Home Selling Tips….

February 7th, 2008 · No Comments

When you’re selling your home, first impressions always count. When a property “looks” or “feels” good, it is more likely to attract qualified buyers wanting to inspect and thus more inspections, resulting in competition and the best price!

So here are some tips for presenting your home to look at its best:

Make your first impression the best impression! Curbside appeal, a clean& neat driveway,a newly mowed lawn and landscaped garden will always look better cared for and therefore like a better property. If you have a pool, make sure it is kept free of leaves and all equipment is neat and tidy. For those owners of units, make sure the hallway to your unit is well kept (contact your body corporate if you have any issues) and have some leafy and colourful pot plants on the verandah.

Keep you house spotless and clear of clutter.

Remove everything you arent currently using. No one likes clutter and too much furniture makes a room appear small. Make the small investment of putting your old furniture in storage or sell it or give it to charity. You’ll be moving soon!

Open the windows for fresh air! Brighten up the place and make it look more inviting.

One of the most important rooms in the house is the Kitchen. Keep your sink empty and the food preparation areas spotless.

Bathrooms should also be clean. Ensure the bath and sink are clean and clear of toiletry clutter. Look at your bathroom objectively and decide if your tiles need cleaning or de-moulding. Scented soaps or potpourri are a nice touch.

Bedrooms MUST be tidy. Make the beds religiously, and remove any laundry from the floor. Hide the laundry basket and keep the closets tidy. A buyer will want to look inside to see what sort of closet space they have.

Fix the minor things. Dripping taps, loose door knobs, drawer handles, hard-to-open doors/windows and any other minor jobs that would otherwise detract from the home’s value.

Play some nice, neautral music. Just because you like metallica doesnt mean the new buyers will. Play some smooth jazz or easy listening at a VERY LOW volume. Make sure the TV’s are off, or displaying a “screensaver”, but only if the TV is part of the sale.

Leave during inspections. A buyer has to be able to imagine themselves in your home. This is hard to do if you are hovering around. Besides, you’re paying good money for your Real Estate Agent to ask the buyers hard questions and get them to purchase your home. No one likes an audience.

Take your dog for a walk. Better yet, have the dogs boarded out during the listing period. Rex might be a lovely dog with your family but most buyers are turned off by barking, aggressive dogs and even by over friendly dogs. Hide any animal bedding and litter trays and do your best to remove smells / stains. Orange spray (available at Coles & Woolworths) is fantastic for removing odours.

Smile! keep a positive outlook! Your Agent is doing their best for you and is only the messenger for buyers comments and questions. Know what you want but take into account all information you are given. Good Luck!

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