Property for Sale - Creating Good First Impressions

Once you've decided to sell your house, it's exciting but at the same time daunting, especially if this is the first time you've done it. The thought of starting the next phase of your life in new surroundings is one to hold on to in the coming weeks - it's a fresh project to make into a home, one more suited to your family's changing needs, perhaps.

But one thing's for sure - it's quite rare that, once you've made up your mind to put you property up for sale, that you're going to change your mind. Especially if you've already seen the house of your dreams, that you want to make an offer on.

The first thing you need to do is make a checklist. It's mostly common sense, but this piece of paper is a great starting point to get you organised for your move. There will be a lot of remember.

You'll notice that the items on it will grow then slowly decrease as time moves on. The number of things on this list depends on several factors.

First, how well have you looked after your home lately? You need to take a critical look, inside and outside. Are all the roof tiles secure? Does the guttering need cleaning out? What about that bird's nest in the eaves? Does the pointing need attention?

Look at your window frames and your front door. In many cases, a good clean will be enough, but consider the first impression your home will make. Are the window frames in good condition? Is it possible to paint, scrub or replace them? Sometimes, simply replacing rusty or mottled door furniture will give a tired entrance a brand new look on a shoestring budget. Now imagine you are entering your house for the first time-what's the first thing you see? Small details can make a difference between a house that sells and a house that doesn't.

On your list, make sure for each room there is a list of things you need to attend to - chipped radiators, torn wallpaper, dirty light switches, stains on the carpet, finger marks on the woodwork, scuffs on the skirting boards. Do floorboards groan when you walk over them? Are your light shades dusty? Is the bathroom grouting discoloured? Does your house smell clean?

Because no matter how many candles you put out, or if you unleash the smell of baking bread on your prospective buyers, your viewers will notice shabbiness and this will affect what happens next - a second viewing, an offer, or line of viewers who don't seem too impressed.

Of course, your list also depends on how fast you want to sell your property, how much money you want to make on it, and who are the target buyers. Be sensible, don't get too stressed over the tiniest details, but do make sure you're all set to achieve what you want to when putting your property for sale.

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