We all want the highest price possible for our house when selling. However, sellers often have blinkers on when it comes to the real value of their home. In order to achieve the sale price you want, you might have to do some work. So, where should you focus your money when selling your home?
When you live in a home you build an attachment to it, and your emotions get in the way. They overtake your senses and you think that because YOU loved it, someone else will love it just as much. It’s human nature to build these emotional connections.
It’s your job to provide potential buyers with as much incentive as possible to fall in love with your home. Follow these tips to build that emotional connection and bring buyers through your door.
Refresh your walls
A new coat of paint will make your property look fresh and clean. I suggest using light neutral colours in your home when preparing for sale. Lighter colours reflect the light and make your space feel brighter and larger. Don’t feel like you have to be clinical about it and use white on every wall of the house, an accent wall or warmth in furniture and accessories is always a plus.
My tip here though is to not use too many colours, as a different colour in every room can make it feel mismatched. For example, pick one colour for the whole house, or one colour in the main living spaces, and then another colour for the bedrooms. This will tie the spaces together and make it feel like you’ve thought about the colour scheme.
We provide colour consultations to help you choose the right colour scheme for your home.
Update your flooring
If you’ve got a dirty carpet or worn out lino on the floor, this may make your buyer think that the property hasn’t been looked after properly. They will wonder what else you’ve neglected and worry the property has other issues. It’s important that the basics are done, and for me, flooring is critical.
So many homes have flooring that is different in almost every room. This chops the house into zones and again makes it feel like no thought went into the planning. With our love of open plan living it’s important to keep the flooring the same, creating flow and cohesion from one part of the home to the next.
I know we often renovate different parts of the house at different times. But where possible, you should buy enough of the same flooring upfront. This ensures that you can update other areas when required.
Wooden flooring is by far the most popular flooring in today’s market. Whether it’s hardwood floors, floating floors, laminates, or vinyl planks. They all serve the same purpose of providing a natural hard surface that’s easy to clean and looks modern. Some put them in every room, including bedrooms, while others opt for carpet in the bedrooms. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, but the key is to be consistent.
Kitchen and bathroom renovation
If you have the budget for a full kitchen and bathroom renovation before selling your home, then you should definitely do it! This will undoubtedly boost your sale price. In fact, you should expect to get a return of $1.50 to $2 for every dollar spent on renovation. As they say, kitchens and bathrooms sell houses!
If you can’t afford brand-new, I would suggest sprucing up what you have. If you have a few thousand dollars to spend, I would invest in a new splashback and/or counter top in the kitchen, and new vanity with countertop and sink in the bathroom. This can transform your old kitchen and bathroom into something that is much more presentable to buyers.
On a tight budget?
Use tile and laminate paint (White Knight is the best on the market) to cover up any tiles or cabinets that may be dating your home. It doesn’t take much effort to prime and paint over a splashback or cabinet door. Check out the renovation picture below where they used JUST PAINT!
Photos from Interiors Addict, with Cherie Barber – the master of renovating for profit!
Here’s a kitchen that was given a spruce up by professional renovator Cherie Barber, with just a bit of paint… again, the transformation is amazing!
Photos from Interiors Addict, with Cherie Barber – the master of renovating for profit!
In addition to painting the splashback, I suggest you also update the handles and drawer pulls with something more modern. This can transform the way your kitchen and bathroom look with very little outlay.
Finally, the tapware should be updated if possible. A standard mixer tap just looks too ordinary. If you’re not updating your entire kitchen and bathroom to be super modern, my tip is to go with matte black taps. It’s modern and super on-trend at the moment.
Street appeal
This one is often overlooked when preparing for sale, but can make a huge difference to the price of your home.
A few months before you’re ready to sell, start working on the lawn. Weed and feed it and top-dress if necessary. A survey conducted in 2019 found that a well looked after, healthy lawn can help your home fetch up to 10% more!
I would also put in a new letterbox if yours is looking a little tired. Trust me, it’s the little things that people notice.
A buyer’s first impression when they arrive at your home could make or break the sale. So, fix all those little things that you’ve been putting off, and look at your home with fresh eyes. Take the time to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes, and it will definitely give you a new perspective, if not a few extra jobs to do before you sell!
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