When selling your home, you want to present it to the world in the best possible light. After all, it’s probably the most expensive asset you own. It’s important to get it shipshape before you get your professional photos taken. The fact is, everyone is shopping online these days. If your house looks ordinary in photos, then people won’t leave the comfort of their loungeroom to come and see it in person.
Have a look at our portfolio of work for photo inspiration.
Do these 5 things before selling your home to increase appeal and maximise your sale price.
1. Make a good first impression
You only get one chance to make a great first impression. I have seen it time and again where prospective buyers will find a property online, but when they drive by the front of the house it’s not up to scratch. Do you want future buyers to drive on by and never come back?
To capture a buyer’s interest straight away, it’s imperative to present the front of your home beautifully. If you haven’t tidied up and made the front of the property look amazing, it might be enough for them to say, “I don’t get a good feeling about this house, I couldn’t live here”.
Here’s what I suggest you do to increase your street appeal
- Trim the hedges, mow the lawn, and mulch garden beds
- Cut back any overgrown hedges or trees that might be blocking the house or a view. If it looks like maintenance of the property is hard work, then the prospective buyers will turn away
- Give the driveway a clean. It doesn’t cost much to hire a high-pressure gurney to wash your driveway. You should also wash the front of the house while you’re at it
- Invest in a new letterbox. If the one you have is old and falling over, it’s not going to show that you love and care about your home
- Clean your windows and ensure all screens are in good order. This is one thing that really lifts the property and you’ll be amazed at how it makes the home sparkle both inside and out!
2. Do some decluttering
This one is REALLY important. When you live in a home for many years, you accumulate stuff you love. You also build up a tolerance for having stuff lying around your home.
The more you have lying around the house, the more it looks like there’s not enough storage in the home. You may not like having to clean up, but it will pay dividends in the price you can achieve for your home. Clear off all bench surfaces and pack things in cupboards where you can. If you can pack away your toaster and other appliances, this is also a great way to show how much space there is in the kitchen.
Put excess items out of sight and only display key furniture pieces. This way, your property will appear larger and more spacious. Additionally, if you have an excess of furniture, I suggest hiring a storage shed for a couple of months to store all the things that are taking up space.
3. Remove all personal items before selling your home
The goal of marketing is to appeal to the emotions of your buyer. What they want is to imagine themselves living in your property. This means that it’s essential to take down any family photos or other personalised items that may remind a buyer that they’re in someone else’s home.
I also recommend packing any collections of memorabilia, magazines, or figurines away safely for the duration of the sales process. These items may distract buyers from seeing the potential of your home and will make your space feel cramped.
4. Complete any repairs
Now is the time to finish off all those little jobs that you just haven’t gotten around to.
When buyers see small chips in the paint, cracked tiles, or mould in the shower they automatically think that the home hasn’t been looked after properly. They may also jump to conclusions and wonder if there’s something more seriously wrong with the house.
I can assure you, even if a job costs you a few hundred dollars to fix, your buyer will see this as something that costs thousands. Any offers you receive will reflect this.
By fixing the little things, you are giving your property the best opportunity to shine. The return on your investment will be well worth it.
5. Clean your home thoroughly before selling
I can’t stress this enough. In this day and age, it’s hard to believe this has to be on the list but having a clean house for photos and inspections is a must.
Again, your main aim is to sell the dream of living in your home. When a buyer sees dishes in the sink, they picture themselves doing the dishes, rather than relaxing and enjoying the home.
I suggest doing a full clean including:
- Vacuuming and mopping hard surfaces. Professional carpet cleaning is a must if your carpet is particularly dirty
- Clean benchtops, kitchen appliances, and inside the oven
- Clean the bathroom and remove any mould and limescale build-up
- Wash the windows, walls, and blinds
- Clean the window and door tracks. This is often overlooked but if you have a pedantic buyer coming through, I can assure that they will notice
As I’ve mentioned, your best chance at increasing your home’s appeal is to create an emotional connection with your buyer.
We’d love to help you declutter and style your home before you sell. Call us on 0407 480 668 to find out how we can help.