Putting your best foot forward when showing off your property

If you have finally decided to take the plunge and sell the family home, there are steps you need to take before you invite strangers through the doors.

Selling real estate can be difficult, but remember a few of the following steps to ensure that you give yourself the best chance of success.

While it’s nice to show that a home has been loved and that it’s seen a family grow up inside, you should try and maximise a potential buyer’s vision of their own brood in the home. Pack away most (not all) of the family photos and other items which scream “someone else lives here”.

You want the potential buyer to envisage their lives in the house and not feel like they are guests. A blank canvas allows visitors to picture where they would place furniture and arrange photographs.

Make those minor repairs around the house, fix the leaky tap, replace the fly screen that has a few holes in it and do all those little jobs that need doing. While they seem insignificant on their own, they can add up and if a buyer notices all these tasks, they are going to view the property as run down – and you certainly don’t want that!

Be sure to remove any causes of unpleasant smells as those with allergies or even a sensitive nose won’t be keen to inherit a property that doesn’t have a pleasant fragrance. If there is a smoker in the house, keep them away from the inside when they do light up.

If they have previously smoked inside, look at cleaning the carpets and washing the cushions on the couch – fabric materials can really soak up the smell and it can be tough to get rid of it.

Gardens are a major part of any home and to provide the maximum appeal, mow the lawn, trim back the edges and clear out the pool of leaves.

As well as this, make an attempt at removing all the debris from the gutters – not only does it look untidy, if it’s raining on an open for inspection day, the overflowing pipes will look very unpleasant.

Ask your neighbours if you can prune the tree that overhangs into your property from theirs and ask them if they can keep their yard tidy during inspections too. A buyer will want to know that they are moving into an area where the neighbours are also well kempt.

Source: www.raywhite.com