The key to presentation when selling your home.
First impressions rarely give the full picture, but they have an overwhelming amount of power to sway people’s judgments. Results show that a well-presented property can attract more buyer interest, buyer inspections, and ultimately a better price, than a home that isn’t dressed to impress.
Check out our helpful tips to ensure your home stands out from the crowd!
Why does presentation matter?
Think of it like a first date. Your house needs to be presented in a way that appeals to the person it wants to attract. When buyers make an offer on a home, it’s usually because they’ve fallen in love with the property - so it’s important to create that emotional appeal.
Investing in your property before selling can give you better results in the end, so it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind. By spending a little more time and money now, you can reap the rewards later.
SPRING CLEAN
No matter what the season, a spring clean is a must when selling. It’s a chance to get into those hidden corners most of us ignore during those quick clean-ups.
Clean glass doors and windows, remove cobwebs and give everything a good dust, vacuum and mop. Wash curtains and dust blinds, clean door knobs, mirrors, switches, taps, fittings and fixtures and wipe down cupboards and all surfaces like closed doors, shelves and drawers.
Have your carpets professionally steam cleaned. Wipe down cupboards and all exterior and interior surfaces like closet doors as well as shelves and drawers. Pay particular attention to kitchens and bathrooms as these rooms often sell houses.
DECLUTTER & DEPERSONALISE
Think of great Open Homes and show rooms you’ve been to – they look ready for you to move in!
When you put your home up for sale you want to showcase the house and not its contents. Or rather, you want the contents to make the house look as good as possible. But if your home is packed full of your possessions it can make your home look messy, smaller and overly-personalised – which can be a real turn-off for potential buyers.
So it’s a good idea to remove family memorabilia, such as excess photos, knick-knacks and heirlooms, to make your home welcoming, give it a more neutral feel, make the rooms feel bigger, and allow potential buyers to picture their own lives and memories being created there.
Tidy up paperwork, clear away pet gear, and if necessary, invest in good storage to help keep spaces tidy. Get rid of excess furniture and remove over-sized pieces, such as a large coffee table or gym equipment in a small living room.
For a room by room overview of decluttering jobs, check out these clever tips here:
REFRESH
Consider investing in a few little things to freshen the place up -like new duvet covers for the bed, a few new home decor pieces, or some artwork for that empty wall. Flowers and plants are also great for making the space more vibrant.
If you can, give your house a fresh coat of paint, or patch up any marks on the walls - light and neutral colours attract prospective buyers, as does lots of natural light.
Think about the areas in your house that add value and focus on those - a great kitchen, bathroom and outdoor area are always a draw card for potential buyers, and making changes in these areas can raise your homes value.
REPAIR
It’s easy to miss a lot of the wear and tear that happens to your house over the years. But when you start thinking about selling, the condition of your home becomes much clearer.
Before you go ahead, make sure you ask a top local real estate agent for their perspective on what needs to be done. Sometimes, people undertale costly repairs or improvements that are just not going to net any return when they sell. If you’re selling your property as a do-up, then you may not want to touch a thing. But if you’re selling it as a standard home, then you’ll need to see your house through the eyes of a potential buyer.
Now’s the time to tackle all of those small repair jobs around the house like cracked tiles, leaky tap, rusty fixtures and squeaky doors. If you’re working with a limited budget, focus on the repairs that are obvious – if you find them an eyesore, chances are buyers will too.
Also focus on major repairs first like any plumbing problems, dated electricals or heating and ventilation issues, roof problems and the like.
If there’s one room in your home that needs to impress buyers, it’s the kitchen, as for many, it’s the heart of the home. Look at simple minor repairs that will make your kitchen appear more inviting - such as new lighting, fixtures and countertops. These can easily be replaced without too large of an investments.
The bathroom is also another key area to focus your efforts on. A clean bathroom and one where everything works as it should, is a necessity. Fix any leaky fixtures, clean up/replace the grout if necessary, replace any missing tiles and give the room a paint job. Even a new toilet seat can make the toilet look much better! The bright and cleaner you can make the room, the better.
STREET APPEAL
First impressions count! Don’t let eyesores like damaged roof eaves, a weed-infested garden or peeling paint greet buyers when they pull up to your home.
Ensure gardens, lawns and hedges are trimmed and tidy. Look out for areas that need water-blasting or consider freshening up your home’s exterior with a new coat of paint. Planting some new flowers is also a great investment as they add colour and make the place feel homier.
Make sure you also take a close look at your front door. It’s the first thing that buyers see as they enter your home, so make sure it’s nicely painted and has new hardware if needed.
What about home staging?
Most home buyers spend hours looking at property listings online before they set foot in an open home. As a result the need to create a memorable first online impression has never been more important when selling your home.
If your budget allows it, consider home staging to help you present your property in the best light possible. Home staging is great for unoccupied homes, which otherwise look bare and uninviting.
It’s also a good idea when an occupied home is decorated with design tastes that don’t appeal to a broad audience.
Home staging isn’t just about bringing in some on-trend furniture and accessories. It’s also about improving flow from one area to another, maximising light, decluttering and depersonalising rooms, and creating a feeling of space within rooms.
Home staging companies offer a variety of different services - from partial staging, to an interior consultation to advise what floor plan tweaks or minor jobs could be done to make a big difference, through to fully staging your home.
How do I ensure my tenanted property is presented well?
Good communication goes a long way! Consider offering your tenants a slight reduction in rent during the campaign in return for assurance that the property will be accessible, clean, tidy and clutter free. If the presentation of your property is hindered by tenants, consider giving your tenants notice. This is obviously not an easy decision to make financially, but if your property is well-presented, it could sell more quickly and at a higher price than when inhabited by messy tenants.
Selling a tenanted property is likely to be best for the tenants – they get to stay in their home for longer and may be able to continue their tenancy with a new owner. Retaining the tenants may also make the property more attractive to someone buying a rental property.
However, an empty home will make the completion of repairs or renovations easier, and the overall process of selling will be easier. So consider the pros and cons of both.
Whatever the outcome, ensure you communicate clearly and timely with your tenants about your intentions to sell. The sales process is likely to be stressful to them, especially if there’s doubt about whether they can stay at the property post sale.
Let your tenants know at the beginning of the process in writing and in person, so they’re aware of their rights and responsibilities. A good relationship with them will be helpful later when you require access for photography, property inspections, open homes and the like.