Hi folks,

Many home owners focus on interiors when putting their houses up for sale, especially in winter when it seems too cold to stay outside long enough to have a good look around the property let alone carry out maintenance. But most purchasers start making judgements from the minute they step out of the car and a bad first impression can stay with them when they go inside. The following ideas may help you get your purchasers off to a good start.

It’s worth looking at your home as if looking at it for the first time. Most of us get used to our own clutter and cobwebs and no longer notice them. But untidy or damaged gutters, cobwebs or overgrown gardens brimming with weeds might just make purchasers decide you don’t care about your home and make them wonder how good your attention to detail is in the areas they can’t see like plumbing and wiring. Cleanliness is important, even people who don’t mind their own dirt and clutter usually notice other people’s.

Before putting the house on the market, stand at the curb and have a critical look. This is the first thing your purchasers will see. Does your home measure up? Here are seven things that are easy to do and will make a difference to the exterior of your house.

1. Sweep paths and decks.
2. Clean gutters, window frames and eaves.
3. Don’t forget to wash outdoor or deck furniture if you have it– in winter it is easy to overlook if you’re not using it like you do in summer. If it is grungy and decrepit, borrow or buy something that suits your home. It’s not expensive in the scheme of things.
4. Clear away odds and ends – even those that are lurking in the less visited parts of the garden. Remember purchasers will see EVERYTHING. Old plant pots and  broken toys or tools – even the half-finished projects or building materials that look like works in progress to you  – all these spoil the look of your house.
5. Organise for high pressure hoses to clean mould or moss from brick work or stone.
6. Invest in a bit of mulching – it makes garden beds look tidy and the property looks nurtured and loved.
7. Put in some colour where you know people will notice it. You can use pots if that is easier. Just make sure they are kept watered as drooping plants are worse than no plants at all.