Do
● Selling your house will require time and patience, so choose a reputable agent and build up a good relationship with them.
● Remember, you’re not only selling your home, you’re marketing a lifestyle. Include information in your listing about nearby schools, recreation and shopping areas. Also, most buyers start their search online, so great photos of your home are essential.
● Remove unnecessary clutter and excess furniture (rent a storage unit if you have to). The fewer things there are in a space, the larger it will appear.
● De-personalise your home. Take down family photos, remove memorabilia and other keepsakes. Prospective buyers want to imagine their own family living there.
● Make your house bright and cheery. Take down heavy curtains, change lightbulbs (even lampshades if it will help). Clean windows and trim bushes and trees to let more natural light in.
● Small fixes can make a big difference – replace cracked tiles and clean the grout; fix dripping taps; patch holes in walls and give them a fresh coat of paint; fix doors that don’t close properly and drawers that jam, etc.
● Buyers like to snoop. They may open your wardrobes and cabinet doors, so make sure they’re met with almost-empty and/or perfectly organised storage spaces.
Don’t
● Every seller wants to maximise the sale of their home, but pricing yourself out of the market could leave your house unsold for a long time.
● Prospective buyers form an opinion the moment they see your home, so don’t underestimate the importance of ‘curb appeal’. Mow the lawn, plant up a few colourful pots, pretty up the path to the front door, that kind of thing.
● A bad smell can ruin a showing. Anything from cooking smells and laundry baskets, to drains and garbage bins can be off-putting. Scented candles and a fragrant flower arrangement can make all the difference, as can freshly-baked cookies (nothing smells more like ‘home’).
● The last thing any potential buyer wants is an owner following them around their house, pointing out every improvement, making suggestions and sharing stories.
● Not everyone is an animal lover. Rather keep your precious pets and their bowls, litter boxes, etc, out of sight.
● Don’t make it difficult for agents to bring buyers to your home. If they’re restricted to small time frames or have to make appointments days in advance, they will opt to show the places that are easier to get into.
● If you hope that no-one will notice the leak behind the washing machine or the crack in the wall behind the bookcase, you run the risk of a delayed sale or unwanted legal battles going forward. Rather play open cards.
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