Top tips for getting your property ready for market
- Posted By Trish Goodlet
Spring is traditionally a very strong time in the Australian real estate marketplace. The weather is heating up and so is this already strong market. Selling in a hot market is great but it’s still vital to present your property in the best possible light.
While we are on the subject of light, let it shine on your property. Overgrown gardens can create an almost sombre feel to a home. This is even more obvious if shrubs have been allowed to grow over and even block windows. Not only can this distract from a beautiful façade, looking out from inside you will most likely view dead leaves and cobwebs. A judicious prune can let light flood into your home and improve the aspect from inside out. Get those windows sparkling. It’s amazing how much a house with clean windows will sparkle. Make sure your light fittings are up to date, fitted with nice warm white globes and clean. Open the curtains. Assess if you need all the window dressings you have. The bin is the best place for those frilly pelmets and dusty scrim. People love light homes they sing with joy.
Check your façade and general first impression of your home. A great way to do this is pull up to the curb and park opposite your home as if you were visiting for the very first time. Imagine you’re coming to buy it. What pops out? What looks fabulous? What jars and looks lacklustre? A great bit of kit is a pressure washer. Dusty crevices and mouldy paths begone. Get yourself a lovely fresh welcoming doormat and consider a coat of paint. Even just a freshly painted front door with a pot of flowers to the side can make a fabulous first impression. Check your fence and even a little thing like getting a new letterbox. Remember that potential buyers have to want to get out of their car and inspect your home. First impressions really do count.
Trim your edges and weed your garden beds. You want to make your property appear cared for and low maintenance. Add a splash of colour with some flowering annuals and dress the beds with a lovely layer of fresh mulch. Fine black mulch is a more subtle effect, but a lighter tan bark may give your garden a little lift.
Now let’s open your front door. Does your home feel a little too lived in and cluttered? Remember that prospective buyers are picturing themselves living in your home. Be ruthless, declutter, and to a degree depersonalise. A few family photos are fine, but less is more. Your buyers are looking at making memories in their new home. Look critically at your furniture. Now might be the perfect time to update your lounge suite, or maybe just refresh with a few new cushions. Stand back and look critically at each room, considering also how it will appear on your real-estate listing. These images will most likely be the first thing that sparks a buyer’s interest. Hide cables, computers and printers. Make your home a haven of relaxation. Check your furniture and keep it simple. Big TV cabinets can make a room look crowded and these days televisions are slim and streamlined and best blended into the room.
Your home should sparkle. Consider getting a commercial cleaner in to tackle the big jobs and give you a jump start on being market ready. Aim to make having a property inspection ready as easy as possible. Consider investing in a rechargeable, handheld vacuum cleaner which will allow you to whip around the house in minutes. The aim is to have clear, clutter and dust free surfaces.
Now is the perfect time to have a garage sale. Not only will you get rid of unwanted items, your home and shed will look far more spacious. This also gives the impression that there is plenty of storage, an item that is always high on prospective buyers wish lists.
Here at Goodlife Local Real Estate, we are happy to give you tips to make your home sing. It is hitting the high notes that will have buyers singing your tune and knocking at your door with offers!
Words: Pete Goodlet