Selling Tips

When you clean, it pays to look at the detail.

• Clean the windows
• Dust the blinds
• Wash the curtains
• Dust the skirting boards
• Clean your appliances
• Tidy out your cupboards.

There is nothing more inviting that a wellkept front yard.

• Replace your potplants
• Weed your garden beds and add some fresh mulch
• Cut the grass and trim the hedges
• Add some colour along your garden path.

Try to eliminate any bad smells without going nuts with the air freshener. This can be overwhelming and even cause allergies for some people.

• Include freshly cut flowers
• A scent of fresh herbs and spices
• Fresh apples and cookies placed in plain sight in the kitchen.

Many buyers want to see a blank canvas where they can inject their own personality. Make your home appeal to the largest possible audience:

• Paint your walls in neutral colors in a matt finish
• Repair any nail holes or other damage before painting
• Touch up ceilings and trim as needed.

Remember that door you were meaning to fix? Now is the time to complete any home improvement projects you have under way and make any necessary repairs to your home.

• Clean or replace flooring and skirting boards
• Carpets should be shampooed and treated for stains
• Hardwood floors that are scratched or have lost their sheen should be refinished
• Replace lightbulbs and broken items
• Remove all building material from the site when finished.

We are constantly surprised at how much value increases from small improvements around the home. The following can all be replaced for very little money and make a huge difference in terms of visual appeal:

• Light fixtures
• Bathroom mirrors
• Tap ware
• Shower heads
• Door handles

Your front door is the first thing potential buyers will see when they visit your home, so remember to make it inviting.

• Paint the door if needed
• Some even remove the fly screen to improve the visual appeal
• Replace any damaged hardware
• Declutter the entrance area
• Place a nice pot plant on top of your stairs.

Many people ask us about the benefit of styling a home. We hands-down recommend it and the reason is we have seen the benefit to the sale price time and time again. Styling your home can be done yourself or by professionals. We have got a list of suppliers we can recommend if you need it. Some tips:

• Place furniture to maximise the feelings of space and light in your home, with an eye to how rooms flow into each other
• If your decor isn’t cutting it, you can move your belongings into storage and rent furniture and artwork from a home staging service
• Get items off the floor and us the walls to create sense of space; hang up lamps, use hooks and shelves
• Use mirrors to create a sense of space
• Try not to block a walkway with furniture
• Choose lighter colours when you decorate to appeal to a broader audience.

Find out how much you should list your home for by looking at similar properties and discussing recent sales with your agent.

• Taking a look at comparable sales and market conditions will help you determine how much you can expect to sell for in today’s market
• Using RP data, discussing sales prices with trusted advisors and doing your homework will help you get the right price for your property