Grange London's 7 Top Tips for Marketing Your Property

According to Rightmove, the largest property platform in the UK, the initial 12 days of marketing your property are the most important. This is when your property goes out to all people registered for alerts on the portal and when CTR (click-through rates) spike from people interested in the initial property image through to the detailed information.

Rightmove recommends that - dependent upon the size of the property - between 5 and 15 images are used and 80% of buyers want to see a floorplan. That means when we send our professional photographer to your property, it is so important that you have followed these tips below, and we can capture the best assets to showcase to buyers or tenants. It is worthwhile delaying the start of your marketing until your property is in its best condition, rather than rushing the marketing and missing out on that initial 2 week hike in traffic and your optimum chance to sell or rent for the best price.

Declutter

You are looking to move, so the first thing you should do is decide what you are taking with you, what can go to the charity shop or be sold and what can go in the rubbish bin. Order your packing boxes straight away and start to pack anything that is not needed whilst you are in the process of marketing your property for sale or let.

If you are a landlord with tenants in your property, ask if they are happy for viewings to take place prior to the end of their tenancy term, and if so, consider offering them packing boxes to do the same and get the place decluttered. This could mean a much shorter void period, saving you back the cost of the packing boxes and more.

We understand that if you are living in the property, you will not want to remove everything, just be sensible and pack away nik-naks, photos, books, toys and try to fit the items you do need into cupboards, so that surfaces are clear and the place looks tidy.

A thorough clean

This is not your weekly hoover and surface wipe. It is recommended to employ a professional company to undertake a DEEP CLEAN which will leave your property spotless. If you do this prior to marketing your home and then ensure you maintain a regular general cleaning routine until the property is sold or let, then it will always look spotless for your viewers.

Here is a list of what to expect from a deep clean:

Vacuuming carpets and floors
Sweeping and mopping floors
High and low dusting
Cleaning door handles and light fixtures
Dusting windows, window sills and ledges
Cleaning under rugs and along skirting boards
Changing linen - try to use white bedding for viewings
Cleaning kitchen appliances inside and outside
Wiping countertops
Cleaning the inside and outside of the kitchen cabinets
Doing the dishes and putting items away in cupboards
Emptying the rubbish bins
Descaling tiles and shower doors
Cleaning and disinfecting the toilet
Cleaning the sink and bath

Window dressing

If you have purchased a new build property as an investment and are looking to find a tenant, then you might have a completely blank canvas. Adding window dressings is essential when letting out a property, tenants are very unlikely to rent somewhere without curtains or blinds installed. If you are selling or letting a property that you live in you probably already have window dressings, so you should ensure they are thoroughly cleaned before viewings commence. You can use an upholstery cleaner for curtains, or remove and take them to the dry cleaners. If you have blinds then ensure they are not gathering dust, open them before viewings and let the light in if the viewing is during daylight. Try to avoid net curtains, especially if they have been hung at the window for some time and will probably be yellowed.

Make an entrance

Strong emotions such as 'love' or 'hate' come very quickly when viewing a property. In all of the years that we have been marketing homes, we are all too familiar with that first look, that expression of "show me more now" or "get me out of here". Of course, not everyone will LOVE the property they move into, especially if it is a temporary residence, but even so, a decision is made very quickly. So it is vitally important to ensure that you give your property the best advantage with getting that first impression right. If you have a home with a front garden or private entrance, then you can start from the outside. Sweep away leaves, clean the pathway, front door and door furniture. Consider a new hanging basket (not one full of weeds and dead plants from last year) or standing plants to either side of the front door. Once inside, the same applies, use mirrors and plants to give a spacious feel to a hallway, have the doors open and a side lamp on, even in the day. There really is nothing worse than walking into a hallway with no natural light and all the room doors closed!

Define the space

Staging an unfurnished property or ensuring that your own furniture is set in the best location will always help viewers to envisage living in the property. So if you have an unfurnished property, you can use a staging company (we will recommend one) to put strategic pieces into the rooms in order to define the space and showcase how it could be lived in. Empty properties look smaller than those with one or two pieces of furniture in each room: ie. dining table and chairs, standard lamp or large plant in the dining area / L-shaped or sofa and chair or 2 sofas with a coffee table and wall mounted TV in the lounge / bed and bedside cabinets (and wardrobe if not fitted) in the bedrooms.

If you have loads of furniture, or old or tatty items, consider removing items to only leave good quality and essential pieces in each room. If you have used a bedroom as an office, or a gym, you should return it back into a bedroom prior to marketing. If you have a room full of junk, definitely get rid of that!

Mood lighting

Rather than just relying on overhead lights, which can be quite harsh, consider adding some mood lighting to your rooms. A standard lamp next to an arm chair, 2 side lamps on a dressing table or on either side of a bed give great ambiance to a room and make it welcoming. If you can have a lower hanging light over a dining table or a selection of lamps hanging down over a kitchen island, they can look very appealing and contemporary. Remember that you are not trying to dim the light in order to hide anything, you are trying to add a sense of atmosphere to your property.

Fresh air

Nothing beats the smell of fresh clean air, or even coffee brewing or fresh flowers when you walk into a room. The opposite is walking into a room that stinks of animals (remember if you live in a home with pets, you could be nose-blind and not smell what others do - so ask a friend to be honest) or the smell of spicy cooking, which can really be off-putting to the viewer. Plan the times when you are going to get the curry on the go and do not accept viewers until you have extracted the smell from the kitchen, however yummy it smelt when cooking and eating it! If you have pets in the property, take the opportunity to head out for a walk before the viewers arrive, or as they do, so that there is no distraction, pet smell or worry if viewers are allergic.

What do we want your property to look like when we show people around?

Welcoming
Clean & tidy
The best it can look

Take a look at our viewing video for No. 3 Canalside Walk, London W2, a 2 bed / 2 bath apartment which has been staged for marketing purposes. If you would like our advice or to speak to us about marketing your property for sale or letting, please get in touch HERE.

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7 Top Tips for Marketing Your Property for Sale or Let