Selling your home: Creating a good first impression

We all know the importance of creating a good first impression when we go to a job interview. But many of us overlook the need for a good first impression when we’re trying to sell our home. However, it could make all the difference. Especially as potential buyers often make their minds up about a property before they even set foot inside. So, the first impression people get of your home could be the difference between your house lingering on the market and it selling quickly at a good price. Thankfully, creating a good first impression isn’t difficult, and a read of these handy tips will make it even easier.

Getting the walk-up right to welcome buyers in

When you’re trying to sell your home, you need to make sure that potential buyers fall in love from the very first glimpse of the front. That means you need to get the walk-up right. If you’re lucky enough to have a front garden or drive, then this gives you a good opportunity to entice people in with attractive greenery, neat gates and warm exterior lighting. 

But even if your house sits right on the pavement, you can still make the front stand out from the crowd. Because the viewing starts at the front door, this can’t be a letdown. So, getting a new front door installed – along with stylish door furniture – is a good move. You may also be able to add a canopy over the door to add character. And just because there’s no front garden, it doesn’t mean you can’t soften the entrance with a colourful hanging basket or doorstep pots. And if there’s really no space, a seasonal wreath for the door can work wonders.

Set the right tone with neutral décor

Even when you’re trying to target your home to a specific market, such as young professionals or large families, you can’t possibly decorate your home to please all tastes. The best thing you can do is create a blank canvas, so potential buyers can easily picture themselves living there. Bold colours, heavy patterns and quirky décor may just put people off, even if it’s easy to change. 

That doesn’t mean you need everything to be white. In fact, this could appear cold and clinical. But a neutral palette for the walls and floors is essential. White, grey, beige, and taupe, as well as muted greens and blues, are all counted as neutrals. Your colour scheme doesn’t need to look boring, as a few pops of colour here and there will perk things up without being overbearing. But this can be achieved through pictures hung on the walls and decorative accessories carefully placed on shelves and cupboards. Keep a bit of a theme throughout by limiting the number of different colours you use and sticking to one simple style. This creates a nice flow and a sense of cohesion that helps to sell the idea of living in your house.

Clear the decks and keep it clean

There’s one other important tip that’s crucial to creating a good first impression and successfully selling your home. And that’s keeping it clean and free from clutter.  Perhaps the worst thing a potential buyer can see when they walk through your door is a mess of coats, shoes, bikes and pushchairs blocking the hallway or porch.  Or, they might notice that you haven’t invested in gutter cleaning, making the outside look dirty and unwelcoming. Similarly, throughout the house, you want people to see each room has ample space for living and sleeping in. So, unnecessary clutter is a no-no.

But equally important is keeping the house clean. It’s easier said than done when life is busy, so hire a cleaner for the short term if you need to. That way, there’s no panic when someone requests a viewing. 

Why is a clean home so important? Well, a smelly and dirty home isn’t going to tempt anyone to want to live there. And it will look uncared for, which will make potential buyers worry whether there’ll be a lot of repairs and maintenance to do after they move in. So, keep it clean to create a good first impression.  

Check out my home posts for more inspiration.