Sell Your Home

Presenting your home for sale to achieve the best possible price whilst minimising the time your home is on the market will require some pre-planning.

When it comes time to sell, think about what you are trying to achieve. Make sure you remember to “look through buyer’s eyes” and try to take an objective view of your home.

Take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of your home. Discuss with your agent who your target market is. This will assist in finding the strengths and weaknesses of your home.

After living in your home for many years, it is easy to accumulate numerous personal possessions that have special importance. However, these treasures, although precious to you, can project clutter to a buyer. Examples are painted plates, ornaments, dolls, souvenir spoon sets etc.

A home’s true potential can easily be hidden by clutter. It will be beneficial to visit show homes to gain additional insight, as these homes are designed to attract buyers. Also, visiting homeware stores will help you gain insight into the latest design trends.

There is nothing more attractive to a buyer than a clean home.

Finding stains, dust and dirt (no matter where it is) during a home inspection is a major turn-off to buyers. Most will associate an unclean home with a poorly maintained home and this will decrease the value.

CHECKLIST

• Remove all dust from each room
• Clean skirting boards
• Clean picture rails
• Clean window seals
• Clean walls
• Clean curtains/blinds
• Clean internal window glass
• Clean tops of cupboards
• Clean floors
• Vacuum carpet/rugs and floors
• Clean light fittings (get rid of dead insects and dust)
• Clean the kitchen: all appliances, oven (people will open it) fridge, cupboard doors, bins, microwave, splash backs, taps and cook top.
• Change tea towels
• Clean the bathroom: toilet, sink, shower, tiles, toothbrush holders, mirrors, floor, towels and taps.
• Change bed linen
• Clean all mirrors
• Clean all glass doors
• Polish all furniture

MAKE YOUR HOME SPARKLE! Buyers will love it!

Odours

The scent of your home, either good or bad, can leave a lasting impression on buyers.

For this reason, avoid cooking spicy food, onions, fish, garlic or anything fried prior to a viewing. As you may be familiar with the smell of your home, get a family member or friend to give you their honest opinion.

CHECKLIST

• Have you had smokers or pets in your home? Having your home professionally cleaned is a great way to start eliminating any lingering odours.
• Have you checked your carpet, rugs and lounges to see if they have absorbed any odours?
• Having your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned can eliminate any unwanted odours.
• Place plug-in deodorisers such as Glade plug-ins sparingly throughout your home. Use subtle fragrances such as vanilla.
• Place fresh cut flowers around the home. They will make your home smell fresh and add colour. Use flowers that have a subtle, soft scent.

De-clutter your home

Have a friend or family member walk through your home with you and give their honest opinion on what looks like clutter and what they think should go into storage.

Use storage boxes and mark them clearly to save time at a later date. Placing these boxes into storage is the best option as it maximises the amount of available space on display. Use space saving devices for possessions, such as vacuum seal space bags.

Clutter can have a negative affect on your home by:

• making rooms appear smaller and in turn, devaluing your home
• distracting buyers from seeing good features
• giving buyers the impression that your home has not been maintained
• creating a feeling of chaos, making buyers uncomfortable
• giving the impression of limited space for the buyer’s belongings

De-clutter by minimising the following:

CHECKLIST

• items that are currently on show
• children’s toys
• possessions you do not use regularly
• cupboard clutter (buyers will open cupboards, if cluttered they will feel there is a lack of storage space)
• surface clutter e.g. coffee tables, bench tops
• paperwork e.g. filing, letters, bills, documents
• garden/outdoor clutter
• garage clutter

Maximising space

A buyer will pay more for a home that appears to have more space. The buyer’s perception of value increases as the amount of space increases.

The following are options to maximise space:

CHECKLIST

• Maximise natural light by ensuring blinds/curtains are open. Light gives the impression of space
• Use a mirror in small areas to give the impression of extra space
• Use a mirror in dark spots, such as hallways and bathrooms. They reflect available light and give the impression of extra space. Make sure the mirror is balanced with the size of the room
• Do not block windows, doorways or the view from a room with furniture or other objects
• Furnish empty rooms as a lack of furniture will make the space appear smaller to buyers – furniture helps buyers to visualise what will fit in a room
• Paint low ceilings white or a light shade to give the impression of height
• In small spaces use a single colour theme. This will give the perception of a bigger space by allowing the rooms to flow. Stick to neutral light colours
• Do not use dark feature walls in small rooms as the colour will draw the wall towards you, creating the perception of a smaller space.

Your home should be a sanctuary. To create a soothing effect on potential buyers, use warm, gentle colour schemes such as creams, off whites and earthy tones throughout. These colour schemes will have buyers feeling comfortable and relaxed while viewing your home.

CHECKLIST

• Use a maximum of three colours complimented by different tones of these colours. This will help your home flow and create a feeling of harmony
• Choose colours that have a positive psychological effect on people, such as warm, gentle colours that are known to relax. e.g. creams and beiges
• Add splashes of colour to a room by using accessories such as coloured throw pillows, vases, candles, plants, flowers and modern prints
• Take into consideration major items, such as lounges, and co-ordinate with these items

Buyers won’t be attracted to a dark and gloomy home.

It is essential that you maximise the lighting in your home to portray a feeling of space.

CHECKLIST

• Trim trees or bushes that block natural light through windows
• Place mirrors opposite windows to reflect light
• Pull back dark heavy curtains and open blinds. Use sheer curtains as they are see-through and will allow light in
• In dark hallways or rooms place a skylight to increase the level of light.
• Replace frosted light bulbs with clear bulbs
• In small and dark rooms, minimise the use of patterns as much as possible. This will make the space look larger and lighter
• Use light tones when you paint interior walls. The closer to the colour white, the more light will be reflected throughout the house.

Furniture

The way that furniture is positioned in a room can affect how spacious and cosy it feels.

To start with, it is important to find the ‘focal point’ in a room. This is usually the most standout feature in the room. It may be a piece of artwork, large window or fireplace.

Arrange groups of seating around the focal point. In rooms that do not have a focal point, you may try using the largest object in the room as a focal point and position furniture accordingly.

If room allows, instead of pushing furniture up against walls, try bringing them into the room to make it feel cosy. Position small furnishings together so they don’t get lost in a room.

When positioning the furniture, start with the largest piece first and work your way down to the smallest. Then work out what accessories and plants can be placed to fill in empty areas.

The largest piece of furniture should be placed directly opposite the focal point. Adding a rug to the centre of the furniture will help tie the furnishings together. A rug will also add texture and colour.

Also, take into consideration the ‘traffic flow’ in a room .i.e. how buyers will walk into and around the room. For example, if there is a lounge right at the entrance of a room blocking the way, try moving it off to the side at an angle to create walking space.

Always keep the entrance to a room clear, so that buyers view the room as spacious without having to walk around obstacles.

If your furniture is looking dated and letting your presentation down, consider hiring furniture to increase buyer appeal.

Accessories

Accessories can be any of the following:

Throw pillows, throw rugs, vases, candles, lamps, artwork, flowers, plants and water features.

Accessories must compliment the colour scheme and theme of the room in which they are placed.

These items should not be an overpowering feature but should create warmth and harmony in your home.

CHECKLIST

• Remove old and dated ornaments
• Visit furniture stores to gain ideas, themes & trends
• Ensure accessories compliment the colour of the room
• Fill empty spots in rooms with greenery to eliminate a sterile atmosphere
• Use odd numbers when grouping objects – it is more pleasing on the eye
• Mix objects that share the same colour or material
• Don’t put too many objects together as they may portray clutter
• Vary the height of objects such as vases and candles to create balance

DO

• Keep lawns freshly mown and garden tidy
• Remove cob webs externally and internally
• Clean all windows
• Remove stains from driveway and garage
• Clean carpets
• Leave blinds and curtains open – more light creates perception of space
• Remove clutter – inside and out
• Make bathrooms & kitchens sparkle
• Clean kitchen appliances including inside oven and fridge
• Add fresh cut flowers – for colour & fragrance
• Have a well stocked fruit bowl – adds colour
• Clean light fittings
• Make front entry inviting
• Re-polish floors if they look dull & scratched
• Have swimming pool cleaned

DON’T

• Don’t have cars parked outside your home during viewings
• Don’t leave sagging guttering
• Don’t smoke in house during the time leading up to viewings
• Don’t leave pets at home during viewings
• Don’t throw clutter into cupboards as buyers may open them
• Don’t block an entrance to a room with furniture
• Don’t leave DIY projects unfinished – buyers will think this is more work for them
• Don’t leave toys and children’s belongings out during viewings
• Don’t leave tree branches and foliage covering windows – this blocks light
• Don’t leave dirty laundry anywhere
• Don’t leave dirty dishes in dishwasher – buyers may open