Preparation pays off when it comes to selling a home. A cluttered poorly presented home may interest one in 10 potential buyers, says Matt O’Brien of Barfoot & Thompson. The very same home properly prepared for sale is likely to get interest from four of those 10, says O’Brien. They can see the potential.
Time, effort, and money expended on a sale usually repays itself, says O’Brien. “You might spend ten grand getting your house ship shape. But you could easily get another hundred grand at the other end.”
The right mental space
Start by making sure you’re psychologically prepared and ready to sell. Vendors present with a variety of impediments to selling. A common one with NZ real estate is failing to detach emotionally from the home and at the same time believing it’s worth more than it is, says O’Brien.
Start your property search
Disassociate yourself with the home. Think of the sale as a business transaction or an academic exercise.
Forced sales following a death in the family, divorce, bankruptcy or for other reasons can be very difficult psychologically. But you must get in the right headspace and accept that the sale is going to happen. That way you can make the most of it.
Repairs and maintenance
Do all those little repair jobs you’ve been putting off for years, says O’Brien. Buyers notice these things in houses for sale and tiny issues can change their perception of the property in a flash.
Look to paint dated rooms white to lighten the space, says O’Brien. Even the smell of paint often impresses visitors to open homes.
Pay attention to the outside, especially if it’s a selling point of the home. Prune and thin out plantings and give the front fences and entrance a lick of paint. O’Brien can’t speak highly enough of fresh bark on garden beds. “It’s gold,” he says. It makes the garden look fresh. Likewise ready-lawn can transform a garden.
Think carefully before doing renovations, says Kevin Lampen-Smith, chief executive, Real Estate Authority (REA). Sellers may not break even on jobs such as kitchen or bathroom modernisations.
Cleaning and decluttering
A cluttered home looks far smaller than one with few possessions,says O’Brien. Consider hiring a storage unit and remove as many belongings as you can. Replace personal photos with artwork.
Every last nook, cranny and surface should be cleaned to perfection. Even if the buyer can’t see it, they can smell it. If you have dogs don’t fall for the common mis-perception that your dog doesn’t smell. It does to buyers and can lose a sale.
Staging
Staging is expensive, but it will pay for itself providing the home does in fact sell. The touches brought in by someone with interior design knowledge can add tens of thousands to a sale price.
Finally talk and listen to your agent and some really honest friends. Get their advice about what’s good and not so good about your home before you put it on the market.
