The key elements to selling a house are:
- Appearance
- Price
- Location
- Time
- Exposure
- Economy
The focus of this blog is on appearance and there are a number of considerations to take into account.
Firstly, do not rely on your own opinion of your home’s condition. Invariably you as the vendor are probably biased in favour of its current presentation. Most people tend to overlook the issues and exaggerate the benefits. It is worthwhile getting friends, sales advocate or real estate agent to give you an honest opinion of what they like and what can be improved.
Secondly, decluttering is imperative. It is crucial to maximise every inch of space in your home by minimising overall clutter. Decluttering does not mean throwing away everything, but rather preparing your home for sale. Buyers want to visualize what they can do with the space and if there are distractions it does not work in the favour of the seller.
Thirdly, staging or styling a house may gain additional value. It is imperative to note that there is a clear distinction between staging or styling a house for sale and interior decorating. Interior design is used by people who plan to live in their house. If one sourced an interior designer for this purpose, they would take into account the needs of the family – their lifestyle and living habits. With staging, interior design principles apply except the Stylist will consider what the market is looking for in a home.
Fourthly, get all necessary structural and cosmetic problems eradicated. It is always the smallest of things that get picked up by buyers. That broken doorknob or paint crack, a floorboard or leaky tap puts prospective buyers off. It is important to assess all these details in preparing your home for sale and address all problems as they arise. A new paint; new lawn or attractive flowers and shrubs make a world of difference.
First impressions count from the moment a car pulls up outside a home to when they leave.
BQ1 