Looking to sell your house in Sydney? You can expect to face fierce competition, especially given the number of homes on the market today. To help yours stand out to potential buyers, make it easier to close the sale, and even sell the house at a profit, you’ll want to do some preparation before having it listed.
Simply cleaning the place up a bit can help. However, focusing on making small but meaningful changes here and there can improve your quality of life while you’re still living there and impress prospective buyers. Here are a few tips on how you can market and sell a house the right way:
Focus on Boosting Curb Appeal
The phrase “curb appeal” refers to how attractive property is when looked at from the street. If you want your house to make a good first impression on buyers, it’s best to enhance the look of the exterior first, especially the side that faces the front.
In particular, you’ll want to focus your energies on making improvements in the area around the front door. View the area from the sidewalk with a critical eye and take down notes on what can be made better. Below are a few often-overlooked examples:
– A lot of homeowners tend to neglect the state of their mailboxes. If yours needs a little love, clean it up with a sponge, a bit of dish soap, and some lukewarm water. If it’s too rusty or already broken, consider replacing it.
– Screen doors only look great when they’re first installed. Over time, they slowly become an eyesore. They can also betray the age of the home if they’re squeaky or in disrepair. Removing it instantly updates the front of your home.
– Like mailboxes, outdoor light fixtures tend to go neglected and can show their age over time. If you have any by your front door, you may want to clean them.
Improve the Look of the Roof
Like the front of a home, the roof is another part of the house that is clearly visible from the curb. Real estate brokers and buyers alike tend to take notice of it immediately and will pass on it if they see obvious signs of damage or disrepair. This is because repairing roof issues can be costly, and few potential buyers are open to shouldering that responsibility. More often than not, most aspiring homeowners are usually looking for homes they can move into at the outset.
Additionally, since the roof is the house’s first line of defence from the elements, it can look like it’s in worse shape than it actually is. You can immediately refresh the look of your roof by hiring a professional to have it cleaned.
Address Any Smells
Before any buyer or broker sees your house, they smell it the second they walk through the door. For this reason, many real estate agents advise home sellers to deodorise their homes for viewings.
Lighting a bunch of scented candles or spraying air freshener all over the place is decidedly not the way to go. Buyers will still be able to detect any foul odours that you attempt to hide under the scent, anyway. To avoid overwhelming buyers’ senses, what you want to go for is a home that smells nice, clean, and neutral.
Start by removing any litter boxes, shoes, and gym bags, as these tend to hold onto odours and stink up the place. On viewing days, avoid cooking anything strong-smelling or having any meals in the home. Finally, air the rooms out by opening the windows for at least 30 minutes before anyone arrives.
Simplify the Interior Décor
You may love and take pride in the look of your home right now. After all, you’ve likely invested a lot of time and money into the interiors to make it look exactly the way you want. However, buyers can get turned off from a property if they can’t imagine themselves living in it, and your furnishings can contribute to that feeling.
The best thing to do is to keep the décor simple and to remove items that may be too taste-specific. It’s also a good idea to remove any overly personal items, such as family photos in the entryway or your children’s artwork on the fridge. Again, the point is to neutralise the space.
Declutter and Organise
Finally, it should go without saying that making sure your house is clean and spotless for viewings should be your number one priority. If you are still living in the house while it’s being shown, you’ll want to clear away the clutter that could distract from your home’s gorgeous features. If you’ve already moved out, consider hiring a cleaning service to come in every few weeks to keep the place looking pristine.
These are just a few of the many ways you can improve your chances of selling your home. Though it may take a lot of time and effort to get your property in tip-top shape, closing the sale at a great price will make it worth all of the trouble.
List your house with Gerard Partners and we’ll help you prepare your house for selling today.