Moving house? Here’s how to prepare your home for viewings

What will the viewer see when they first show up at your home, and can you improve that view? Probably. Make sure things like bins or bikes are hidden away or at least stored as neatly as possible. 

Also, if parking is tight outside your home, there’s no harm in quickly nipping your car around the corner just before the visit, so your visitors have somewhere to park. 

If you have more time:
If your front door is looking scruffy, give it a lick of paint. It’s a quick job and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. If you have wooden window frames, consider giving them a new coat of paint too.

It can be a bit embarrassing doing shuttle runs between your home and car, as you race to squirrel away at least some of your clutter ahead of a viewing. 

But it is worth trying to remove some of the clutter from your home, to help viewers get a real sense of the space. You could stash it all away in a cupboard instead of in your car boot, but viewers may want to get a good look inside these to find out how much storage space is available.

If you have more time:
Moving home is often a good time to carry out a more serious decluttering, taking as much as you can to charity shops. Also, rearrange furniture to give your rooms a feeling of more space.

If you don’t regularly clean the windows in your house, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise: it doesn’t take as long as you might think, and it can be like the difference made by switching your old TV for a new ultra HD model. So much more light will flood into your rooms. This may also be a great time to give your front door a good scrub too.

If you have more time:
Repair windows where you can, such as those that have condensation between the panes.

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, then don’t forget to give it some attention too. You don’t need to landscape it - just think about raking up leaves, gathering up any other debris (including neglected old plant pots and kids’ toys) and cutting the lawn. 

If you have more time:
Fix wobbly garden fences, trim your hedges and clean your garden furniture.

It’s hard for viewers to imagine themselves living somewhere if they’re distracted by the existing owner’s grime.

So, before any viewings take place, make sure to give your home a really good clean. Try and see it through someone else’s eyes and clean up those things you normally neglect. Think the likes of a shower curtain (some can go in the washing machine - check the instructions on yours) or skirting boards, which just need wiping with a wet cloth.

In the bathroom, be sure to stow away items like toothbrushes, which aren’t nice to have on display.

If you have more time:
Hang a new shower curtain.

Kitchens are often described as the heart of the home and the most important room for any viewings. 

So be sure to take extra time to make yours look as nice as possible. That means no dirty dishes on display and all of your surfaces shiny and clean. 

But again, as with the rest of your home, think about those parts you might not normally get round to: is your toaster grubby and covered in crumbs? What sort of state is the oven door or surface in? Now is the time to get stuck in.

If you have more time:
Give your kitchen cabinets a lick of paint.

While baking a fresh loaf of bread to fill your home with welcoming aromas is a bit obvious, you certainly don’t want last night’s curry smell lurking. So, before anyone comes round, make sure your house is smelling okay.

Finally, there’s no harm in putting out some fresh flowers to brighten up a room.

With your home now looking at it’s best, you’ve certainly given yourself the best chance possible of enchanting any house hunters who come knocking.