Selling your home can be one of the most stressful things you undertake in your lifetime, but with good planning and the right advice you can maximise the appeal of your home and make a good first impression. Drive-bys are usually the first step for a potential purchaser so firstly, good street appeal will entice buyers to want to come inside and inspect your property, so it is vital that you start preparing your home for sale, before putting it on the market.
So what do you need to do to prepare your home for sale:
Outside the Property
- Make sure you pull out weeds, tidy your garden beds and cut back any overgrown plants and trees. Keep the lawns mowed and edges neat.
- Replace or paint a tired or old fashioned front door with a fresh new look.
- Planting colourful flowers and adding mulch is an inexpensive way to update and freshen up your garden.
- Clean and fill water features and ponds.
- If you have a pool, make sure it is sparkling clean for any inspections.
- Wash down outdoor furniture, external walls and paths of any mould, cobwebs or grime.
- Ensure your house number is visible and your letterbox is in good order.
- Repair and paint fencing and any outside areas that require maintenance.
- Clean out garages and sheds to make them look more spacious.
- Organise a pest and building inspection and attend to any items that need work. This will eliminate the chance of a contract falling over or buyers trying to reduce your sale price to cover the cost of repairs.
Inside the Property
- Clean, clean, clean.
- De-clutter to make the rooms more spacious. This may include removing extra furniture which is overcrowding the rooms.
- Painting in natural, contemporary colours will instantly update your home without spending too much money.
- Cover old sofas with new throws and cushions.
- Change flooring to modernise and update a dated look.
- Changing the lighting fixtures, both inside and outside the property can provide a more modern look.
- Clean carpets or wash curtains to remove any lingering odours and to breathe new life into tired furnishings.
- Tidy up cupboards and clean up storage areas, you can be sure if there is a cupboard to be opened, it will be opened.
- Fix little defects such as dripping taps or noisy doors and windows.
- Fix any cracks in the flooring or tiles and patch any holes in the walls.
- Remove personal items such as photographs and valuables.
- Have your house professionally staged.
On Inspection Day
- You will need to ensure your house is impeccably presented.
- Invest in some “show” towels that you may wish to set aside for use on inspection days. Remove used, stained and wet towels from the bathrooms and replace with your fresh, new towels.
- Make the beds and update your bed linen if its looking a little tired and out of date.
- Fresh flowers are a great way to fill a house with lovely fragrances and colour. Pot plants can warm up an otherwise sterile space.
- Clear and clean all benchtops and put away dishes in cupboards.
- Open all blinds and windows and let in as much natural light as possible.
- Turn on lights.
- Pack up the kids toys and take them with you.
- Avoid cooking food that will cause lingering strong smells and make sure pet areas are clean and odour free.
- Remove your pets from the house for inspections.
- Set the mood with relaxing background music.
- Try to coordinate open for inspections at times which may present your property in the best possible way. If you choose to showcase it at night, ensure all lights are turned on and blinds are open to make it more inviting and maximise the view if you have one.
- Do not linger, leave the premises at inspection times.
When you have completed what you think is necessary, it can be helpful to get an opinion from an independent source e.g. a friend or your Real Estate Agent to ensure you have done enough to prepare for sale.
