Clean windows, garden lights and having a warm home can all help you sell your property.

That’s the advice from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) which has come up with some top tips on how to sell your home during the cold, dark, wet days of winter.

First impressions count – Make sure the path to your home is clean and clear leaves and dirt. Tidy the front garden and give front doors and windows a fresh coat of paint. Having clean windows will also help light enter the property and allow buyers to look out into the garden if the weather is bad, portraying a clean well looked after home.

Warm and friendly – It’s important to make your house feel warm and homely. If a buyer enters a property that is cold, they’re unlikely to stay long. Ensure the property is adequately heated before buyers arrive to view the property, even if it means using the timer to pre-heat your house if you’re at work during a viewing.

It is also worthwhile highlighting any energy saving features you have in your home such as double glazed windows, insulation or if you have an energy efficient boiler. With the cost of running a home ever increasing, knowing a property is equipped with features that will help save money will increase its attractiveness to buyers.

Bright and beautiful – Ensure your home is well lit. This means making sure all of your lights work including the security lights, before a viewing takes place. If a viewing takes place during the day, open all of the curtains and blinds to ensure as much natural light as possible enters the home. This will often add to the atmosphere and make the home look bright and airy.

Clear the garden – Make sure your garden is presentable. This means packing any garden furniture away if it is inclement weather and clearing leaves and debris from the patio and garden paths. A messy garden can signal the need for too much work and effort and thus detract buyers from making an offer. Does it smell?– According to a BBC science report our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other senses* so it is important your home smells nice. Remove any damp footwear from the entrance-way and even consider opening a few windows in the days before a viewing to freshen up the property. What’s the weather? – Always try and arrange a viewing on a day that will show your property in the best possible light. If there’s a storm on its way it may be best to re-arrange a viewing once the storm has passed. Allow adequate time to fix any damage such as falling fences.

Jan Hytch, president of NAEA, said: “Simple things such as ensuring the home is warm and well lit can improve saleability during these cold, dull months and additions such as garden lights to enhance the entrance to your home can stimulate buyers’ imaginations.

“With buyers now concerned more than ever on the running costs of a home; sellers should seek to highlight any energy saving features which will entice an offer out of buyers.” *http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/smell/smell_animation.

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