A savvy sellers guide to getting your Cheadle home ready for a spring sale

When things are uncertain, it is understandable that making huge life decisions such as moving home could be far from the front of your mind.  In troubled times we tend to consolidate and cocoon ourselves as opposed to making changes.  Yet as more and more of us are vaccinated, noises from the government lead us to believe schools could be set to return soon, and the awful, cold winter weather starts to ease, you could be thinking why wait any longer? The question mark hanging over the Stamp Duty holiday extension could be resolved within the coming weeks, with fresh suggestions that there may be a short extension beyond the 31^st March deadline, but regardless of the outcome, if you want to ensure you get the highest possible price and not just an acceptable price for your Cheadle home, there are things that all savvy sellers do to get a house ready for a Spring sale.

What are these things savvy sellers know?

There is nothing revolutionary, in fact most of it is common sense, but when you are swept up in the stresses and excitement of buying and selling at the same time, it’s not as easy to see things as they are.  Here at Maurice Kilbride we work exceptionally hard to negotiate the highest possible price for homes we sell in and around Cheadle but we know we can always get that little bit more when there is a savvy seller on board.

Strictly do décor

Your Saturday nights may once have involved dancing the night away with friends and family, but this weekend, grab your partner – a paint brush! – and chasse across your room refreshing the colour as you go.  This new weekend phenomenon – Strictly do décor – has hit homes up and down the country, as savvy sellers are taking advantage of lockdown and swapping the sequins for overalls to ensure their home is buyer-ready.  Pantone recently announced that Illuminating — a bright yellow hue — and Ultimate Gray are its 2021 Colours of the Year, with both synchronously representing unity, stability and hope. Gone is the vibrant décor that only an owner can love, and in with more neutral, toned-down palette which, although it may not be to the savvy seller’s taste, ensures that their home will do its job and walk away with not a Len Goodman 7, but a very elegantly dressed, Shirley Ballas 10.

Blankety Blank

‘A buyer is walking around a house, they enter a room and instantly knew that it is was a BLANK’. Sorry, there is no cheque book and pen if you get this answer right, but if you can’t tell what the purpose of a room is, how can any potential buyers?  This lockdown has meant every inch of our homes has had to transform into multipurpose areas – dining rooms are now gyms, and kitchens are doubling up as classrooms – but buyers are not looking for confusion, they want clarity.  Home offices, as we know, are going to be an essential in any home after this pandemic, with many businesses already informing staff that they are changing how they operate for good.  So, if you have a room that lacks a clear identity, create one so that no buyer leaves your home thinking about the BLANK.

Top Kerb

Your driveway may look like the Top Gear studio, but does it make your home look its best, really?  One thing people often forget about is a home’s kerb appeal. Now, it doesn’t matter if your house opens onto the street or you’re lucky enough to be set back away from the road, every house can rev up its exterior to create a Ferrari from a Fiat. You want anyone passing your home in Cheadle to want to take a second look because, as we all know, first impressions count. Savvy sellers realise that there is no point having a show house interior, if the exterior hasn’t set the tone by the time a viewer has walked up to your front door!

DIY SOS

Are you handy with a hammer, or sloppy with a screwdriver?  When it comes to getting those odd jobs done ready for your home to go on the market, every savvy seller knows that if you’re not up to the task, get the professionals in.  Nothing screams DIY SOS than some botched repairs.  You know the drill – if you see one thing faulty you become hawk eyed, looking to find the next flaw and the next… until you are convinced that this perfectly sound house is actually a house of horrors and a potential money pit.  So don’t play the ‘it will do’ game, because you will only lose out when it comes to actual offers. Get the repairs done professionally and ‘Play Your Cards Right’ so we can negotiate ‘Higher, Higher’.

Become a Cheadle savvy seller and you will be the one winning this spring selling season.  For more advice on how to maximise the potential of your home, contact our Maurice, Joe or Patrick. As part of our appraisal visit, we will help comprise a list of small jobs, that will enhance the saleability and value of your home. We even have a fee package that includes the services of our decorator and handyman free of charge! Please ask for more information.