5 tips to preparing your home for sale
Once you have made the decision to sell your home, things can move quite quickly, so it pays to have made a start on the to-do list to get your property ready. Most real estate agents will tell you that attention to detail, when it comes to preparing your home for sale, will go a long way towards netting you the results you are after. Prospective buyers can be persuaded to part with extra budget if they have a clear picture of what they are buying, not hidden behind clutter and over grown gardens. If now is not the time to add that extra bedroom just for sale, what should your focus be?
1. Clean, de-clutter and freshen
A skip can be a great way to force the removal of clutter, rather than move it to another place in the house. Rooms shouldn’t have anything on the floors, everything away in cupboards, so that space is maximised. Getting in a professional cleaner to focus on bathrooms can be a great way to kick off the preparation, you will be amazed at what they will turn out like. Whether it be from a recent curry night, or the pile of sporting equipment in the laundry, your home may have a distinctive odour to it. A neutralizer or room deodorant will make sure your prospective buyers won’t be turning their noses up.
2. Prioritise repairs
When deciding what repairs and updates to spend money on, you should be focusing on the aesthetic options. A coat of paint throughout will do wonders, and even a carpet update will create a fresh look where feasible. Removal of weeds and dead plants, and replacement of new garden items will give the impression the home has been well cared for, and give buyers confidence. Replacing tired curtains with fresh new shutters produces an instant result and can create a modern feel.
3. Get the experts in
Once you have gone through the de-clutter process and made s start on basic repairs and fix ups, it’s a good time to get a stylist in for an objective view. But, remember, they aren’t there to critique your décor style, but rather provide some expert tips on what will appeal to home buyers. Their advice may include how to make bedrooms look larger, appealing to a specific buyer type (such as family, or professional couple), or tips on how to style for inspections. Their advice is aimed at maximizing your sale dollar, so it’s worth taking on board. Some agents will provide this service which can save some extra money.
4. Fake it
Once you have decided to sell our home, it’s time to take the emotional attachment out of the equation, and that includes your décor and furniture pieces. You’d be surprised at how many homes for sale include hired items, such as greenery, occasional pieces, décor items and artwork. While your budget may not be able to stretch to buying these pieces, short term hire can create the results you are after. Importantly, make sure you have your insurance policy updated to cover these items, just in case they are stolen or damaged while under your care.
5. Making it last
The reality is, you need to keep living in your home while it is being inspected by buyers. So, while it looks good with everything packed away and out of sight, how does your family continue to function? The answer is, you need to set up some processes in between inspections, and an action list on how to get out the door before they come in. Labelled storage boxes and tubs that can take everything scooped off the bench, or the laundry from the hamper, and stored in your car, can help you get by. On your list for pre-inspection should be the key factors that will make a difference, like flushing the toilets, fresh flowers, dusting, windows, emptied kitchen bins, all the little things!
