Preparing Your Property For Sale

A few minor touch-ups can go a long way towards making a favourable impression on potential buyers — and perhaps cinching a deal.

• Put your buyer’s hat on and walk thru your home like it is the first time.
  
  
• Make notes on what you, as a buyer, would notice.
  
  
• Top recommendations include getting rid of clutter, hiding family photos, cleaning out closets, removing excess or oversized furniture, and cleaning.
  
  
• If you are on a tight budget, we recommend that you at least spruce-up the front entrance. That first impression goes a long way.

These tips are among the 14 top ways to prepare your home for a sale. Let’s look at the others:

1. Clear out the clutter.
   You want buyers to focus on how awesome your space is, not how messy it looks. Banish the shoes and coats from the hallway, that stack of post from the kitchen side and anything else that detracts from your home’s gorgeous features.
   
   
2. De-personalise.
   Buyers want to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove anything overly personal, like family photos in the hallway or your kids’ artwork on the fridge.
   
   
3. Neutralise.
   As much as you love your dramatic red dining room, it could turn off a good portion of your buyers. So repaint your rooms in neutral tones like greys and whites, this will allow buyers to focus on the spaces, rather than the walls colour.
   
   
4. Clean, clean, clean!
   If you would rather not redecorate, it is essential the property is spotless. Get a professional clean to really make the place sparkle, this will be money well spent.
   
   
5. Let there be light!
   Open up all the windows to let in natural light and add floor or table lamps to areas that are dim. A bright, cheery room looks bigger and more inviting.
   
   
6. Keep the décor simple.
   To help buyers imagine themselves in your space, get rid of any art or other décor that might turn off people with different tastes. A classic landscape painting? Totally fine. Your bright red leather couch? Might want to cover with a throw for viewings.
   
   
7. Bring nature inside.
   Potted plants or a beautiful bouquet of flowers can help bring energy into a space.
   
   
8. Get rid of bulky furniture.
   Your furniture should fit the scale of the room, so get rid of any extra or oversized items that could make your space look smaller than it really is.
   
   
9. Organise your wardrobes.
   Storage space is a huge selling point, and if your wardrobes are stuffed to the brim, buyers will think you don’t have enough of it. Invest in some boxes and other solutions that will help you make your stuff look more organised, and remove extra items you don’t need immediately (you can store them away until you move).
   
   
10. Improve your home.
    All those little things you’ve been meaning to do but never got around to? Buyers will notice them, and they’ll detract from the value of your home. So set aside a weekend to tighten those loose doorknobs, fix that leaky faucet and paint over wall scuffs. If you can stretch to re-tiling the bathroom or re-grouting that would help too.
    
    
11. Give each room a purpose.
    That spare room you’ve been using as a guest room/dumping ground won’t help sell your home unless you show buyers how they can use it themselves. So pick a use and dress the space to showcase that purpose.
    
    
12. Highlight focal points.
    Draw buyers’ eyes towards any special features with bright colours or accents like plants. A splash of red throw pillows can draw a buyer’s attention to that lovely window seat. A striking fern on the mantle can show off your fireplace.
    
    
13. Boost the curb appeal.
    Don’t spend all your time indoors. More than one buyer has decided not to even enter a home based on its curb appeal, so make sure your home’s exterior looks excellent. Trim your shrubs, weed your flower beds, fix any peeling paint and keep the walkway clear. Just adding a row of potted plants along the walkway or a even a hanging basket can make a big difference.