Preparing your home for sale? There are a lot of little things you can do to make even a very old property feel like new again.
But what are they? Get the most value out of your property with these home-selling tips.
Step 1: Start by decluttering
There’s a lot of work to be done when getting a home looking its best for buyers. To make life way easier, it’s best to start with a declutter.
Store away personal items
Buyers typically want to envision themselves living in their new home, and personal items distract from this experience. Start by removing your family photos, personal nick-nacks, and unique items of furniture or wall decor.
This will depersonalise the space, creating a blank canvas for potential buyers to fill with their imagination.
Remove bulky or unnecessary furniture
People like it when a home feels roomy (even if it’s not), and bulky furniture takes up space. Removing unnecessary items of furniture or replacing big items with smaller ones can make a space feel a lot bigger.
You don’t need to buy a whole new household worth of stuff – look for a home staging expert, or a local real estate agent, who can guide you on renting temporary furniture.
Step 2: Get into a deep clean
Now that you’ve taken out the clutter, it should be a lot easier to clean. This is a great opportunity to scrub anything which could be considered ‘yuck’ and make your home feel fresh.
Clean everything – inside and out
First, scrub everything down. Don’t just think about furniture, but also window sills and frames, doors, cupboards, inside cupboards, under or behind furniture, under sinks, and so on.
This is a big task, and you might find it easier to hire a professional cleaner. It adds to the budget, but it’ll save you a lot of time and energy.
Steam-clean the carpets
Nobody wants to see stained, grubby carpets when they’re thinking about moving in. Since you’re cleaning anyway, and you’ve decluttered, get in with a Rug Doctor or similar carpet steamer and see if you can brighten those carpets up.
Again, you may need a professional’s help – especially if you’ve got deep stains and ancient grime.
Step 3: Do some minor repairs
If your home needs major repairs, it’ll be up to you whether or not to tackle them now or leave it to buyers (which may affect your home’s value).
However, minor repairs should be dealt with before you go to market; they don’t take up too much time or cost, but, if left unchecked, can detract from future offers.
Here’s a checklist of things to think about:
- Roof: Check for corrosion, damp, moss or damage.
- Flooring: Deal with scuffs, holes, cracks, stains and missing sections.
- Plumbing: Ensure all plumbing is well-sealed, polished and clean – no leaks, grime or mildew.
- Doors and drawers: Ensure hinges are well-oiled to avoid squeaking, and that all doors, cupboards and drawers function as they should.
- Walls: Ensure paint isn’t cracked or damaged, there are no holes or missing sections, the wallpaper isn’t peeling, and it’s all clean.
- Weather tightness: Check that seals and weather stripping are in good condition. Windows should open and close without issue.
- Lights: Check that lights (and switches) all work, and lamp shades aren’t dusty or full of bugs. Replace dingy old bulbs with bright, modern ones that shed more light.
Step 4: Focus on kerb appeal
When it comes to selling your home, first impressions matter. No matter what’s inside the property, if that first view from the road doesn’t appeal, it’ll turn away a lot of buyers.
This is called ‘kerb appeal’, and these are some things to think about to get it right.
Letterbox
How old is your letterbox? Most people forget about this – but it’s one of the first things someone will see when visiting your property.
Ensure your letterbox is tidy, clean and clear. Replace it with a modern one if it’s rusty and broken.
Garden
Mow that front lawn to tackle any scruffy grass, and go around weeding to make the garden feel more loved.
New flower beds could add a splash of colour to your home’s frontage, and give it more life.
Then, check any pathways, concrete slabs, patios, decking and your driveway. How’s the grime build-up? It might pay to spend an afternoon power washing everything to reset its condition and repainting or restaining old wooden fencing, trellis or decking.
House Exterior
First, think about the paint and general condition of your home’s exterior. Tackle any flaking, damaged or grimy paint, and ensure the outside of your home is clean, free of cobwebs, and looking fresh. Make sure you double-check all the nooks and crannies, and any spaces under the house, looking for spiders, grime and signs of dampness.
Windows and exterior doors should also be cleaned and, if required, repainted. A nice, bright front door can look very appealing from the curb.
Finally, don’t forget to check the roof if you haven’t already, and cast your eye over your gutters, downpipes and drains in case they need cleaning.
Step 5: Finalising your interior appeal
By now, your home is clean, tidy, clutter-free and looking well-maintained. You could go to market at this point and very likely impress buyers.
But, if you want to take it a step further, there are a few more things you can do which can increase the appeal of your home.
Neutralise the colour scheme
Got big, bright colours on the walls? Neutralising the colour scheme with various off-white tones further depersonalises the house and makes it feel a bit more modern.
Old wallpaper could also be replaced with neutral colours.
Add simple, modern finishes
Given you’re trying to sell, you might not want to spend thousands on replacing every little feature of the property. But, on a budget, you can still swap out old finishes for new ones which have more modern appeal.
Could you replace or add any of these?
- Taps.
- Lights and lamps.
- Kitchen appliances (where visible).
- Doors and cupboards.
- Door handles and window latches.
- Cushions and bedding.
Add pops of colour
While the overall goal is to make your home a little more neutral, splashes of colour draw the eye to key locations, add a little excitement and break up all the white space.
Even better, it doesn’t take much to add colourful details. Think about:
- Indoor plants and flowers.
- New cushions.
- Rugs.
- The occasional bit of modern, simple wall decor.
Feeling overwhelmed? Talk to an expert
Getting help from a local expert shares the mental load of selling a house. This is someone fighting in your corner, who can guide you on the specifics of your unique property and walk you through the tricky stuff.
Here at MattBlak, we know how to get the best results when preparing a property for sale. Come see us in Cronulla and Jannali, or contact us online today for a chat.