World Cup flags a no-no for house sellers

Supporting England in the World Cup could wreck your chances of selling your home. England players may embrace each other after scoring a goal, but fans watching them play in the World Cup can kiss goodbye to selling their home quickly for a premium price if they hang a St George's flag outside.

Festoons of the national flag are second only to old cars and heaps of broken furniture outside the front door in the list of things that put off potential housebuyers, according to a survey by Propertyfinder.com.

Warren Bright, chief executive officer of Propertyfinder.com, says, "If you have your house on the market and don't want to be interrupted while watching England win the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, then show your true colours and decorate your home with the English flag. You will be sure to put off plenty of potential buyers!"

However, if making a quick sale for a good price is a priority, Propertyfinder recommends removing sporting flags prior to a viewing.

As anyone who has watched Ann Maurice's House Doctor programme on television is aware, "kerb appeal", or making a good first impression, is vital when selling your home. This means having a tidy front garden, smart front door, no visible need for repairs to brickwork and guttering and welcoming touches such as tubs of plants or hanging baskets outside the entrance.

Remember, when you are selling you are not trying to project your own personal taste or attitude to housekeeping, but to give a good impression to would-be buyers.

Hanging baskets NOT hanging flags...

You may detest busy lizzies in hanging baskets, and not care a rap that the door bell doesn't work, but if bright flowers make the house look more appealing then go for them. Broken fixtures and fittings are simply a no-no in any circumstances when you are trying to sell.

If you have any doubts about how your home rates in the kerb appeal stakes, ask your estate agent for a frank appraisal.

You may find that you are stuck with some things that appear in the list of offputting features, such as pebbledash and stone cladding. But other aids to a quick sale, such as tidying the garden, moving the caravan, touching up paintwork and removing the garden gnomes, can easily be done in a trice.

Take particular care on the day the house is photographed. Overflowing dustbins in the front drive, photographed before the binmen call, won't do much to help a sale once they are immortalised in your sales particulars.

The same goes for washing on the line and junk mail and newspapers in the letterbox: make sure washing is taken down and free newspapers are not sticking out of the door when the photographer calls.

If you own a caravan, see if you can park it somewhere else while your house is on the market, so your driveway is clear, and the front of your home can be seen to best advantage. Make sure your windows are clean and curtains and blinds look good from the outside of the house as well as the inside - no discoloured or torn linings, for instance.

On days when people are coming to view, check the pavement outside for litter and dog mess. Five minutes litter-picking, or a well-aimed bucket of water, could help your sale. It goes without saying that pet mess should never be a feature of your garden, and, if at all practical, all evidence of pets should be removed from your house completely.

Just taking a modicum of care with the outside of your home could mean you get the chance to celebrate the sale of your house for a good price, whatever the fate of the England team.

13 June 2006 © Moneyextra.com

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