A house can be a combination of a financial investment and a family home. It can be a store of personal wealth where adults organize the family finance and children get their first lessons in the importance of having savings. Buying and selling a home can have major financial implications as well as emotional ones, so it can be a good time to get some professional advice from a financial adviser. If you’re selling a home, it can also be worth investing a little time and possibly some money on your home to achieve the best possible price. Here are some suggestions to help you.

Create curb appeal

The first impression of a property is usually from the outside so make sure viewers are impressed. If your garden is a major selling point then it may be worth speaking to a professional gardener for tips on how to make it look its absolute best. For example some strategically-placed lighting could highlight its best features to visitors arriving for evening viewings. Even if you don’t have a garden, you will have an entrance door and some quality fittings (number or name, letter box, door knocker…) can make a huge difference to its appearance.

 Make sure viewers are comfortable when they arrive

Viewers aren’t exactly guests but they are people you want to stay in your home for a while and be in a mood to appreciate it. Make sure that there is somewhere obvious and convenient for them to put their coats and consider having some extra pairs of slippers to offer them (which might also be good for protecting your floors). Be prepared to offer tea or coffee and some quality biscuits and serve them in attractive cups or mugs.

 Remember allergy sufferers

Common allergies include nuts, pet hair and pollen. It’s therefore worth taking steps to remove any of these before viewers arrive. While fresh flowers can look very attractive and some viewers will love them, they are unlikely to win you any brownie points from people with hay fever. Green plants and/or fresh fruit, however, are more allergy-safe and also attractive choices. Remember to put them in containers which match with the overall décor of the room.

 Make sure your home passes the sniff test

Any potentially offensive odours need to be properly banished. With a view to this, if anyone is in the habit of smoking in the house, then they need to stop doing so until the house is sold and the house will need to be thoroughly aired. If there are young children or pets that may have accidents then you need to have something on hand to deal with them quickly. If you have a cat who uses a litter tray then it may be worth upgrading to an enclosed one in case your cat chooses to use it when you have viewers. Empty it promptly outside of viewing times and keep pet cages scrupulously clean. While it may be tempting to try to use scent to enhance the atmosphere of your home, it’s worth remembering that individuals react to scents differently. You therefore run the risk of accidentally fragrancing your home with a scent that you love but your viewer hates. It’s also worth remembering that pregnant women have an enhanced sense of smell and so even light scents may seem overpowering to them.

 See your walls and shelves as others may see them

Remove anything which could be remotely controversial, such as an object showing affiliation to a sports team or political organization. Take a long, hard look at everything else and decide if it is in keeping with the image of your house that you want to give. A studio portrait of your children could be an attractive feature in a family home but basic family snapshots are probably better moved out of sight, along with children’s paintings and home-made gifts etc.