Are you thinking of upgrading your park home?

Pretty much all of our park home insurance customers say they’d never swap park home living for bricks and mortar, however there are a fair few who are thinking of selling their park home in order to buy a newer or bigger model.

If you’re thinking of trading your current park home in for something different, here is some advice on making the most of your property to attract interest from buyers:

Have a clear out

Get rid of as much clutter as you can, whether it means buying a new set of drawers to hide piles of paper, having a car boot sale, taking pictures down from the wall or sending furniture to your nearest charity shop. The cleaner and more spacious your home looks, the more appealing it will be.

Go neutral

If you’ve got a bold colour scheme, you might want to consider painting your walls in a neutral tone. Often people are put off by decoration choices that they wouldn’t opt for themselves – even though they’ll be changing it once they move in anyway – and darker colours can make a room look smaller.

Es-scent-tial touches

The smell of a home is just as important as its appearance. Take out any bin bags before guests arrive and don’t leave any strongly scented foods in your fridge. Make sure the bathroom smells fresh and clean as well.

Back to basics

If you’ve converted a second bedroom to a study or a dining room to an office, convert it to its original purpose to showcase your park home’s full potential. This can be as simple as removing current furniture and adding a double bed or table with four chairs.

First impressions

Before they even step foot in the front door, potential buyers will judge your park home based on its external appearance. Even if you only have a small garden space, cut the grass and weed the flowerbeds, remove any excess clutter. If the front of your home is decking or patio, add some flowerpots for a splash of colour.

Sort out your paperwork

Be prepared for any practical questions potential buyers might ask by putting together any warranties and documentation relating to your park home. By putting together a folder containing paperwork such as your rent book, utility bills and council tax bills, you can quickly and easily let them know about the cost of living at your site and the cover on the white goods etc inside your park home.

Local knowledge

Make sure you’re aware of where the nearest post office, supermarket, bus stop and other essential amenities are located. Often potential buyers are retirement age and may rely on public transport or be concerned about where they can draw their pension.

Here are a few other hints and tips to help your park home sale:

•  If you’ve got parking for one car only, move your vehicle round the corner so your buyer can park directly outside
•  Any pets should be kept in their cage or, if they’re a free roaming animal such as a dog, it is advisable to tie them up in the garden or get a neighbour to take them out for a walk
•  Open the blinds if it’s a sunny day or if you have a particularly pleasant view from any room
•  Greet prospective buyers warmly and stand behind them in each room so you are not obscuring their view of each room
•  Remember to point out integrated appliances – they might not realise that your kitchen cupboard is actually a dishwasher or your utility room contains a washing machine
•  If your home is empty, turn on the heating for 30 minutes before viewers arrive to make it seem cosier 

When you’ve successfully sold your park home and purchased a new one, Coast can offer you a competitive quotation on your park home insurance. For more information call our friendly sales team on Freephone 0800 614 849.