Purplebricks has partnered with interiors expert and author of Mad About the House, Kate Watson Smyth, to give sellers top tips on virtual property viewings.
It’s important to remember that first impressions always count. Buyers may not be walking up the front garden path but they will be starting in your hall. This sets the tone for the rest of the house, so make sure it’s tidy with no piles of coats, bags and shoes spilling out. Make sure the doors to the other rooms are open so that it’s as light as possible.
- Social savvy: Buyers may well be Instagram-savvy and wary of what you aren’t showing or what is lurking out of shot. Make sure there’s a full 360 pan of each room so they can see the corners and understand the space and know that you aren’t hiding a broken window or a pile of laundry that has nowhere to go.
- Spot check: Acknowledge problem areas; if you have a small dark room, dress it to be cosy and inviting and show how you use it – e.g. as a kid’s TV room, home office, or guest room.
- Neat and clean: Tidy up the obvious things first: make sure the pictures are straight on the walls, the cushions are plumped and the curtains fully pulled back (this lets in more light).
- Touch up tidy: A bit of routine maintenance helps achieve a house sale: make sure all the handles are present and fixed on, touch up any scuffed skirting boards and paintwork.
- Spotless views: Clean the windows: you want your home to appear light, bright and well-cared for. While this may not actually show on camera, it will add to a general sense of cleanliness and a cared for space.
We’ve pieced together some useful hints for each room in the home, that will help make your virtual appointments stand out from the rest.
The Sitting Room
- While virtual viewers may not be able to smell fresh flowers, they still look pretty. Make sure any big leaves are shiny and remove any brown or droopy leaves.
- The fashion for completely depersonalising a room has gone now but don’t fill every surface with pictures of your cute kids and pampered pets.
- House buying is still aspirational as well as practical; make sure your coffee table books reflect that.
The Kitchen
- Storage is key in this room. Make sure at least one cupboard is tidy (and open it to show viewers). Declutter the worktops so keen cooks can see there is plenty of prep and storage space.
- High end appliances can help sell a kitchen so show off any that you have and while you can’t tempt viewers with the real smell of fresh coffee and baked bread, a coffee machine and high quality toaster may help.
- If you have a pantry or a utility room then tidy it and show it off. Buyers want to know where they can store the ironing board, the muddy boots or washing machine.
The Bathroom
- Work on the aspirational side of this room. Decant soap and shampoo into pretty jars, hide all the spare loo roll and make sure there are piles of folded, and colour-coordinated, towels. Add a stylish radio and a couple of candlesticks and if you have a dimmer then show it working.
- If the grout is stained then go over it with a grout pen to freshen it up.
Bedrooms
- Make sure the bed is smoothed flat and the pillows plumped large. Put a pretty lamp and an interesting book on the bedside table and invest in pretty bedding and throws (you can always take it with you).
- Show any built-in storage and make sure it’s tidy inside (put the bulk of your clothes in a suitcase in the car if you need to)
For more tips from Kate Watson Smyth on buying a new home – CLICK HERE
