How to prepare your home for sale

First impressions matter. Preparing your home properly before it goes on the market can be the difference between a quick sale at your asking price and a property that lingers with declining interest. This guide walks you through what actually works — and what is worth spending money on.

1. Declutter and depersonalise — why it matters more than you think

This is the single most impactful thing you can do, and it costs nothing. A cluttered home makes buyers feel crowded. A personalized home — full of your photos, your taste, your memories — makes it harder for them to picture themselves living there.

Remove at least 30% of what you have. Buyers want to see space, light, and emptiness. Declutter every room, clear kitchen surfaces, remove family photos, and pack away excess furniture. Storage cupboards should be visibly organized. A home that feels spacious and neutral sells faster and at better prices.

2. Repairs worth doing before you list

Do not ignore obvious repairs. A dripping tap, cracked tile, broken door handle, or stuck window immediately signals to buyers that the property has not been looked after. These are cheap to fix but significant in buyer perception.

Prioritize: leaky taps and pipes, cracked or missing tiles, broken light switches or outlets, squeaky hinges, broken blinds or curtain rails, scuffed skirting boards, loose flooring. All of these have high visual impact and low cost. Avoid expensive structural or major system repairs — valuations will account for these anyway.

3. Decoration: what to freshen and what to leave

Fresh, neutral decoration is powerful. You do not need to redecorate every room, but addressing obviously tired spaces makes a difference.

Focus on walls first. Scuffed, marked, or dark-colored walls read as neglect. Paint over marks or refresh in neutral tones (white, pale gray, soft cream). Avoid bold colors or trendy finishes — these reduce your audience. Clean or replace worn curtains. Fix any wallpaper that is peeling. These changes are fast, cheap, and highly visible.

Skip the full kitchen or bathroom renovation unless they are genuinely broken. Buyers expect these to be "theirs." A clean, functioning kitchen with fresh paint and new handles goes a long way.

4. Kerb appeal: the first impression that sets the tone

Buyers form an impression before they step through the door. An unkempt front makes them wonder what they will find inside.

Tidy the front garden: mow the lawn, edge borders, remove weeds, sweep the path. Paint the front door if it is tired. Fix broken fencing. Clean windows. Pressure-wash the driveway if it is visibly dirty. Add a potted plant or two near the entrance. These details take a day or two and cost very little, but they fundamentally change how the property reads to a buyer arriving for the first time.

5. Preparing for photography — maximising your listing

Professional photos are critical. The property lives online first. Buyers will view dozens of listings; yours needs to stand out.

On the day of the shoot: clear all surfaces, open all blinds and curtains to maximize light, remove clutter, declutter further than you think necessary, ensure every room is spotlessly clean, turn on all lights, and remove personal items. Bright, spacious, clean photos lead to more viewings. Buyers who show up already like what they see.