Maximise the potential in your current home!

Posted on February 24th 2014

So you’ve made the decision to build a new home!? Now to get the best possible sale price for your current home to make the transition as easy as possible.

Most people under estimate the importance of preparing their property to hit the Real Estate Market.

It’s not about wiping down the bench, putting away the washing or spraying the air freshener… Its so much more!

You need to eliminate any negative features in your home, otherwise potential buyers walk in and immediately respond to the items that need fixing, as opposed to the great features of you home. It’s human nature to see the negative before the positive!

So what exactly are the negatives…

Those half done reno’s… If you’ve started to make home improvements and stopped half way, you need to complete these projects before hitting the market. Whether its a paint job, a wall demo or a bathroom reno. It needs to be finished!

Things like bedroom cupboards… Some walk in robes don’t have doors, which is fine, but you need to make it as presentable as possible. Eliminate as much as you can by putting it in storage or space bag it. You need to make the cupboard look spacious and usable rather than cluttered and messy. The same goes for the linen cupboard and the kids robes.

Main walk ways, like halls, entrance and door ways need to be cleared. Remove items like shoes, shoe boxes, ottomans, wall buffets, hall tables or bookcases. The more room the better, as this helps to reveal the size of the space. Its also allows the flow from room to room. You want buyers to be able to walk through your home with ease, no obstructions and oversized furniture.

Other tips include:

Clear the bench top! No one needs to see a bowl full of personal mail, coins and keys. Put away the toaster and any other appliances before and open for inspection. Make the bench space look as vast as possible. A simple bowl of fruit will suffice for decor. Remember buyers will be opening the cupboards and draws, so make sure your pantry is clean and tidy and the draws are organised.

Make the beds! All bedrooms should be clean and presentable. Remember online casino your potential buyers are trying to imagine their kids in these rooms. Smelly, messy or cluttered bedrooms is a massive turn off. The master bedroom needs the same treatment. Clear the bedside tables and the tall boy, add some fresh flowers to bring the space to life and create a nice fresh smell. If you”re carpets are looking a little worse for wear, have them steam cleaned, this will also help with creating a sense of freshness in an older home.

Believe it or not.. Its also best to eliminate the amount of family photos. We’re not recommending to take down every piece of family art, but… Family photos actually make buyers feel like they are intruding on someones private space. They cant connect/visualise living in the space when they are surrounded by another families photos. They need to visualise their own art, photos and furniture in the home.

Outside is just as important. Whether your a green thumb or not, its most likely that potential buyers will be scoping out the front and back yards for presentation. If your yard s full of weeds or overgrown plants, the buyers sees work to be done and get the impression that its a high maintenance garden, we don’t want that! So brush down the cobs webs from the door way, sweep down the drive, pull out any visible weeds and high pressure clean any moss ridden entertaining areas.

Now that you’ve prepared the home, de-cluttered and organised each space, it’s time to think about open day! If it’s a cold winter day, put the heater on! Buyers will walk into your home and feel cozy and warm. If its a warm day, then open windows and patio doors, this will create fresh air flow and invite people into the outdoor areas. Open all the curtains and blinds in the home to create as much natural light as possible, also make sure all light bulbs in the home are working, to maximise the light in the home. Again, fresh flowers in the bedroom or on the dining table are always a good idea.

So overall, its simple… Keep your home clean, de-cluttered, airy and fresh. Eliminate any negatives and help buyers focus on the positives! And if you are someone who struggles to see what needs changing/improving, their are people out there who do this for a living. Spend a couple of hundred dollars on a stylist for their advice and even furniture hire, if need be. Sounds like a lot of work and money…? You’ll be thinking differently when it adds thousands to your sale price! More money to put into your new dream home!

 

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