Looking to sell your house?

Are you looking to sell your house?

The majority of prospective buyers have already made up their minds about a property within a few minutes of viewing the property so there is no surprise that ‘kerb appeal’ is a huge factor in leaving an impression on those viewing the house. In fact, over two thirds of those involved in a government survey said that ‘kerb appeal’ was crucial when choosing a home.

Features such as well-maintained windows, pathways and fences were all important factors among buyers along with a roof in good condition being desirable too. Lighting around the property’s exterior was also deemed an attractive feature to prospective buyers.

If you are looking to sell and your house is lacking in kerb appeal then there is no need to panic as you don’t need to throw lots of money at the house to make it look attractive. You can do many things at a low cost such as weeding your front lawn, giving the front/garage doors a lick of paint, hiding wheelie bins and cleaning out guttering. For the jobs that do require a tradesman, make sure that you are getting the best deal you can though.

The top 10 most important factors from a survey when purchasing a property came back as:

• Windows in good condition – 71% rated this as important and repairs could cost between £1000 and £2000.
• A roof in good condition – 68% described this as important and replacing 5 missing or damaged tiles will cost around £190 to sort out.
• A tidy front garden – 67% described this as important and this can be done by you with no costs.
• A well maintained driveway – 59% said this was important and weeding can be done at no cost if done alone but repairs to the drive itself can cost between £100 and £500.
• Fences and walls in good condition – 56% of respondents described this as an important factor and you can do this yourself with the only cost to you being the paint you would need to buy for the fence.
• A well decorated exterior – 54% rated this as important to them.
• An attractive looking front door – 52% of people rated this as important and repainting can be done by you again with paint being the only cost.
• Functioning gutters – 50% of respondents described this as a factor they would be looking for and gutters can be cleaned out by you but repairs could cost around £250.
• Hidden wheelie bins – 36% of respondents described this as something they would want to see when viewing a house.
• A well-lit house – 26% said this was important to them and adding an exterior light could cost between £250 and £750.