Things you need to consider before you list your home for sale

We get asked this question a lot. It's all about presenting your home in a way that allows buyers to see your home in the way they should. 

A good place to start is by looking at your home through a buyers perspective or better still ask your agent to walk through your home with you to help identify those things that buyers will be looking for. 

In my experience buyers will always start with your home's entrance. Think about how a buyer will approach your home, they'll make a judgement from the minute they see the front of your home. It gets right down to details such as your gate, the garden, lawn, flower beds, freshly painted, right through to clean and new door mats. 

As a buyer walks through your front door they've made their first judgement or opinion. At this point there are a number of things you want to have done. First, declutter each room. Literally take things out, allow your room to breathe, make sure you get the balance right within each room. Look at the overall balance of your home for your intended market. You may need to style one of your bedrooms as a study. Ask your agent for advice. Consider bringing in a stylist to makeover your home to realise it's true potential and match to your target buyer. 

Next, look at practical things such as steam cleaning carpets, cleaning windows inside and out, surfaces and door frames. Next, consider painting. In my experience there is always some part of your home that needs a coat of paint, if not your whole home. It's important to talk with your agent early on about this as this will always take a few weeks to complete (at least). 

Then, look outside, if your selling in spring make sure you have some spring colour and make sure you present with open doors and windows allowing your home to feel open and allow buyers to feel the breeze. Remember they're standing in your home imagining themselves living in your home. If it's winter make sure your home feels warm, cosy and lived in. If you have a fireplace you need to make sure it's in working order. Throws work well over lounges, remember your buyers have just come in out of the cold. 

We love pets but it's best to take them out during inspections with enough time to allow the scent to disappear. 

I know this feels like a long list of must done things before you open your home to buyers and you're right it is. You can always reach out to your agent as they've done this many times over and they're well placed to advise you and help you work through this.