Preparing your Home for Sale
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
The housing market is in bloom and home owners everywhere are preparing to put their biggest assets on show. For vendors who exhibit their properties to their greatest potential, the end results are likely to be far happier.
Statistics show that good property presentation can increase the sale price by 5 to 7 per cent. So if you are considering listing your home, snap on the rubber gloves, pack away the family photos and send your pet on vacation.
Sprucing up your place for a sale calls for a certain amount of time and energy, though for an extra $20,000 to $40,000, it is worth the effort.
Most houses will require detailed cleaning, clearing out and fixing up and probably some painting, hiring and styling too. But where do you start?
The first thing you need to do is to get rid of the clutter. You cannot see what you have to work with or what needs doing unless the tapestry is clear, so take out everything you don’t want or are not using. Less is more. After you identify the excess furniture and personal clutter you will need to store it all off-site. After the house is cleared, you can begin to tackle the repair and maintenance work, fixing joinery and replacing broken tiles and window panes.
Depending on the condition of the property, it may also be worth re-sanding the floors, painting the walls or laying new carpets. If you don’t want to spend much, invest in some great accessories – a gorgeous fruit platter, a vintage clock or fabulous coffee machine.
This will not only look impressive in situ, but you get to take them with you when you go.
If the whole process starts to feel overwhelming, you can always call in the professionals.
Though many real estate agents regard themselves as “renovation rescuers” they will often suggest enlisting the help of an interior designer to maximise the success of your selling campaign.
A number of people and firms are in the business of styling houses for sale. They can provide a consultation to help you get started or, if you prefer, can come in and completely overhaul your house, usually in about a day. They will rearrange and present your house to stunning effect, hire furnishings – furniture, linen and accessories – and bring in the decorators and gardeners. There is nothing unscrupulous in doing this, it is just opening up the house to show its best potential.
Since most sellers are likely to be blind to the appeal and faults of their own home, it is important to have an objective viewpoint. If you live in the house you get used to certain aspects, you may be more concerned about a small crack rather than the overall image.
A fresh pair of eyes can see the real selling points of the house and then emphasise them.
