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How to maximise your property’s potential in less than a month.

In retail Christmas is the busiest day but in the world of property, that day falls on Boxing Day. Larger and larger year on year December 26th is one of the busiest days for people looking for a change.

It all starts on Christmas Eve. Friends and families gather by the woodstove, kids are watching Elf for the 5th time this month, you have a lovely buffet and of course, there weren’t enough crackers to go with all the cheeses you carefully selected so you’re making a run to the nearest petrol station. Crisis averted. You’re bringing another bottle of mulled wine – just in case.  Kids will wake up super early the next day so it’s best to have an early night. Also – the cousins are coming in the morning. All is calm, all is bright.  

By the next day bacon sarnies and bucks fizz to start the day, excitement arises and before long the floor is covered in wrapping paper, so much so you can’t see the floor! Claiming a seat on the sofa is reserved like VIP seating at a football game!   Christmas lunch, crackers, queens speech –  it’s the most wonderful time of the year! And then as a humorous comment, the host says –

“We need a bigger house!”

You forget about it for the rest of the day and then the next day in the morning you stay a bit longer in bed to avoid the carnage downstairs and you start scrolling property portals to see what actually is available on the market…

According to Rightmove, every year more and more people exercise scrolling and a  record 54% more visits last year have been recorded in comparison to the previous year.

So if you want to sell your house quickly, get everything ready for it to be listed before Christmas! 

It usually takes months to sell a house and this can be even more challenging in the winter period when the sky is a bit more grey, the grass isn’t as green and the trees are bare.  

We’ve prepared our top 5 tips to help present your house to help it sell as fast as possible over the winter season.  Studies show you have 7 seconds to make a good first impression and that can be difficult to overcome if you make a bad first impression. 

Creating a good ‘kerb appeal’ is what a buyer will see first so let’s take a look at the very first thing that will be seen.

1. Outside looking in – 

Ensure your bins are clean and tidied away, no one wants to run the gauntlet to get to a front door, whilst we’re looking at that approach ensure that there are no other obstacles. Trim up overgrown bushes, tidy up any toys that might be in the way and ensure it’s a welcoming approach.

2. Less is more

As winter is coming and so comes Christmas and all the decorations. Now whilst I’m sure some of us love to light our house so you can see it from space generally low-key lighting and decorations are better. You want to present your home as the potential to a new owner and they may not want to be blinded by lights and dancing singing Santas! Might be good to take great quality photos before you go all out with the decorations.

Moving inside:

3. Fresher than fresh

The smell is a curious thing, it can bring memories flooding back or make you want to run for the hills. Now it may seem like a nice idea to get a pine fresh scent for your home but we’ve found that buyers will think you are trying to cover something up with an air freshener even if subconsciously.  

A clean house shouldn’t smell so don’t fear but if you really did want to give your home that home smell, try baking before a buyer shows up, nothing smells as good as food like bread or biscuits! 

4. Light and bright

The winter months are dark, make sure your home is bright, open the curtains, turn on the lights and whilst we said in point 2 not to light your home from space, indoor (every day) lighting will help create a more inviting home. You can also ensure your home is warm enough on colder days to keep buyers busy but don’t overdo it! 

5. Tidy house, tidy mind

An obvious one you’d think but ensure your home is tidy and clean. And by clean we mean – get rid of that limescale on taps and black mould from your shower. Nothing to be ashamed about, the UK is known for humidity and hard water areas.  Consider hiring commercial cleaners to come and give your home a deep clean, it can save you the stress and bother and ensure you’ve not missed anything. 

6 – Bonus point!

Many Americans ‘stage’ their home and it has become increasingly more popular in the UK. Making the property more neutral, unveiling its true potential. Staging your homes make it more appealing to more buyers but also can require you to store your belongings so it may not work for everyone.

And a final thought – your house may not be the first potential buyers will view but you definitely want it to be the last one!

Cash Property Buyers, We Buy Any House

Speak to a member of our team and find out how we can help you sell your house quickly.



About the author

Klara is a property expert. She knows everything there is to know about the property market, and she's always happy to share her tips, tricks, and advice with others who are looking to sell. Klara has been in the business for many years, and her experience makes her one of the most trusted sources of information in this field. When it comes to the housing market, Klara knows what she's talking about!