Covid-19 Shutdown: How to Use This Time to Prepare Your Home for Sale

As the Covid-19 situation continues to unfold, the extent of the shutdown and how the current restrictions will be gradually lifted remains unclear. For property owners who are still considering selling in 2020, there are many ways to use this containment period to prepare your property to hit the market, as soon as it is safe to do so. 

1. Scope out the competition: Would-be sellers can use this time to research other, comparable properties online for ideas on presentation and property promotion. 

2. Get a virtual valuation done: The team at Kinsella Estates are carrying out provisional valuations – get in touch for more details about this. 

3. If, like most people in containment, you are spending more time around the house, start to think about decluttering rather than just tidying up.

4. Inspired design: Involve the family and set the kids and teenagers a design challenge for their respective rooms or spaces in the home.  Who can come up with the most creative furniture layout or storage solution?

5. Window cleaning remains a Spring-clean staple for a reason – sunshine highlights neglected windows and lessens the all-important light entering your home. 

6. Fix it up: Cast a critical eye around each room of the house and note minor fixes required, for example, broken tiles, scuff marks on walls, paint chipped from window sills etc. These are minor but can have a major effect on potential buyers and can dampen the first impression of your property.  

7. Think ahead: jobs like interior painting and carpet cleaning are best left for when the house clears out – if required, get ahead of the inevitable queues and book these services now, to be carried out the shutdown is lifted.

8. DIY now: There has never been a better time for DIY projects to improve storage or design elements around your home (or to finish those long-abandoned projects!). 
9. Kerb appeal: The unseasonably good weather makes this the perfect time to tackle the garden, think about freshening up garden furniture and dispose of any unnecessary articles that don’t add to the appeal of your outdoor space. 

10. Capture it: Finally, while your home and garden are looking fine, take advantage of the sunshine to photograph each room and do a walk-through video of your home, pointing out all of the best features of your property  – make it easy for potential buyers to see everything there is to admire. 

For your FREE, no obligation, valuation in the South Wicklow and North Wexford area, call into one of our offices (located in Carnew and Gorey) and chat to any of our expert team or you can contact us online at www.KinsellaEstates.ie. We are happy to facilitate overseas buyers and sellers via Skype or similar, outside of regular office hours.  Alternatively, email me directly on michael@kinsellaestates.ie or telephone: +353 53 94 21718