Instant smell! Instant sell! Everyone knows that trick. Brew up a pot of real coffee just before that door bell rings - and make sure the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans wafts through the hall and smacks likely buyers in the face - just as they walk through the door. That's one tip - but probably not the best one.
Consider these top hints and tips:
You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. A freshly painted front door is a good place to start.
Keep things tidy. A confident buyer sweeps into a room. An unconvinced buyer has had to sweep through litter, pizza menus, junk mail and last year's autumn leaves in the hall just to get in.
In winter, have lights on during the day time. They can add enchantment. Or disenchantment, if light bulbs are missing!
Draw back those curtains - and open those windows. Now there's a big difference between getting a feel of a place and having to feel our way around. Which is why lighting in a room is important. In summer, natural light can liven a place up and give a feeling of freshness and cleanliness. If you don't have curtains and it's still dark, check your windows. They may need urgent cleaning. There's always a first time.
Air in - damp smells out. Make use of 'plug-ins' or scented candles.
Give the place a lived in feeling. In vacant properties always leave some furniture behind to create a better impression.
Make sure there's space round sofas and armchairs so viewers don't have to step over coffee tables and magazines to get to them. They say that if a buyer sits down in a property, they're at ease with the place and is possibly thinking of putting in an offer!
Make sure all those little maintenance jobs have been done. Peeling paint on a window - or a garden gate hanging off its hinges - suggests that work needs to be done on the property. This could be used to re-negotiate the price.
Check outside the house is as neat and tidy as the inside. A well cared-for garden is a welcoming sight.
In winter, if you have a fireplace, have a fire blazing. Hearths can move hearts!
Have a close look around for any signs of past problems and repair them. A damp stain caused by a minor past leakage suggests an impending flood to a nervous first-time buyer.
