Taylor Scott International News
British estate agents are not always popular but new research reveals the lengths they will go to sell a property by making it more suitable for viewings. They will literally don rubber gloves to clinch a sale with many opening windows to get rid of bad smells, flushing the toilet and hiding inappropriate items on display, according to the research by Big Yellow Self Storage. Many agents have had to clean properties and hide items ahead of viewings. Some 36% said they have had to open windows to get rid of smells, 31% have pushed things under a bed and 29% have tidied up mess. Others have resorted to age old tactics to increase desirability with 22% turning on lights to create the impression of greater brightness and 15% brewing fresh coffee to create a homely atmosphere. The research also shows that 21% have tidied items away into cupboards, 17% have sprayed air freshener, 12% have flushed the toilet before viewers arrive and 10% have encouraged the property owner to get rid of large items. ‘Every agent wants to get the best price they can for their sellers, but many of the ways they do this go unnoticed. Agents get a bad press, but the research reveals that they’re often going above and beyond and undertaking less appealing tasks to make sure a property is presentable at viewing time,’ said property expert Kate Faulkner. The research also reveals agent’s tips on boosting a property’s sale price. Ways that reap particular dividends include clearing kitchen of small appliances such as kettles and toasters which can add £973 in value, creating an open plan living area adding £972 in value and de-personalising the property by removing ornaments and knick knacks adding £948 in value. It also found that in some cases, de-cluttering by removing bulky items to maximise space pushed the sale price up by as much as 11%. In fact, each square foot of floor space freed up is estimated to be worth an average of £238 by agents researched. ‘The UK is in the grip of a housing squeeze with the smallest homes in Western Europe, so space is increasingly desirable for buyers, as agents well know. Our research found that a fifth of buyers wouldn’t make an offer on a property because it was too cluttered, so it’s in the interests of agents to advise vendors on how they can maximise the space in their homes to clinch that sale,’ said Anthony Chenery, Big Yellow spokesperson. Some 95% of estate agents say de-cluttering leads to homes selling for more and 38% insist it increases the sale price 'every time' and yet only 56% have recommended short term self storage to clients as an aid to selling their home. Overall the study found that two thirds of sellers who de-cluttered before viewings received a higher offer than expected of £4,811 more, on average. ‘Self storage allows vendors… Taylor Scott International
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