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Selling your house is one of the most challenging events that life throws at you. Moving is an emotional rollercoaster and a stress magnet.

And getting the whole process off to a bad start by having your house on the market for a long time is the worst way to kick off the forthcoming fun and games.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

We’re going to reveal three things that will help you sell your house quickly

And they are all easy enough to do.

Will it be worth it?

You bet!

• Preparing your house for sale does take some effort. But it takes a lot less effort than the endless rounds of tidying up for two months’ worth of fruitless viewings.
• What’s more, TV’s property goddess Sarah Beeney tells us that you can add £5,000 to the value of your house by taking some very simple steps.
• And finally, there’s that stress. In a recent poll, moving house topped the stress list of two-thirds of those surveyed, ahead of relationship breakdowns, divorce and starting a new job.

So, let’s show you how you can knock some of the pain and worry on the head.

Here are three things you can do to sell your home quickly.

1. Clean Your House

Fix It Up

You don’t need to be a DIY superhero to fix those minor repairs. Fill those holes in walls, fix those broken door knobs, replace those cracked tiles and hide that threadbare carpet.

Many buyers are looking to move in without making changes, and even those who aren’t, take away an impression of an unloved house when they see things left in disrepair.

Would you buy an unloved house?

Clean It Up

Next, you need to pull on the Marigolds and brandish that mop. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling in winter, summer or autumn: it’s time for a thorough spring clean.

You need your house to sparkle if it’s going to shine on the market. Get rid of limescale, clean that tile grout and wax those wooden floors.

Freshen It Up

Looking good!

But, how does it smell?

We all know that freshly baked bread or freshly brewed coffee can work their aromatic magic by leaving a favourable impression when people view houses. But many of us are unaware of the flip side of the coin.

In a recent survey, a third of potential house buyers named bad smells as the single biggest turn off when viewing a home. Pets are often to blame: cat litter trays and Fido’s dog food bowl can leave undefined, but instinctive, doubts about a property in viewers’ minds.

If you smoke in the house, it’s time to head outside until the offer is made. Place bowls of vinegar all around for a few days: don’t ask us how but it seems to suck up that stale, cigarette smoke. Of course, your house has an acidic tang during this time but it soon clears.

And don’t get us started on damp. Any hint of damp smells will quickly extinguish the burning desire to make an offer.

Scrub, remove or mask: those bad smells have to go.

Spruce It Up

Your house is now clean as a new pin and smells like heaven, but you haven’t finished quite yet.

The first impression starts outside on the driveway and in the garden. So, grab the secateurs and have a tidy up out front.

Cut the bushes back, mow the lawn, clean the patio and dot a couple of colourful annuals in that bare patch of soil.

The Front Door is one of the first things that a buyer will notice. A fresh coat of paint or varnish will do the trick. A peeling or dirty front door immediately flags up to a buyer that work will be required.

2. Declutter Your House

Blank Canvas

As you clean why not start clearing away, as well.

Everything is going to have to be boxed up in the near future anyway, and getting rid of clutter makes each room look bigger.

But, what’s just as important, is it removes your personality from your house too. A house without clutter is a blank canvas for viewers to start working on.

And when you paint yourself into a house’s space you’re halfway there to making an offer.

Sumptuous Space

It’s not just those teenage boy’s boxers, your knickknacks or your toddler’s ever-expanding collection of largely unplayed with toys that can be cleared.

Think a little bigger as well. Large pieces of furniture that you don’t really use could make their way for sale or into storage.

And all of a sudden, your home feels spacious.

In fact, you may wonder if you actually need a bigger one!

Trip hazards

Speaking of space – the UK has the smallest living spaces in Europe. And the place you are usually painfully aware of this is the hallway.

Anything you can do to make your poky, crammed hall feel bigger will help. So, let’s clear those coats and shoes to a secret location shall we?

The worst start to a viewing is tripping over a pair of size 9s as a child’s muddy parka falls indiscreetly to the floor.

Create Space

There are many ways to create space or give the sense that there is more room than there actually is in a house.

Here are a few ideas:

• Would a mirror hung in that room give the illusion of depth?
• Might clean windows or removing net curtains let light flood in and open out smaller rooms.
• Could dark corners be enlivened by lamps.
• There’s no question that less is definitely more where ornaments are concerned.
• And little doubt that tidy and organised rooms feel bigger.

Finally, there are more drastic steps you may want to consider.

Converting the garage into an extra room, or going up into the loft, will usually put on to the value of your house the cost of doing them.

If you have some spare cash, why not get it done before the sale?

If you don’t, why not get the planning permission anyway and make the concept of extending the existing space seem halfway complete?

3. Give The Walls A Lick Of Fresh Paint

There you have it.

Three simple things that will help you sell.

But, if the thought of moving really sends shivers down your spine, why not talk to us. We offer a FREE no obligation valuation.