Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #1

Hygiene is king!

Buyers are more sensitive than mother in-laws when it comes to cleanliness.

Nothing kills a sale quicker than dirt and grease in the kitchen.

Deep cleaning a kitchen is a chore but because it works, it's worth the effort.

To get a "for sale" standard of cleanliness, it's recommended you:

• Wipe down all work tops
• Clean the sink & taps
• Empty your bin
• Wash the floor
• Wipe down all cupboard doors
• Refresh grimy tile grouting (B&Q have grouting pens)

Because buyers are an inquisitive bunch I'd also urge you to:

• Clean the inside of your fridge
• The inside of all cupboards
• The inside of your cooker

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #2

De-clutter!

Concentrate on the counter tops because buyers like to see lots of clear workspace.

Put away all:

• Appliances
• Dishes
• Bottles
• Cookbooks etc.

Next, turn your attention to the fridge and the cupboards...

Throw away as much as possible and keep what's left neat and ordered (if you've ever seen the film "Sleeping with the Enemy", try and recreate the cupboard scene).

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #3

Take a critical look at the floor!

Because inexpensive facelifts transform tired or dated kitchens this is a good place to spend a little money.

• Grim covered carpets
• Cracked tiles
• Grungy and worn floor coverings

None of these things help you to sell a house quickly!

Kitchen floors should be hardwearing and easy to clean.

Good choices are:

• Rubber
• Vinyl
• Ceramic Tile
• Natural stone
• Wood laminate (by far the cheapest & easiest option @ about £9-10/sqm)

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #4

Take a critical look at the walls!

As with the rest of the house, a light neutral paint job is the safest and most effective option.

However, totally neutral kitchens can sometimes look a little too bland.

Introducing two or three rows of quality tiles above your counter tops can double as a splash back and be an effective way to add colour.

If you already have wall tiles and they need replacing, don't hesitate just because it looks like a tricky job - 9/10 times new tiles are easy to apply straight over the old ones.

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #5

Take a critical look at the cabinets!

There are 3 main problem associated with kitchen cabinets:

1. Doors made of dark wood can make the room feel small and oppressive.

To fix this, re-paint the doors in a light neutral colour.

2. Too many cabinets can make the room feels boxy and cramped.

To fix this, take off one or two of the doors and convert the cupboard into open display shelves. This will give the room breathing space.

The open cupboard can then become a display of kitchen accessories (such as a collection of posh Italian olive oil bottles).

3. Cabinet doors that are outdated or damaged give off a poor impression.

This is where the classic "Changing Rooms" trick works a treat. Why buy new cabinets when you can just buy new doors at £15 - £25 a pop?

Together with new door handles (simple stainless steel always looks good) it's one of the most cost-effective ways to modernize a dated kitchen.

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #6

Take a critical look at the worktops!

If your worktops are:

• Battered
• Chipped
• Burnt
• Scratched

Definitely consider replacing them and remove any reason for buyers to find fault with your kitchen and frustrate your goal of achieving a quick sale.

Laminate worktops are the cheapest option and in this day and age actually look rather good (about £50 for 4m from Ikea).

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #7

Take a critical look at the lighting!

This is a worthwhile exercise because good lighting creates atmosphere and atmosphere sells.

Generally speaking, kitchens need two types of lighting:

1. Directional halogen ceiling spotlights.
2. Countertop lighting placed under the wall cabinets.

If the room is just lit by a single centrally hung bulb or the unflattering light of a fluorescent strip, spending £100 will have a big impact on how well your kitchen presents.

Again you can do worse than check out Ikea for cheap but effective lighting systems.

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #8

Create a place to eat!

Because modern living habits have changed over the years, today's buyers are looking for "flexible space".

"What the Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen is that" you may ask!?

Well, in a kitchen that just means finding space for a table and a couple of chairs.

This shows that the room is more than just a space for food preparation.

It makes the space more valuable in the eyes of your buyers.

Sell a House Quick Presentation Tip #9

Accessorise!

By now your kitchen will be looking fresh, clean and nearly ready to sell.

You just need to give it that "show home" finish.

This doesn't take much (in fact in a kitchen "less is more"), just a few artfully placed objects such as:

• Leafy green plants in a modern vase or pot.
• Designer kettle & toaster (buy them for your new house but put them on display now).
• A stylish bowl filled with fresh fruit.
• A display of designer Italian Olive oil bottles.
• Contemporary glass pasta jars.
• A thick wooden chopping board complete with crusty loaf...
• Anything you can think of that looks "designery"

Remember that colour co-ordination is important so pick a colour and use that as your guide.

Sell a House Quick - Conclusions

To sell a house quick you need to give buyers what they want.

Whether it's a buyers' or sellers' market, this is the smart way of doing business because the more buyers you attract, the more money you'll sell for.

It's the most basic concept of economics - supply and demand.

Take a moment to think about who will be looking for a property like yours:

1. Young professionals.
2. Families.
3. The elderly.

What style will they be attracted to? Urban / contemporary or warn / cosy?

Match the style you're creating in your house to what buyers are looking for and you'll be sure to sell your house quickly.

If you need further guidance (over and above the information you'll find on this website), the following books are the best available:

Design Books:

There are of course tons of books out there to gain added inspiration from. Most are a bit of a let down.

They may have beautiful photos but tend to lack any really useful instruction. There are two exceptions:

If you need "design inspiration" you'll find heaps of it in either or these.

They are immediately useful - basically being instruction manuals on how to get more pleasure from your home. The information and ideas they contain will certainly help to sell your house quickly.

DIY Instruction Manual:

Collins, Readers Digest, Harry Greene - these are all solid DIY books but none come close to:

Home Staging:

In terms of specific books on home staging, the best we've ever come across is written (unfortunately) for the American market.

Thankfully the information is just as effective over here:

This is the latest book by Barb Schwartz (the undisputed queen of home staging for over 35 years). It is pretty much the bible of home staging techniques.

The only UK based book worth anything is:

It's not as detailed as Barb Schwartz's book but it will still show you many design tricks that will help you to sell a house quick, for maximum profit.

Quality Boxes Used By the Removals Industry:

Clearing & de-cluttering you house becomes so much easier when you have the right tools.

Trying to find sturdy cardboard boxes that stack & keep your valuable belonging safe is harder than you may first think.

www.helpineedboxes.co.uk is an award winning company started by Ex-Removals professionals.. they just sell boxes.

Property Staging Consultants

Most of us cannot see the imperfections in our own home and may not be sure which changes will meet market expectations.

To get the answers it's possible to employ the services of a professional home staging expert who will give objective and impartial advice on changes to add wow factor and improve buyer appeal.

It's this wow factor, mainly created by low cost cosmetic changes, which gives property its best chance of enticing buyers and achieving the ceiling price.

That is, the maximum selling price which can be many thousands of pounds different from the price a buyer is willing to pay due to their perceived value.