Selling Your Home

Before placing your property on the market and contacting a real estate agent, it is a good idea to do some research. Get to know your market, to know what your property is worth.

Have a look in the real estate guides for land, or homes similar to your own in the area, or speak to the local real estate agents. What is the price guide that your property fits? Do four bedroom homes attract a higher price than three bedroom homes? Are homes with double garages more sought after than homes with single garages? Real estate agents will be able to offer you the best advice with regards to this information.

Once you have established your price, you can now review your home presentation.

Review the Outside

The front gate of your home is the first stop for any potential buyer. It is at this point that one of the most important decisions about whether to buy, or not is made and first impressions last.

Generally, a good mow, lawn edging and some pruning will do the trick. Trim back any overgrown bushes, or trees. Clear the area of any lawn litter, remove the weeds from garden beds and get rid of any dead plants.  You will be surprised how much a short, neat lawn can tidy up the front of your home.

Ensure that all of your outside lights are working. Replace any blown globes and repair any broken door bells. Remove the cobwebs and clean your windows. Maybe even consider giving your front gate a coat of paint, if it is starting to look a bit daggy.

A good real estate agent will provide you with a guide to the areas that you should consider improving on your home.

To add a bit of colour to the front of your home, buy a couple of large ceramic pots, or a few hanging baskets, and plant brightly coloured flowers in them. Not only will this add a splash of colour, but it is also cheap and you can take them with you when you move.

Work through the garden shed, or garage and remove any rubbish, or clutter. One of the things potential buyers look for is space.

You would be surprised how many almost-empty spray cans people keep, or how many tins of gone-off paint. Do you want to box this type of stuff to move to your new home? It is probably not worth the effort, so throw it away now.

If there are a large number of items that you do use in your shed, or garage, consider boxing them up and putting them into storage. Not only will this save you time when you do come to move, as them will already be boxed, but it will open up the area.

It is also a good opportunity to review what you do actually use and what you think you will use one day. This is a good time to get rid of those items.

Once you have put in the work, remember to maintain the front of your home in this manner, throughout the sale process. An hour or so a week, is all you should need to ensure that the lawns are kept short and the weeds do not reappear.

Review the Inside

Depending on the type of home you may have, or how well it has been maintained, will depend on how much work is required to prepare it for sale. Potential buyers are generally looking for space and natural light, so keep this in mind when undertaking any work.

Ensure that your home is clean and tidy. Dust the surfaces and clean the windows. Clean away any marks on the walls (using a mild detergent in warm water on a soft cloth) and remove mould from bathroom tiles (using a general household mould remover). Clean everything thoroughly including cooktops, ovens, sinks, basins, baths etc. If the carpets are particularly stained, consider having them professionally cleaned. You want your home to sparkle!

Rooms that have lots of furniture, or piles of things stored in corners look small, cluttered and cramped. Items that can be easily boxed and put into storage include ornaments, books, hanging pictures or photos etc. Also consider storing some of your furniture, or rearranging it to reflect the true spaciousness of the room.

Use indoor pot plants to enliven empty corners, or space, such as an unused fireplace.

Clean out wardrobes and cupboards. Storage space is a good selling feature and potential buyers will open cupboard doors. Again, this is a good opportunity to review what you do actually use and what you think you will use one day. You may be able to sell some of these items on internet auction sites like e-Bay, or alternatively, charity organisations such as Good Will, or the Salvation Army will gratefully take any of your unwanted clothing, or household items.

Ensure that all of your lights are working and replace any blown globes. Repair leaking taps and showers. Repair sticking doors and windows. Tighten loose door knobs and handles and repair any broken windows and insect screens.

Open House

Prior to open house, put clean, neutral bedspreads on the beds and hang clean, new towels in the bathrooms. Turn on all of the lights in the home, including the rangehood and bedside lights. Put on some soft classical, or jazz music. Maybe add some homely smells, such as freshly baked bread, or freshly brewed coffee. A simpler idea it to add a few drops of vanilla to a baking dish and warm in the oven.

Wash and put away any dishes and put the dirty laundry in the washing basket. Clean up dog poo and lock up animals.

You want your home to look as fresh and bright as possible.

Generally, simple steps such as cleaning out and rearranging, is all that you need to do to spruce up your home for sale. However, if you are considering undertaking more extensive work, always think as a buyer and not as the home owner. And remember, not everyone has your taste.

If you are painting, think about using neutral colours such as off whites and creams. Similarly with tiling, it is suggested that you don’t choose any fancy patterns, or in-trend tiles, as these will quickly become dated.

Sometimes spending just a little bit of money on improvements, will go a long way to increasing your sale price.

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