Post

When selling it’s really hard to say goodbye to so many happy memories, but you need to let go of emotions and focus on selling the house, soon it will no longer be yours, you need to make it easy for a potential buyer to vision themselves in the home.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It is said that the first few seconds are vital when someone is looking at your home. Make sure:

PHOTOS ARE ENTICING – the photos in the agents window and on the internet are showcasing your home well. Most buyers start their journey of looking for a new home online so ensure that your home is presentable before the photos are taken.

IT HAS CURB APPEAL – ensure the gardens look good, remove weeds,  make sure the grass is mowed and it’s clean. It’s a great idea to spend a few $$ to put in some brightly coloured flowers to help improve the look of a bland garden bed.

THE ENTRANCE IS INVITING – place some potted flowers next to your front door if you have the space.

You never have a second chance to make a good first impression.

FIX ANY DAMAGE TO THE HOME

Fix holes in walls, broken appliances etc, as the idea of having to repair the home after they move in may deter a buyer from purchasing. Find a local handy man in your area to help with this.  Ask the advice of your real estate agent before making major changes, such as painting the house or replacing carpets as the expense may not affect the sales price.

TOO MUCH FURNITURE

Having too much furniture in a room will make it feel smaller than it is. If you are able to, remove the furniture to help make the room look more spacious. Place the furniture in the garage or better still hire a storage shed.

REMOVE PERSONALISED ITEMS

Remove all your personal items, so the prospective buyer can step back and imagine themselves in the home and not be distracted from your items.  These can be:

• Family photos
• Travel items
• Memorabilia
• Collections
• Heirlooms
• Trophies
• Kids height charts
• Quirky keepsake ornaments

You want the buyer to imagine their photos on the wall and this is hard to do if yours is there.

before – personal photos

after – less cluttered and still a lovely space the buyer can imagine themselves living in.

DECLUTTER

GENERAL – If you find the thought of decluttering the home before sale daunting start with the larger areas such as the kitchen, lounge room and main bedroom.  If your home is cluttered put it in the garage, it’s better to have a tidy living room than a tidy garage, the living room will sell the home more than the garage.

KITCHEN – For convenience you may keep chopping boards, utensils, knife blocks on the kitchen bench.  Clean everything off the bench tops to help make the kitchen look spacious.

CUPBOARDS – Don’t forget to tidy your cupboards, storage is something every buyer wants in a new home.  Remove half the items you have in the cupboards and neatly organise it. Your home may have ample storage but if it doesn’t have enough you don’t want to make it obvious that storage could be a problem.

ALL SURFACES –Remove all ornaments off surfaces and keep just one item on each.  Whilst it did give a very minimal look it made the room look more appealing.

WALLS – Even having too many pictures on the wall can clutter a space making the room feel smaller. Don’t forget about the posters on the kids wall, removing them will instantly make a positive difference to the room.

before – bold images on the wall, armchair making the space look crowded

after – without the armchair and butterflies on the wall it really does open up this area.  

Once you have finished decluttering start at the front of the house and walk through it like you are a buyer, ensure that you are able to move freely without obstructions.

CLEANLINESS

You want to show your house at its best, clean the floors, pick up any mess, wipe benches etc.  But also ensure the bathrooms are tidy, no toothpaste in the sink, hair over the vanity, lotions in cabinets etc. Make sure you remember to clean the following areas.

• wash windows
• dust blinds
• clean window coverings
• dust skirting boards
• light switches
• clean walls
• clean the oven
• clean the dishwasher
• clear away cobwebs