Most homes need less work before a sale than their owners fear. The goal is not to renovate but to let the house show itself well.
We walk through every home with its owners about six weeks before photography. The list we leave behind is almost always shorter than they expected, and it almost never includes a new kitchen.
Begin with light
Clean the windows inside and out, replace tired bulbs with warm white ones and take down heavy curtains. Light is the first thing buyers notice and the cheapest thing to improve.
Then create space
Clear surfaces, remove a third of the furniture and store anything personal. Buyers need to picture their own lives in the rooms, and that is hard to do around family photographs and a crowded bookcase.
“The house you sell is not the house you live in. It is a calmer, emptier version of it.”
Fix the small things
Fix what a buyer will notice on the first visit: sticking doors, dripping taps, cracked tiles, a loose stair rail. Each one is minor, but together they suggest a house that has not been looked after, and buyers start adding up imaginary costs.
A fresh coat of paint in a soft, neutral colour is usually worth it, especially in the hall and the main living room.
Leave the big projects
Leave the big projects to the next owner. New kitchens and bathrooms rarely return their cost at sale, and buyers often have their own plans. Put the money into the garden instead; a tidy, planted front garden pays for itself in the listing photographs.
Finally, gather your paperwork early: surveys, warranties, permits and utility bills. A well-organised seller makes for a smooth sale.
