Tips For Preparing Your Property For Sale

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Walk through the property and be picky – try to look at the property as a potential buyer would. Make a list of repairs and touch-ups that need to be made - and get them done.

Buyers will mentally add up things they see that need fixing and start deducting that off a possible price. And no doubt, they will come up with an amount that is much higher than what the actual cost might be. What’s more, a buyer may begin to question the overall maintenance and upkeep of the rest of the property. This perceived “neglect” will likely result in either a lower price or lengthen the time the property takes to sell.

If you have used bold colours, inside or out – this is the time to neutralise them. Your strategy should be, to make your home appeal to the widest possible audience. So, you need to take the guesswork out of the equation for buyers. The property market is driven by buyer demand – and buyers will have difficulty looking beyond bright colours, or threadbare carpets and bold wall coverings.

Tips To Sell Your Home

Any home that doesn’t require work, is an attractive prospect to any prospective buyer.

With this thought in mind, here are some simple tips for you to consider, to make your place a more attractive proposition for potential buyers to consider.

Street Appeal

Fact: If people don’t like what they see from the street – they probably won’t go any further

  • Sweep and wash driveways and paths
  • Remove debris
  • Lawn Care – mow high and often
  • Get rid of weeds – remove or spray
  • Trim back plants, trees and shrubs
  • Place mulch around planted area
  • More planting – if required
  • If front of house requires paint – do it

Making an Entrance – Front Door

  • Clear a pathway to your front door
  • Add interest near front door with potted plants
  • Front door – Sand and Paint to look great
  • Invest in a new door mat
  • Inside – Remove items around doorway e.g. shoe racks – Free up space

Living in Style – Family Areas

  • Always use neutral colours in living areas
  • Declutter, declutter, declutter
  • Paint over any brightly coloured walls
  • Get carpets cleaned – Stretch if wrinkled
  • Ensure plenty of outside light
  • Wash and clean all windows
  • Wash/clean all curtains and Blinds

The Space that Sells – The Kitchen

  • Clean in and around extractor fans and clean filters
  • Inspect tiles – replace and re-seal where needed
  • Clean all light fittings - use white bulbs for brighter appearance
  • New cupboard and draw handles can smarten things up
  • Consider replacing cupboard doors and draws to change the look of the kitchen
  • Declutter, declutter, declutter
  • Add some colour – Bowl of fruit, flowers
  • Clean, clean, clean
  • Remove stick-ons from the fridge
  • Clean and disinfect dishwasher
  • Clean Oven and Cooktop
  • Check Taps
  • If anything needs painting – do it

Soaking it up – Bathrooms

  • Make sure your bathrooms are spotless
  • Eliminate any signs of mould or mildew in or around Shower, Bath and Windows
  • Clean, Clean, Clean
  • Replace any plastic toilet seats
  • Air your bathroom before any inspections
  • Use air fresheners and perfumed soaps
  • Add some boutique bath products
  • Clean around ceiling lights
  • Clean shower glass
  • Replace old/loose handles
  • If it needs painting – do it

And so to Bed – Bedrooms

  • Use the bed to fit the space – a double if its a double bedroom – don’t use singles
  • Hang air fresheners in the wardrobes
  • Wardrobes appear more spacious when you take items off the floor
  • Relocate any out of season clothing to free up wardrobe space
  • Make sure any sliders/doors are working properly – Fix or replace
  • Remove any additional furniture to free up space
  • Declutter, declutter, declutter

Let’s get organised – in the Garage

  • Did you know 73% of people enter the house through the garage and;
  • 25% of people with a two car garage – can’t fit a single car inside
  • Empty the garage out - create space
  • If the floor is a mess – paint it or carpet tile it
  • If your laundry is in the garage – make it spotless
  • Install cheap shelving to get stuff off the floor
  • If walls are marked – paint them
  • Eliminate any evidence of insects or spider webs

Step Outside – Backyard

  • Trim your lawns – cut them high and often
  • Define garden bed borders with Stones or timber
  • Add a focal point – Create something - a Sculpture?
  • Introduce colour with pots
  • Kill weeds in/around paved areas
  • Wash all paved areas
  • Weed planted areas and mulch