Thinking  about selling your house in the Spring selling season, now is a perfect time to start preparing your house to be “spring ready”.   Starting now will help you to avoid the stress and give the time to book in tradesman or for you to carry out any labour in the winter months.

Speaking to industry experts we have put together a short list of top tips for getting your home sale ready.

ClosetClosets, Furniture and Clutter – Storage is something every buyer is looking for as we all know you can never have enough.  Consider taking half of the items out of your wardrobe on open days so that they present neat and organised.  Potential buyers will open your wardrobes, so keep all your closets and cabinets clean and well organised. 

You may need to consider hiring a storage unit on a short term lease to store your excess furniture, bulky items, clothes and children’s toys.

Recently when viewing a house with a member, the property had a very distinct art collection that hindered our member from seeing the full potential of the house.  If you have a lot of artwork or family photographs on the walls, think about removing some of these to give your house the best potential possible.

Lighting –  Maximize the light in your home.  Open heavy curtains, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and trim any bushes outside to let in sunshine. 

The Little Things – Sometimes it is the smallest repairs that can turn off time poor buyers, such as cracked tiles, broken door handles and chipped cupboards.   Walk through your home and review it from the prospective of the buyer and make a list of all the small repairs you need to complete before putting your house on the market.

Quick Fixesmaking some quick fixes to your house rather than over capitalising on major renovations can pay off. When thinking about some mammoth renovations, seek some professional advise on whether you will get your money back before you commit to a major investment.    Here a few suggestions to freshen your home – fresh coat of paint on the walls, patch holes in walls, clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones, replace door handles, cabinet hardware, fix any closet doors that are off the tracks or leaky taps, purchase new bed linen and clean the gutters.

Kitchen
Kitchen makes your house a home – there are definite benefits to remodeling your kitchen, it can really add value to the sale of your home.   Inexpensive kitchen updates like painting the kitchen walls, installing new cabinetry and purchasing new stainless steel appliances.  When painting, use a neutral-color paint so you can present potential buyers with a blank canvas, for them to start to envision their own style. 

Don’t put off the sorting of your pantry any longer, turn that clattered family pantry into a well organised dream with tins, spices, cereals and snacks neatly sorted.

First impressions are the lastingSpruce up your homes exterior with a tidy garden, groomed lawn and if your garden has been missing a little tender loving care, plant some attractive shrubs, plants and flowers to add to your home’s curb appeal.  If you house isn’t in the need for a new coat of paint, hire a pressure cleaner to wash down the house exterior and side walks.  Your front door is the first thing buyers will see as they enter your home, perhaps paint the door (if needed), replace any damaged hardware declutter the entrance area.

Pets – If you own pets, you need to consider that your potential new buyer may not be a pet owner so it will be important to make sure there isn’t any strong smells of pets in your house.  Here are tips for our pet owners – remove any animal hair, kitty litter trays, pet food dishes and maybe take your pet for a walk during the open house.

Open House CLiving room2lean – this is one of the things that when assisting our members, is their greatest bug bear.  We recommend if you are time poor, consider hiring a professional cleaner to clean your house from top to bottom until it sparkles, help you to get rid of clutter so that only have do do a quick clean of the kitchen, bathrooms, living room and master bedroom on open house day.

On the Day – we have compiled a check list of things to do on the morning of your “open house”

  •  Vacuum the floors
  •  Clean the windows inside and out
  •  Open all curtains and winder coverings
  •  Turn on lights in each room
  •  Clean the oven
  •  Clean away any cobwebs
  •  Put the rubbish bins around the back
  •  Clean bath, shower screens, mirrors and floors
  •  Hang fresh towels and hand towels in the bath and powder rooms
  •  Mop wooden floors
  •  Dust furniture, ceiling fans, exhaust fans and lampshades
  •  Straighten lounge cushions and coffee table magazines
  • Make a fresh pot of coffee or bake a fresh tray of cookies or muffins
  • Burn a fragrant candle in the living room
  • Place fresh flowers on the entrance table
  • A late afternoon or night inspection, add some background music