Getting your home sale-ready: a practical checklist

The most important thing, and free. A tidy home looks bigger and brighter. Buyers want to imagine it as THEIR home, not someone else's.

• Remove family photos and children's drawings from the walls
• Store away stuffed animals, religious items and hobby gear
• Clear countertops, fridge tops and desks
• Empty overstuffed cupboards — buyers look inside to assess storage
• Fold towels neatly and hang them tidily

Get a few boxes, temporarily store personal items at family or in storage. A home that looks "empty and crisp" sells better than a full one.

Small defects you ignore, a buyer sees immediately. A few hours of DIY often delivers thousands of euros:

• Fix a leaky tap (€10 in parts)
• Replace damaged outlets or have them replaced
• Sand and touch up scratches in doors and walls
• Clean dirty grout in bathroom and kitchen or re-caulk
• Wipe or repaint skirting boards and frames where needed
• Clear spider webs and dust from ceiling corners

You don't need to redecorate everything, small interventions make a big difference:

• Place fresh flowers or a green plant in living room and kitchen
• Neutral, light curtains and cushions in the same colour palette throughout
• Make the bed in each bedroom neatly with white, clean sheets
• Place clean, folded towels in the bathroom
• Replace worn-out bulbs, choose warm tones (2700K) not cold white
• Give the bedrooms a "hotel room look": empty nightstand, one plant, no clutter

For more expensive homes, a professional home stager (€500-€1,500) can be worth it.

A home must feel spacious. Tips:

• Remove large furniture where space gets crowded, temporarily put it in the attic or storage
• Place small furniture along walls to keep walkways clear
• Open all curtains and shutters during viewings, natural light makes every room bigger
• Air the home thoroughly before every viewing
• Bake a fresh cookie or brew fresh coffee — scent marketing works

Photos on Funda decide whether people come to view. For the shoot:

• All personal items away (tape doors that won't close)
• All curtains open, all lights on
• Toilet lids down, bins out of frame
• No car keys, phones or chargers on counters
• Beds tight, cushions neatly arranged
• Outside: garden tidy, mowed, terrace pressure-washed

Always invest in professional photography (€150-€400). The difference between iPhone photos and a professional working with a good lens and flash is enormous.

• Don't renovate for sale, except very small interventions. A new kitchen for sale rarely pays back.
• Don't paint walls in extreme colours for the photos — neutral sells to a broader audience
• Don't have your dog or cat present during viewings
• Don't be at the viewing yourself, buyers are more open with an agent
• Don't smoke in the home the week before viewing, the smell lingers