How To Prepare Your Home For Sale
Are you selling your home in the coming months? To get the best price, and to make the sale process as stress free as possible, take some time right now to get it ready.
From the outset always remember to put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer before your property is listed for sale. Look critically at your space to see what might be updated, cleared out, or tidied up. Many times, there are simple fixes that will make a huge difference.
But please remember that not all renovations will provide a high return on your investment. Therefore, research which updates will maximise your resale value and avoid overspending on luxurious upgrades that won't necessarily pay off.
Here are our seven tips to help you get started:-
1. Target Your Market
Understand the type of potential buyers who are interested in homes in your area and renovate according to what's likely to appeal to them. Popular style choices will increase buyer demand which, in turn, will increase the value of a home.
2. Curb Side Attraction
First impressions matter and the first thing buyers see is your home’s exterior (some buyers won’t even go inside if they don’t like what they see from outside). So, enhance your home's exterior appeal with fresh paint, well maintained gardens and pathways, attractive fencing and modern light fixtures. Even small exterior improvements will make a big difference.
3. Style Bathrooms And Kitchens
The two rooms that buyers focus on and remember the most are bathrooms and kitchens. They sell more homes than any other rooms and so you should make sure you prioritise these areas when planning renovations. Even if a whole remodel isn't going to happen, there are plenty of simple things that you can do. For instance, wallpapering a bathroom will give it a gorgeous new rich look. And in the kitchen, you'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with the right splashback or modern tapware.
4. Interior Walls
More than anything, potential buyers need to be able to see themselves living in a property, and the colour of the interior walls has a lot to do with how clear that vision can be. When repainting with an intent to sell, neutral colours are usually best. But that doesn't mean everything must be white. There is any number of neutral colours, including a range of modern stylish grey tones, that could be just what is needed.
5. De-Clutter
Hiding your home’s good features behind piles of clutter will only make it harder for buyers to imagine themselves living there. Box up anything you won’t be using in the next few months and put it in to storage. At the same time, take a critical look at your furniture and remove any pieces that are less-than-perfect or make a room feel crowded (too much furniture shrinks a room).
6. Remove Outdated Window Coverings
Dreary curtains or torn blinds make a very bad first impression. They should be removed and replaced with simple clean coverings such as white wooden shutters or roller blinds. And to give a room an airy fresh look there is nothing better than crisp white shear curtains.
7. Showcase Flooring
Worn, dirty, or badly coloured flooring is a big turn off for buyers. Replace old carpets, have tiles professionally cleaned (including grout lines) and if you have hardwood floors, make sure they are re-polished to a high standard. Buyers love the look of new flooring.