A house is in most cases one’s most valuable possession, not only in monetary terms, but emotionally as well. The decision to sell often does not come easily, a great deal of thought and consultation goes into it.
Ultimately you want to get the best possible value when you do decide to sell. As Real Estate Agents we encourage clients to put some effort in preparing their house for sale because we know a well-looked after house commands a higher sale price, buyer’s will pay a premium for a ‘ready to move in’ where very little additional work is required. For us a pristine home is marketable, sells faster and sometimes means a very interesting bidding war which obviously translates to a more proftable transaction.
We appreciate that houses are unique in their own way and special focus should be put on the ‘best’ or distinguishing features. What follows is a checklist which you can use in your preparations:
- Do the necessary repairs – start with big issues like roof repairs, floors, windows, doors, plumbing and electric. If you are not sure how to go about this you can ask us for a thorough inspection that will list any defects or issues needing attention. A contractor or handyman can be engaged to help
with repairs.
- Declutter & minimize – remove any personal photos, artwork and unnecessary furniture. The more spacious your house looks the better
- A lick of paint – Clean up dirty walls, one coat of paint will defnitely make your home look cleaner and better. Use neutral colours only, that appeal to most people. You should also consider touching up window sills, doors, trap doors window and door frames, the boundary wall and sliding gate.
- Clean up the exterior – Mow, edge and trim the lawn inside and outside the gate. Remove any weeds, dead leaves, branches and unwanted junk. Upgrade a few things like your mail box, garage door and welcome mat. If you can plant some flowers, they always make things look nice.
- Thorough clean! – deep clean your house, if you can afford pay a professional cleaning company to do the job for you.
- Final touches – Add fresh flowers around the house, air freshener or a lightly scented candle. Set the dining room table just before people come to see the house. Your home is now ready to show, pretend you are a buyer and walk through the house. What you should see is:
- A clean and clutter free home both inside and out
- A photogenic home – a picture is worth a thousand words, particularly in real estate
Now one of the most important things that often gets overlooked, prepare yourself , your family, your staff and your pets for the flurry of activity that will take place when you are showing your home. Think of things like where will you go when viewings are taking place, how you will control your pets.
