The Kitchen

A welcoming kitchen is one of the biggest attractions for potential house buyers or letters, often the heart of the home.

• Clean and declutter! Viewers may even look in your cupboards so ensure shelves are cleaned and contents well organised.
• Pet bowls should go outside as potential buyers or letters may not be animal lovers and could be put off by the sight of half eaten pet food.
• Flowers or pot pourri on window sills create a welcoming atmosphere and add a fresh fragrance.
• Replacing your entire kitchen to attract buyers or letters is not usually necessary. Often the cost of installing a new kitchen outweighs the value it will add to your asking price. If your kitchen is very dated, simple changes can make all the difference. Painting the cupboard doors, replacing handles or taps and re-grouting the tiles can all give a new lease of life.
• If necessary, box up items you don’t use very often and put them in storage. If your cupboards and drawers are overflowing, buyers will assume there is little storage space, which can be off-putting.

Presenting Your Garden

Gardens are too often forgotten in the race to make the most of a property. It’s a common-held belief that the decision on whether or not to buy or let a property is made within the first few moments of viewing it. Kerb appeal is all important as first impressions really do count.

Make sure your front garden is neat, tidy and easily maintained:

• Hanging baskets and flower troughs establish the cared-for look without creating too much work.
• Lawn areas should be neatly trimmed and trees cut back and controlled.
• A well-presented front door with a potted plant or two creates a sense of welcome.

The back of the house is just as important as potential tenants and buyers will be considering the maintenance work needed:

• Decking, paving and woodchips can differentiate areas of the garden and simplify them, showing a very desirable ‘outside room’ space.
• Got a larger garden? Try to create a sense of flow within the space to draw the visitor in. Position pathways, lawns, pots and flowerbeds to create that flow.
• Trees and hedges should be kept under control.
• Fences should be well maintained.