7 TIPS FOR PRESENTING YOUR HOME
FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE
First impressions last and set the mood of inspection by potential buyers.
Preparing your home and presenting it as well cared-for and clean will maximise the buyers’ feelings and vision of owning it.
Don’t let a first inspection go begging!
Put them in the picture.
Whenever possible the home should be vacant during inspection. When owners are present it can stop buyers from relaxing and taking their time to visualise themselves owning it.
Keep pets outside. You may love them but buyers may not and may alert them to look for any damage present due to pets. Alternatively, a friendly and adorable dog or cat may distract a buyer too much.
When the weather is dull or overcast turn on all of the lights ensuring light fixtures and fittings are clean. Where appropriate, change light bulbs out for 100W bulbs to increase the light within your home.
Draw back all curtains and blinds to brighten your home. Closed window furnishings will inevitably cause the buyer to open them and draw attention to any niggling operation issues. Minor defects or annoyances can be enough to influence picky buyers.
Strong cooking or smoking odours can immediately ruin a sale. Make sure your home is fresh for showing. Baking bread or a cake never hurts but room sprays and reed diffusers are an easy way to create mental connections between buyers and your property. Purchase the smell of coffee to stimulate a feeling of homeliness, citrus or mint mixes for an uplifting, refreshing feeling, or smoked woods, birch, amber for the cooler months to create a feeling of warmth. There are multiple companies offering scented room sprays so dive into one that suits your home and don’t be afraid to experiment. You may like to tailor scents to rooms. For example, woody scents for the living area if you have a fireplace, roses, geranium, or lilies in the bathroom and lavender in bedrooms for tranquility. Here are a couple of suppliers to get you started
https://www.scentaustralia.com.au/products/room-sprays,
https://www.thefragranceroom.com.au/collections/room-sprays,
https://homefragranceroyaldoulton.com.au,
and
https://thelaborganics.com.au/products/home-fragrance/room-spray/.
It goes without saying that a television is distracting and the programming may deter buyers. Have the television playing a still frame with soft music. Something light and energising in the summertime, calm and serene in the wintertime or rainy days.
Last but not least staging, staging, staging. Don’t be afraid to spend a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on staging depending on the sale price of your home. Staging is not just for the professionals! A new couch here, a new designer kettle and tea set there, well placed artworks on the walls or a new dining setting and rug all increase the feeling of prestige for buyers. Staging can pay for itself many times over by increasing the perceived value and liveability of your home. Staging is an art so if you aren’t confident in staging reach out to professional consultant. Hipages.com.au says, “For every dollar you spend on property styling, you make $3 in return when you sell. “On average, a styled home sells within 33 days of being put on the market. In contrast, it takes around 90 days to sell an un-styled property. In Australia, styled homes sell for three to six percent more than un-styled homes.”
HOW TO HELP YOUR AGENT
There are many areas of the home to be attentioned when preparing for sale and the time required should not be underestimated.
To achieve the best outcome you can help us by spending time on the following areas.
Lawns and yard – remove rubbish, mow lawns, edge paths, trim hedges and weed gardens. Ensure the house feels like a beloved home; buyers can feel the energy and effort put into it.
Front of House – paint, fix or wash railings, steps, screens and ensure the front door is clean and operates easily. Consider investing in potted flowering plants at the entrance of the home.
Other exterior – clean gutters, wash windows, and clean the timberwork.
Garage – give the garage a thorough going over, tidy up and remove unwanted items that seem to grow in the garage.
Bedrooms – tidy and made up. If necessary invest in new bedding to enhance the feeling of these important rooms. A new bedhead or simple coverlet, throw and some cushions can instantly lift the space and make your bedroom look more like a luxury hotel. For inspiration go here https://www.pillowtalk.com.au/search/?query=coverlet and https://www.linenhouse.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=coverlet
Kitchen – the stove, refrigerator, and sinks should be spotless and all kitchen benches clear. Add a vase of fresh flowers on the windowsill or bench to lift the space. Don’t forget those room sprays or diffusers. Coffee or baked goods are always a winner. If you’re not a fan of food scents try citrus for another kitchen lift.
Bathrooms – this is another very important space and can make or break a sale. Ensure the bathrooms are neat, clean and fresh with scented reed diffuser (flowers or citrus work well), new towels, hand towel and floor mats ready to greet your prospective buyers. Roll your face washers and place them by the basin along with a lovely scented hand wash pump. It’s the little things buyers notice. Remember for best impressions, everything down to the toilet bowl brush should look clean and fresh.
Entrances, Halls and Stairs – remove any clutter to give a wide appearance and where possible use mirrors to increase the perception of space and light.
Built-ins – untidy or overcrowded cupboards suggest inadequate storage space. Go through your cupboards to reduce clutter or hiring a storage space for all of your belongings that aren’t required on a daily basis.
General Condition – dust, wash, paint, and fix defects wherever required. Small annoyances can dampen the goal of that very desirable ‘Nothing to do, ready to move in’ feeling.
Store all unnecessary furniture to enlarge room sizes – make the home feel spacious, not cluttered. Remember, people love seeing the home they wish they had.
Hardware – oil hinges and tighten doorknobs. Stuck or loose hardware indicate a neglected home.
Plumbing – repair dripping taps and leaking toilets. Little annoyances create ‘we’ll need to call in a plumber’ thoughts in buyers’ minds. Remember it’s that ‘ready to move in’ feeling you’re aiming for.
Heating/Cooling – have the climate control/fireplace operating to show how warm it is in winter and cool in summer, putting the buyer in the picture of their new life.
Lights – replace all burned out globes and increase the Wattage in darker spaces of the home. Have faulty switches fixed by qualified electricians.
When preparing your home for sale it’s hard to overstate how important maintenance and aesthetics are to the sale value of your home. If you are willing to put the time and effort into improving the presentation of your home your reward will be a quicker sale and a better return on investment.