The short dark days spent sitting on the sofa munching away on bottomless tubs of Quality Street are now over and home-hunters are hungry for a change.
Spring is coming! This is a really important time of year for house sales and so we have put together a selection of nine tips to help get you moving this springtime.
- Clear out Christmas clutter
Christmas is over, it’ll be back in 10 months. So it’s time to move with the seasons and remove any last trace of festivity from the home. That includes the spiced cranberry scented candle in the hallway and the sparkly lights around the fireplace.
Gather up the unwanted Christmas gifts that have piled up in the corner of the spare room and donate them to charity before they pass the ‘best before’ date. That pretty packet of bath bombs shaped like cupcakes will only accumulate dust and you will never have anything to wear with that pink satin blouse from your Aunt.
Bookcase overflowing? Bookshelves are natural hiding places for things we don’t know what to do with, check them for Christmas cracker toys and random objects that you’re trying to convince yourself are quirky ornaments, and while you’re there………. are you really going to read ‘War and Peace’ again (or at all)?! Hospitals and charities in the UK and abroad will be most grateful for your books…and your home will have space to breathe again.
- Deep clean
They don’t call it a spring clean for nothing! Whilst regular cleaning includes a hoover and mop of the floors, scrub of the bathtub and wipe down of the kitchen worktops …a spring clean tackles ‘what lies beneath’.
Depending on how ‘deep’ you wish to delve, the possibilities are endless, so at Belvoir Enfield we’ve focussed on the essentials.
Clear out the cupboard under the sink. Viewers want to see everywhere, and mouldy sponges can be rather off putting and there are only so many plastic bags you’re going to use.
When it comes to windows the focus is often on the glazing itself, but don’t forget to thoroughly wipe down the frames and handles of patio doors and windows. The same goes for switches and sockets.
If you have any freestanding appliances, make sure you clean away the food and grime that can build up down the sides.
Cleaning the oven is never fun, so if you haven’t been following the ‘little and often’ rule, then don the Marigolds, dig out the Mr Muscle and dig in for the afternoon or ……… hire a professional, I guarantee they’ll have seen worse!
- Look down
After a winter of muddy boots, mince pies, spilt drinks and a higher than usual number of guests, your carpets will be ready for some TLC.
A thorough hoover is essential, paying special attention to the easily overlooked skirting board edges. This is especially important for pet owners as skirting boards are magnets for animal hair.
For any stained or damaged areas take it to the next level by spraying with cleaner, working it in with a hard-bristled brush and hoovering over once dry (always check the instructions first).
- De-scale and polish
They always say that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, and they can also do the opposite. So these are the main rooms to focus your spring clean on. Get all that chrome sparkling rather than looking dull and when it comes to limescale – fight citrus with citrus!
Cut a lemon in half and scoop out a hollow in the centre, push the lemon over the tip of the tap (hole side up) and swivel it until it feels secure. Leave it for an hour or two, then gently brush away any lemon bits and loosened limescale with an old toothbrush. You can also spray away limescale with a water and white wine vinegarsolution but we think the lemon is more fun.
- Maximise kerb appeal
While Christmas is all colourful lights and baubles, springtime brings with it a natural colour that you really can’t beat. Make the most of nature and give your home some serious kerb appeal.
Sweep up and dead leaves, trim back any straggly vines and as soon as your boots stop leaving imprints in the lawn (if this rain ever stops), wake up the spiders in the shed, set the blades on the mower to their highest setting and give your grass its first haircut of the year. If your front garden is paved over then how about a couple of pots or hanging baskets with bright flowers.
Top Belvoir Enfield tip: Mowing in a diagonal pattern will make your garden look bigger.
- Mellow yellow
The colour yellow has a huge psychological role to play in selling your home. When you think yellow you may think chicks or daffodils or sunshine, you might automatically feel cheery, and full of energy and enthusiasm. Well so do the rest of us and so you definitely want to use this colour in your home this springtime.
You can have too much of a good thing so take care not to overdo it, just add a few subtle touches for example a vase of daffodils on the kitchen window sill, a yellow cushion or throw on the sofa, and a few towels in the bathroom should do the trick.
- Shine like a star
If it can capture a reflection, let it shine! Having light bounce around your home off reflective surfaces makes it feel larger and fresher, so now that we have longer days and some sunshine make sure those surfaces gleam.
Start with the windows, clean them inside and out until they sparkle. Dust off any blinds and makes sure your curtains and net curtains are washed and ironed.
Hardwood floors and furniture should be polished to perfection, laminate and vinyl flooring washed down and buffed, and splashback tiles and worktops given a bit of elbow grease until they sparkle.
- Don’t rely on the weather
British springtime brings with it the promise of April showers although we had a very wet February and March isn’t looking much better so maybe April will bring sunshine? Who knows? The only thing that’s guaranteed is that you need to be prepared, so pray for sunshine on every viewing but be ready for rain.
Have a nice clean ‘viewings only’ door mat ready for your viewers. It gives a good first impression whilst also saving your newly scrubbed carpets (see tip #2) from mucky feet.
