The housing market has experienced unprecedented growth recently, with house prices jumping nearly 10% in a year. While it remains very much a seller’s market, it is nonetheless key that your home is presented to viewers in the best possible light. There are several factors that might influence a buyer’s decision to move forward, but there are three that have a particular impact. Here they are, along with ways to manage them in order to clinch that sale.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is by no means a recent or emergent factor when it comes to buying a home – but recent news has made it all the more prescient in buyers’ minds, and could be one of the most important considerations in buying a new home in the modern age. Rising energy costs have hit consumers’ wallets in a major way, while the growing climate emergency has become a point of personal anxiety for many.
Ensuring your home is energy-efficient can make for a much easier sale process, especially if your home is an older build. Cavity wall insulation is a must, while insulative cladding can help with solid wall builds; browsing the market for more energy-efficient combi boilers can improve efficiency with regard to central heating.
State of Repair
While those on the housing market will not be naïve to the notion of DIY, your home’s state of repair can still be made or broken; the less work a buyer has to do, the more likely they will be to go ahead and buy. ‘State of repair’ is a somewhat nebulous notion, but issues that contribute to it include the presence of limescale in grouting, the presence of mould in sealants, and any fixtures or fittings that require repair or re-installation – amongst many other little things.
Re-grouting bathroom tiles can make a huge difference to the state of repair of your bathroom; filling any holes or cracks in your walls can also make the home seem neater overall. New sealant around sinks and units contributes, as does repair and refurbishment of fittings such as coving or skirting boards.
Décor
This last point may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but your existing décor can significantly affect the future intentions of prospective buyers. Even though a majority of people in the market for a home will have their own intentions when it comes to decoration, the current aesthetic state of your house can make a profound difference.
For example, you might have unique tastes and an eclectic palette, with loud colours in each room and statement furniture that suits your tastes. This kind of style, throughout the home, can cloud viewers’ judgement and make it hard for them to imagine the house suiting their needs. Brightening up rooms with neutral colours can make them much more widely appealing, and give buyers the chance to imagine their own approach to the home – giving you a higher chance of securing a sale.
