Presentation is key to achieving the best result when selling your home and this comes hand in hand with attending to any repairs or maintenance required around your home.
Over the years of living in your home it’s not uncommon to find some “love scars” around. This is a sure sign that the property has been loved and lived in, however these “love scars” can be perceived by buyers as “red flags”.
When a buyer looks for a home they are considering their wants and needs. When it comes to offering and entering into negotiations they will calculate what they are willing to pay based on one formula.
Market Value - Future Costs = Sale Price
By attending to anything that requires attention you are increasing your chances of achieving above market value as buyers will find it hard to factor cost of repairs into this formula.
Jobs that may need looking at could include cleaning out gutters, patching any small holes in walls, touching up paint inside and out, replacing any cracked floor / wall tiles, replacing rotten decking boards, etc.
Our advice is to walk around and start a list of jobs that need doing. Even better invite us to join you in the walk through and we can give you a second perspective, making sure that we don’t miss anything.
Although this list may grow longer and longer and seem too difficult, you will be surprised how quickly you will be ticking jobs off the list, getting closer to going on the market. This can happen even faster if you engage the services of a good handyman. They are perfect as they have an array of skills and are reasonably priced. We can recommend any trades that you may need.
The Exterior
Potential buyers walking up to your house notice the exterior first, which is why it is something you cannot neglect. Painting the fence, fixing cracks in the pavement or walls and clearing away any rubble or rubbish lying around are all things that stop your house from looking tawdry.
Make sure the lawn has been mowed and that trees and bushes have been trimmed. Planting some flowers doesn’t hurt either. Repaint the front door if necessary.
If your roof needs to be repaired, it’s better to just do it before putting your home up for sale. Buyers tend to be unwilling to buy a house if the roof needs to be replaced, so even if you just need to replace a roof tile or two, it’s better to do it in advance, than to answer and explain later.
The Floors
Floors aren’t simply the surface people walk on. Buyers take special note of the condition of the floors, tiles or carpets in your home. Wooden floors are definitely an asset, but these need to be refinished prior to putting your house on the market.
In terms of carpeting, clean them thoroughly before your home goes on show. Replace carpets with spots, and when you do, try to stick to neutral colours that are more likely to appeal to most people. Many buyers prefer that areas that get heavy traffic, like living rooms, dining rooms and entertainment areas are not carpeted. If carpets in these rooms need to be replaced, consider alternative flooring like engineered wood floors or tiles.
Replace broken or cracked tiles, as potential buyers could see this as a signal for other issues. Clean the grout and re-grout where it’s necessary.
The Bathroom
Bathrooms need to seem clean and everything should work. Clean grout and replace missing, broken or cracked tiles. Make sure the shower and bath are spotless. Replace shower doors and refinish the tub if necessary. Fix any leaks in and around the toilet and replace the seat if it looks worse for wear.
Buyers know that the bathroom, along with the kitchen, are the two areas of the house that are the most expensive to upgrade, and any obvious faults in these two rooms will turn potential buyers off almost immediately.
The Kitchen
Unless your kitchen is well and truly in a state of disarray, you won’t have to upgrade it completely, but there are certain things to watch out for. Leaky kitchen taps and stained basins should be fixed and cleaned, or replaced. Also take care with the surfaces in your kitchen. Damaged counter tops should be re-laminated or replaced. Simply repainting cabinets that look dated could make a world of difference in the appearance of your kitchen. Again, appearances matter here, because buyers scrutinise kitchens.
Paint
Repainting the interior (and exterior, if necessary) of your house is like a breath of fresh air for your property. A fresh coat of paint makes your house look fresh and well maintained. Don’t forget about the ceilings!
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