4 Vital Areas to Review Before Selling Your Home

Reviewing your preparation can easily pay higher price dividends.

1.                       Room-by-room analysis, starting with the front entry

 

Whether a graciously proportioned centre-hall or a small space just large enough for a coat rack and a tiny table, this part of your home deserves your attention.

 

• Study your entry hall and ask yourself what kind of impression it gives about your home. Dried flowers or a small plant can make a striking focal point on a hall table any time of the year.

 

• Virtually any entry hall will benefit from a mirror that is well placed.

 

• Your entry hall’s flooring will be observed carefully by the prospective buyer. Make sure the surface is spotless and add a small rug to protect the area during showings.

 

• The entry hall closet is the first one inspected. Make it appear roomy. Add a few extra hangers. Hang a bag of cedar chips or a pomander ball to give a pleasant, fresh scent. Remove all off-season clothing.

 

 

2.                       The living areas

 

Think of these areas as if they were furniture showrooms. Your job is to make each room generate a positive response.

 

• Sweep and clean the fireplace. Place a few logs on the grate to create an attractive appearance. You could have a fire going for showings during the winter. It creates a great atmosphere.

 

• Place something colourful on the mantel, but don’t make it look like a country craft store.

 

• Improve the flow of your home by removing excess furniture. Have easy traffic flow patterns. Be sure that all doors open fully and easily.

 

• Draw attention to exposed beams or cathedral ceiling with lighting. Be sure to remove any cobwebs and dust.

 

• Remove oversized television sets if they dominate the room. If necessary, substitute with a smaller one until you move.

 

 

3.                       The dining room

Avoid going overboard. Be effective, any stage setting that you create should reflect the character of your entire home appropriately.

 

• Arrange the table accordingly and make it attractive by adding fresh or silk flowers in the centre.

 

• Visually enlarge a small dining area. Consider placing your dining table against a wall. Remove any ‘extra company’ chairs. Consider putting the oversized pieces in storage until your house is sold.

 

 

4.                       The kitchen

Pay attention particularly to your kitchen, which is often considered as the heart of the home. A pleasantly workable kitchen is near the top of most buyers list of priorities and is a room that buyers always scrutinise closely.

 

• Avoid clutter! Clean counters of small appliances to maximise the appearance of work space.

 

• Check the counter top around your sink, remove any detergent or cleaners that may be cluttering the area.

 

• Sinks, cabinets, appliances and counter tops should be clean and fresh.

 

• All appliances should be maintained clean, bright, and shiny.

 

• Clean off the top of the refrigerator. If you must use that space for storage, use baskets and bowls to hide the items kept there.

 

• Set the scene with an open cookbook, a basket filled with fruit, a basket of silk flowers, or a ceramic mixing bowl and wire whisk.

 

• Create the aromas associated with happy homes, bake some cookies from premixed cookie dough, bake a bread or pop a frozen apple pie in the oven.

 

• In the heat of summer, place a bowl of lemons or limes on the counter to provide a fresh and pleasant aroma.

 

• Clean and organise the storage space. If your cabinets, drawers, and cupboards are crowded and overflowing, buyers assume that your storage space is inadequate. Give away items you don’t use, store seldom-used items elsewhere, and reorganise the shelves. Neatly organised shelves and drawers look larger and more adequate for prospective buyer’s needs.

 

• Large cheerful kitchen windows are an advantage and should be highlighted as a special feature of your home. Take a critical look at the window treatment. Is it clean, sharp and up-to-date? Do the curtains need washing or the blinds need cleaning? Would the window area look better without any window treatment?

 

• Set the table for an informal meal with bright mats and a generous bowl of fruit at the centre.

 

• Add a fresh coat of paint or put up a cheerful wallpaper.

 

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If you would like the help of this real estate agent – here’s what to do:

 

Call Peter Taliangis on 0431 417 345 or 9330 5277 or email peter@professionalsultimate.com.au

 

Peter Taliangis

 

Licensed Real Estate Agent – Sales and Property Management

 

Professionals Ultimate

 

http://www.professionalsultimate.com.au