8 tips to getting your home ready to show
Selling your home takes a lot of planning and preparation. It’s not just enough to invite a buyer in and hope that they like what they see. If you are serious about putting your home on the market, you need to be equally as serious about making it worth every dollar in the sale price.
How to Prepare to Sell Your Home
The amount of time and money that you will spend to prepare to sell your home depends on the age of the house and how much maintenance it has had through the years. Vital Building Inspections Sydney have seen it all, so we have put together a list that can ensure that your home attracts potential buyers.
Make a repair to do list.
What may seem like quirks to you may be perceived as problems by buyers. We tend to ignore these minor issues because we’ve gotten used to hearing or seeing them, such as a door that squeaks or a window that sticks. This may lower the value of your home and can be used as a bargaining chip against you. If your home has noticeable repairs that need done, buyers may also wonder if more issues are lurking below the surface. Go through each room and make a list of repairs that need to be made.
- Check to make sure that floors are free from cracks or chips, and walls have no dents or holes.
- The kitchen is one of the most important rooms to a buyer. Make sure all kitchen appliances are clean and in working order. Check that cabinets and drawers open and close properly and effortlessly.
- Kitchen and bathroom faucets, drains and fixtures should be free from leaks and fully operational. Bathroom showers and tubs must have no broken tiles. Check also for signs of mould and water damage.
- Your home’s circuit breakers, electrical panel, smoke detectors and water heaters should work. So should your air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems. Check them for leaks as well.
- Inspect your home’s exterior surfaces, weatherstripping and windows for any damage such as cracks, peeling and rot. Your deck and patio should be properly maintained. Fencing should be free from damage, such as rust and rot.
Decluttering and cleaning can make your home look spacious.
Many buyers prefer big kitchens and bathroom with plenty of storage, so you should try to make them look as spacious as possible. Go through these rooms and declutter and organise spaces. Try to remove 50 per cent of your items and store them in bins that can be tucked under the bed or stack them neatly in the basement or closet.
Depersonalise your home.
When selling a house, you want a buyer to fall in love with your house and picture themselves living there surrounded by their own belongings. Remove your personal stamp all over the house. Do this by packing up your family’s photographs, heirlooms, diplomas, religious symbols and other items that might distract buyers. As for furniture, only leave pieces that don’t create a distraction or an unintended impression.
Give your home a fresh coat of paint.
Nobody wants to buy a house that looks dull and sad. Painting is one of the simplest ways to rejuvenate a home and make it look bright and bigger. Be careful, however, that you don’t get carried away. Buyers will have a hard time envisioning themselves in the home if a neon green wall is staring them in the face.
Instead, offer them a neutral colour palette. Use warm, neutral colours such as gold, tan and beige. These shades usually go with anything and can help buyers envision their belongings in your home.
Make every little detail count.
Your goal is to make a great first impression. This can get your home at the top of your buyer’s list. Staging homes or property styling can sell homes up to three times faster and increase the final sale price by up to 12.5 per cent. Adding small touches like fresh flowers, a bowl of fresh fruits on the countertop, the smell of freshly baked cookies or new fluffy towels in the bathroom can make a big difference. Focus on rooms that buyers are excited to see, such as the kitchen, bathrooms, master suite and living room. Create a single focal point in each of these rooms to highlight beautiful windows, a fireplace and other architectural details.
Emphasise curb appeal.
Don’t lose a potential sale just because your home’s exterior turned a buyer off. Making it more appealing and welcoming does not necessarily mean you need to spend a tonne of money. A fresh coat of paint and some small touches can do the trick. For example, you can paint your front door, place one or two flowerpots on your balcony, and add flowering plants and shrubs. Keep your yard tidy by mowing the grass and trimming the bushes and shrubs. Fix any cracks on your front lawn or walkway, and make sure that buyers can see your house number clearly.
Keep your home clean.
Once you have your home decluttered, depersonalised, painted, repaired and decorated, the only thing left to do is maintain its tidiness. Stick to a cleaning schedule and put things straight away when you’re done using them. Wipe kitchen and bathroom surfaces and fixtures daily, and always see to it that wastebaskets are emptied every day. You would not want a potential buyer to be greeted by a messy home.
Always be ready to show buyers around.
You can’t ask a potential buyer to pick another date to visit your home because you forgot to mow the grass or clean the kitchen. Your home should be ‘show-ready’ anytime, because you don’t know when a buyer will walk through the door.
Vital Building Inspection Can Help With Your Pre-sale Inspections
Don’t let a potential sale fall through because of problems that show themselves at the very last minute. Let Vital Building Inspection check every nook and cranny of your home to make sure that there are no unwelcome surprises during a sale negotiation. With our pre-listing pre-sale building inspections, we can help you identify areas for repair. Ask for a free quote or call us on 0401 012 074 to learn more.
