and chairs to highlight this to viewers
• If considering a patio to supplement the above, remember that decking and paving are preferred by different people, especially age groups. Also think about the financial implications
• Adding colour is important and can really bring a garden to life, if budget permits it can be worth getting quotes from a garden designer, or small gardening business

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   Pre Viewing Preparation

How to turn a viewing into a sale is without doubt the most important part of this advice section. As a home owner there is no reason not to be confident in your ability to present your own house, and yet many people still choose estate agents! It is a fact that if the home owner is the guide it will create a more relaxed atmosphere for viewers. This is very important to remember. If a viewer feels uncomfortable it is likely that they will look at the property briefly and are more likely to leave with a poor impression. A viewer's emotional response is what achieves the sale! Gentle music in the background can be a good idea to create a more relaxed atmosphere - this is why shops use it, people stay longer and are therefore likely to buy when relaxed.

Some general tips prior to presentation:

1 Open windows to let in fresh air

2 Ensure there is a comfortable air temperature

3 Spray a little subtle air freshener, do not use an overly strong one

4 Open all blinds and curtains to maximise natural light

5 Turn on internal lights to create ambience

6 Check that plants, flowers and fruit bowls are fresh and attractive

7 Kitchens must be spotless with no dirty dishes in the sink or drying dishes

8 Wipe down bathrooms and close toilet lids

9 Buff any chrome to a shiny finish, including all taps

10   Make beds and pick up any loose clothing or clutter

11   Plump all cushions and pillows and arrange all throws

12   Contain pets and children!

13   Keep a low profile during the viewing, do not have all the family sitting around the TV or eating when a viewer arrives!!

14   When the viewer arrives be relaxed and fairly smart, remember that you are selling a lifestyle not just a property

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Valuing Your House

4.1  Estate Agents

Estate agents are the safest option for valuing a property. It is their profession and so will accurately value a property based on its area and similar properties in that area. Simply call an agent and ask them for a valuation.

Alternatively the entire process of private property sales offers an alternative to agents and can save thousands. If you can set a value on your house that you would be happy with place it in your advert, remember to be realistic and flexible. An interested buyer can then contact you directly before agreeing a fixed price and exchanging solicitor details. Remember most house prices are based on what someone is willing to pay.

4.2 Surveyors & Structural Issues

A surveyor can also value a property.  Surveyors can also provide information on any structural issues with a building, and can advise whether any building work for conversions to the loft, adding a conservatory or an extension would be worthwhile financially.

4.3  Adding Value - Top 10 Ways

The following table has some suggestions as to the profit and loss of good and bad decoration in a property. Take the potential loss/gain with a pinch of salt, as obviously this depends on the property itself. For example, adding the top 10 for gains will clearly not add over £120,000 on most properties.

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