Preparing your Home for Sale

Ouside the Home….

Your property’s presentation is indeed very important and if ignored can greatly hamper the successful sale of what is probably your biggest asset.

It is also important to remember that you don’t have to spend a fortune to present your home in its best light.

Most home buyers are attracted firstly by the appearance of your home, so it is important to remember the old adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”.

This, we guess, is what you could call a guideline or checklist to help ensure that your home is ready to be presented to buyers, with confidence.

External appearance or “street appeal” is the first thing to consider.

Stand in front of your home and imagine for a moment that you are a potential buyer turning up for an inspection of the property.

Make sure lawns and gardens are neat and tidy, neatly trimmed edges are a big plus and you can always add a splash of colour with some inexpensive flowers.

If you have fences or gates that need repair it is best to tend to them now.

Clear your mailbox daily and remove any flyers that are sometimes left half in or perhaps fall out and look very unsightly.

Clean the gutters of any leaves or debris.

Make sure you give your windows the once over.

Clean driveways and footpaths and try if possible to keep garbage bins out of sight.

Lubricate any squeaky hinges and fix any loose door handles or knobs on your doors.

Remove any spider webs from your eaves or under verandas.

Make sure there is a door mat in place, as this also indicates that you are conscious of keeping your home clean inside.

These items kept in check will greatly help in setting the mood when buyers first arrive, and will have them looking forward to seeing inside your home.

These may seem like simple things but if overlooked or treated as unimportant, they can greatly influence the decision of the buyer to inspect or not inspect.

OUTDOORS

o      Keep lawns mown and paths swept.

o      Store hoses neatly.

o      Repair gates, fences and footpaths.

o      Remove or replace dead or dying plants.

o      Add colour with blooming flowers.

o      Clear grounds of all debris.

GARAGE

o      Keep the floors clean and swept.

o      Store or neatly arrange all items.