With almost 4,000 residential properties currently listed on ASPC, selling your home can feel like a daunting yet exciting experience.  You want to ensure that your property stands out on the local market for all the right reasons - as the well-known expression goes, “you only get once chance to make a first impression”, which is why it's important that you show your property to its full potential in your listing, and get it noticed by home buyers across the region and beyond.

In this blog post, we’ve provided some top tips for boosting your property’s views on ASPC, from taking advantage of social media and spending time decluttering your home, to hiring a professional photographer and staging each room…

Declutter your home

When it comes to selling your home, you want to showcase the full potential of the property by tidying away any unnecessary clutter or mess.  When buyers view your property - whether it be online or in person - they want to be able to visualise themselves living in the home. By decluttering, you’re essentially creating more of a blank canvas, which really helps buyers envision how they could potentially use the space without unnecessary distractions.

But how do you go about decluttering your space?  This doesn’t mean quickly tidying up moments before your photographer or viewer arrives, nor does it mean throwing away all of your belongings.  There are lots of simple and easy ways you can make your home look more spacious and appealing without saying goodbye to your beloved kitchen appliances or favourite scatter cushions.

For example, try taking advantage of any storage that you do have in your home by tidying away items such as toys, cosmetics or any large kitchen appliances.  If you're struggling with storage space, it might be worth considering renting a short-term storage unit where you can temporarily store items when getting your professional photos taken and eventually conducting viewings. 

Don’t be afraid to stage

Staging your home is a valuable tool when it comes to selling your property as these small details can go a long way in separating your home from others in the local market and getting those all-important listing views.  From adding a beautiful statement rug and incorporating a touch of greenery, to setting the dining room table and adding a fresh vase of flowers, there are lots of ways to stage your home, making it memorable for all the right reasons.

If you’re not comfortable with your own styling abilities, there are some talented local experts who can lend a hand when it comes to staging your home, as well as online resources.

Highlight any key features

As the homeowner, you will have a better understanding of the best features of your home. Whether it’s a large south-facing rear garden, a beautiful open-plan kitchen/dining room, a lovely wood burning stove or wide stretching views over the surrounding countryside, it's important to showcase the very best of what your property has to offer and all its hidden gems in order to get it noticed by homebuyers browsing our website.

Whatever your property’s top selling points are, it’s always worth highlighting to your solicitor agent and photographer any key features that you think should be included in the listing.  One of them may end up being the deciding factor as to whether or not a prospective buyer looks at your listing and views your property.

Give your exteriors some extra attention

It’s not just the interiors of the home that you need to consider when it comes to cleaning and decluttering, the outside space is another big consideration when buying a property too.  Make sure the grass is trimmed, pathways are cleared of weeds and toys or tools are tidied away before a photographer begins to work their magic.

Bringing a garden into prime condition may take longer to perfect than other areas of the home, so try and plan ahead if possible. If you know that you will be selling your home in the near future, we would advise you to get on top of your outdoor space well in advance and plant any trees, shrubs or flowers slightly earlier to give yourself time to have your garden looking in good order. A property’s exterior and outdoor spaces are examined just as closely by home buyers as the interiors, so it’s important to refresh the outside of your home to create a lasting impression.

Consider the timing of your photos

Anyone living in the North-East of Scotland can agree that it can be particularly hard to predict the weather, however, when it comes to taking photos of your property, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to the forecast.

Where possible, we recommend arranging photography on a bright day, as this can add instant appeal and increase the longevity of the listing. For instance, if the exterior of your home was captured with a snow covered roof and is still on the market coming up to summer, this can be a strong indicator of how long your property has been on the market and could put people off viewing your listing.  If you have been unfortunate with the weather, and your exterior images are rainy or dull, it is worth having these photos re-taken and updated on your listing.

Hire a professional photographer

Hiring a professional photographer to capture your home can play a large role in the success of selling your property.  Most ASPC member firms will organise this on your behalf.  It gives you the best chance of having high quality images of your home that will make your listing stand out on ASPC.  It may seem straightforward to snap some photos on your phone, however, photographers have a deeper understanding of how to capture the essence of your home in the best way possible, by utilising all the good angles and lighting. Not to mention, photographers also have access to specialist equipment and editing software, meaning quality is never compromised.  

It is evident when images used are of lower quality, often characterised by noticeable darkness and slight pixelation.  This can subsequently impact important factors such as property views, social media promotion and publication use, ultimately limiting the number if individuals who view your listing.

Potential buyers are much more likely to click on a property listing if the photos are attractive, inviting and professionally shot, compared to those that are dull and grainy, which is why choosing a photographer to capture your home could be a very worthwhile investment.

Lead with your best image

When it comes to listing your property on ASPC, you want to ensure that you are leading with the strongest image to help entice buyers to click on your listing when they see it among a variety of others on our website.

Have a conversation with your solicitor agent about which photo is most likely to grab the attention of those scrolling through the thousands of listings online, and which one shows the best of what your property has to offer. It may be a striking exterior shot of your home that oozes instant kerb appeal, or an elegant interior shot showcasing one of your property’s best features.

Make the most of social media

Once your property has been added to the ASPC website, you will be able to share your listing across a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This is a great way to increase the exposure of your home without spending a penny and can help you reach a wider audience, generating more interest in your property and hopefully more views if you’ve followed our other tips.

Don’t be scared to reach out to friends and family members to share your post too, as this is only going to widen the reach of your social media post and hopefully encourage buyers to take a look at your listing and book a viewing!

ASPC is passionate about helping buyers, renters and sellers across the North East move home. From the initial discovery of a property, right through to moving in, our team has created a range of insightful blog posts and information pages that will provide some helpful tips to make your move as simple and efficient as possible.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with one of our team members on centre@aspc.co.uk.