Vendors and agents tell homeandstyle.ie how to ensure your house is looking its best when you put it on the market to sell
Buyers are becoming increasingly anxious to get off the purchasing treadmill and onto the property ladder.
When it comes to buying a home, location and how many bedrooms are, of course, important – but when it comes to narrowing down which home a buyer wants, the property's presentation is critical to garnering attention, both in real life and on digital channels from property portals to social feeds.
From unloved extensions to clutter in the bedrooms, how your home is presented can impact how long it takes your home to sell. Don’t let it be your home that gets passed over.
Here are some tips on how to garner attention by presenting the best version of your home that you possibly can.
Your garden is your shop window
Address The Stables, Derrynahinch, Ballyhale, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, R95R9T1
Agent: Savills
Asking Price: €895,000
A thoughtfully planned, planted, and manicured outdoor space should make buyers pause when browsing listings.
Located eight kilometres outside Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, and set on 18 acres of land, the grounds of The Stables are an illustration of this point.
The property includes a four-bedroom country house, a two-bedroom cottage and stables.
It's very simple, says selling agent Guy Craigie.
"Make sure the lawn is cut if there is one, pull up the weeds, if there's a patio, give it a power wash, and draw the eye to the best pieces of the garden."
Make sure the gardens are clutter-free, he counsels. That means no bins, no rusty swings, no detritus of any kind.
Map out visually how every room can be used
Address: Boynefield Lodge, St Oliver’s Road, Longwood, Co Meath
Asking Price: €590,000
Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald Brady O’Flaherty
Anthony Grogan of Valley View Construction Services Ltd was so impressed by the stonework in Boynefield Lodge that he bought it.
He was doing work in the area and was taken with the quality of its stonework construction, reputedly built as part payment for bed and board by stone masons from the west of Ireland, brought east to build in the area.
He added a 35 square metre extension to the property and upgraded its insulation, installing a new heating system and allowing the original character of the building, its stonework, to take centre stage.
He instructed Smart Home Staging “to show how” the now four-bedroom, three-bathroom 154 square metre A3 BER-rated property could be lived in, signposting rooms but keeping furnishings to a minimum.
Showing empty rooms was not an option, he explains.
“Many people can’t visualise where a locker or bed will go,” so he suggests you spell it out visually.
It is sound advice. Declutter, map out rooms by use and illustrate all of this visually.
Simple ways to improve kerb appeal
Address: 12 Church Street, Drogheda, Co Louth, A92P7DW,
Asking Price: €295,000
Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald Lannon
Extending to 81 sq m, this E2 BER-rated three-bedroom looks crisp and clean.
It has been repainted, and the paving has been power-washed, explains estate agent Giles Belton of Sherry Fitzgerald Lannon, giving it a fresh first look and increasing its kerb appeal.
The fact that there isn’t a car in sight makes the front less cluttered-looking.
Before the photographer visits, brief them that you don't want any cars in the shot and park your own vehicle elsewhere for the duration of the shoot.
And make sure the interior reflects the exterior.
Make an entrance memorable
Address: 46 Rathmore Park, Raheny, Dublin 5, D05 C938
Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald Sutton
Asking Price: €695,000
Create a good first impression. The light-filled hall of a three-bedroom, plus attic room, terraced house in Raheny village is what makes it memorable.
Seller Jalisa Clemmett explained that when her family first bought the 117 sq m, C1 BER home, the porch was dark.
Adding a fanlight and side lights to the front porch door helped, but it is the glazing panes on each side that really change the mood of this hard-working space.
"We’ve brought a lot more natural light in," she explains.
The removal of the inner porch door allows ease of entrance and exit, something that will be notable on open viewing days.
The clutter of everyday outdoor shoes has also been removed by the installation of a discreet cupboard where they can all be stored out of sight.
A fresh coat of paint can be transformative
Address: 89 French’s Avenue, Cobh, Co Cork, P24 XK18
Agent: DNG O’Connor Finn
Asking Price: €220,000
We live in an attention economy. With most home hunters scrolling listings on a phone, a compellingly coloured exterior might just cause them to pause long enough to investigate inside.
This E2 BER-rated, two-bedroom, 55 sq m terraced house is painted Cayman Blue by Fleetwood.
Would-be buyers who take the time to look inside will see that the charming property has a small but sweet garden and two dormer windowed bedrooms.
This is exactly the result sellers want.
They want eyeballs and dwell time on their home, which, ideally, converts to a physical viewing and possibly even a bid.
Scrub all decks
Address: 28 Marlton Park, Wicklow Town, Co Wicklow
Agent: Sherry Fitzgerald
Asking Price: €495,000
This C2 BER-rated four-bedroom, three-bathroom semi in Wicklow town presents well to the front, even though the tree isn't yet in full bloom.
The flowers at its base are a nice touch.
This well-maintained mood continues to the back garden, where the timber decking has been scrubbed clean.
It helps to telegraph a sense of pride of place in the well-proportioned property.
