New Year New Home?

It is just a small number of days until St Nicolas descends on the world to leave a twinkle under your tree ready for the Christmas cheer, mince pie frenzy and all round eat-too-much-day events of Christmas Day.

Yes, the old fellow with his white beard is entering your home, (hopefully invited, as being prosecuted for Breaking & Entering really dampens that Christmas Spirit) to leave you a special Christmas wish.  What will you wish for?

Now, I love the idea of Christmas, but, I love New Year so much more. Getting rid of the old tree, always finding one present under the tree that was never given out, carefully packing away those decorations, and a general fresh and lighter start to the new year.

So what can you really do to ensure that the Post Christmas sales starts with a bang?

Freshen up your paintwork.

This is such a good way to cheer your buyers up in the cold January months.  Shiny new gloss, new lighter paint on walls to hide the day to day family life over the recent months/years.  This really helps to sell houses, paint over patterned wallpaper and bring a sense of calm to a powerfully coloured feature wall.  It will brighten and make it feel bigger with the added benefit of really shaking your attachment to your home.

BIG TIP:  Do it right!! Buyers notice when it has been rushed.  Cut into the ceiling well, taking that little bit of extra time will make such a big difference.

Remove your tree

Pretty key if you are selling in January.  Photographing your house with the tree up will date your pictures.  Sometimes they can look great! ensure your agents do take photo's of the house with decorations completely removed ready for a new launch in January. 

Oh, and if you have a real tree, remove it from your house and from your garden, stale brown trees in the garden in February will hinder your chances.

Pack all your decorations up - Every last bulb, tinsel strand & lost bauble.

We all miss the odd decoration, the bauble that rolled under the sofa, the small Santa in the dining room.  Missing bits like this can say to your buyers that 'you don't look after your things' so if they think this, what will they be thinking about how you look after your house?? 

Looks like I best have one final check on the 12th day of Christmas to ensure that there is nothing left!!  :)

My final top tip for selling post Christmas is:

Have your paperwork ready. 

Spring clean your home & your bills.  Check your guarantees, dig out your cavity wall insulation certificates, electrical

certificates, building regulations confirmation for any extensions etc.  Even better, have your broadband speeds, average bill costs and meter types all ready for your buyers.   We request all these, to have with us on all viewings to help your buyers make an informed decision, no waiting, no wondering, cold hard facts that will leave you feeling a little more relaxed knowing your estate agent has your sale in hand.

When you have recovered from your festive food, pencil in some of these jobs while you have time off, get stuck in now.

Quote of the week:  'A little of what you don't want, will get you a lot of what you do want'  So get clearing, cleaning, painting & sorting this Christmas.

Until next time

What to read next:  'Can happiness sell your home?'

7 ways to make your home 'cosy'

The leaves have finally dropped, Jack frost is sneaking in and your house is on the market.  There are many things that can make a big difference to your chances of a sale and we often find that the right house for someone really feels like a home.  Somewhere to relax and feel calm. 

Here's my top 7 ways to make your home feel really cosy to potential buyers, improving your chances of a sale.

1 - Light your fire

If possible do this for when they come to view.  (Works really well for photographs too, this is my signature shot!!)  Keep it burning, the smell and showing it in use will be an instant hit.

2 - Ambient lighting

These grey days work wonders for enabling you to set a mood.  Add lamps with soft bulbs in them across your house.  Try and avoid having just a single central light on as this can be too stark and unflattering.  But ensure that the bulb in your main light does work as buyers will also want to see the room with it on!)

3 - Candles

These are great for dining rooms, try grouping candles of different sizes, together and dot them around the room to give a sense of calm to a space.

(WARNING: Be very careful as you shouldn't leave candles unattended, Make sure they are away from flammable fabrics and the bottoms are protected from the heat transfer on your best dining table!)

4 - Fabrics

Sumptuous fabrics are a great way to make your home feel instantly more comfortable.  Thick winter lined curtains that spill onto the floor give a cosy luxurious feel,  try chunky knitted throws and woolly tartan blankets.  Make your buyers want to cosy up on your furniture.

5 - Smells

Some smells can be very individual and a definite no no.  (like, this morning's fry up for instance)  A light delicate fragrance of winter berries make your space feel inviting why not try a lavender fragrance in the bedroom.  They key thing in the bedroom is for it to smell freshly laundered.  Less is definitely more here.  Even a light dusting of carpet freshener can make a subtle difference.

6 - Cushions

Throw away your thin old cushion fillers and invest in some big fat cosy ones filled with duck down or for a similar more purse friendly alternative try pure duck feathers.  These really are an investment buy as you can change your cushion covers to match your colour scheme at your new home.  Different shapes and sizes work really well together, mix up texture and keep colours tonal for that cosy yet luxury touch.

7 - Rugs

If you have hard floors in your property this winter this is a key buy.  Those viewers will be removing their shoes and a cold floor is not very inviting.  Thick rugs can really cosy up your room.  Try borrowing one from a friend while your house is on the market.  Keep patterns to a minimum as you don't want to draw the eye from the size of the room.  A good quality one will make your buyers stop and take note.  We had a luxurious rug in one of our properties and every single time a buyer stepped on it they said 'oooo' and 'ahhhh' It was a real show stopper and a great talking point.  They felt like they had been immersed in pleasure.
 

Go and wrap your home in cosiness this winter and secure that sale.

Ps: Ever thought of having a couple of spare pairs of fluffy slippers for your buyers to wear round the house while viewing.  They will be removing their shoes after all, so make them feel at home.


I'm Victoria and I have proven again and again that little things can make a massive difference to your home sale.  I love all shapes of houses, all styles of interiors, and I especially love a good chat. If I had to pick my personal favourite house style, I would have a Georgian home.  I love the period features, the tonal natural colour schemes and I love the stucco ground floors!!  Want to tell me about what your looking for?  Why not invite me round to show me your, I love to give away some of my selling secrets.  Call me direct on 01524 230722

Did you enjoy this read?  I really enjoyed writing it.  Leave me a comment and tell me what tricks you use to make your space feel cosy

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