It’s that time of the year again, when spring is in the air and home owners are preparing for the sale of their home. For many, this can be a stressful process, so being organised and prepared is the best approach to mitigating unnecessary pressure.
Selling your home, particularly when you’re working around Open for Inspections, requires time, patience and attention to detail. Homes need to be clean and clutter free, outdoor spaces need to be maintained, and the whole home should be as light and fresh as possible – and ready for an inspection at any time!
Homes Should be Clean and Clutter Free
When you’re getting ready to sell your home, remember the three D’s… declutter, depersonalise and deep clean.
Pay attention to your kitchen and bathrooms, ensuring that benchtops, splashbacks, screens and sinks are wiped free from mess and residue. Mirrors, windows and window sills need to be dust free and fingertip free. Any cracked or chipped surfaces should be replaced, with grout being cleaned or re-grouted.
Walls, doors, door handles, skirting and architraves need to look their best, so cleaning is a minimum, but repainting may be required. Pay attention to laundry walls and ceilings, as these tend to get particularly dusty, as do lights and fans. Whether you have carpeted, tiles or timber flooring, ensure these are looking their best – using rugs to freshen up high traffic areas.
Buyers pay particular attention to cornices, the size of ovens and unflushed toilets, so be sure to clean out cob webs and anything else that shouldn’t be there.
Maintain Your Outdoor Living Area
When people think about cleaning their outdoor areas, they typically mow the lawn and weed, but a lot of the other mess goes unattended. Be sure to remove fallen leaves or branches, edge walkways, tidy paths and ensure your house number is clearly visible!
If you want to give your garden a facelift, fresh mulch does wonders, and the eucalypt fragrance makes it even more special.
Remember to use a pressure wash for furniture and hard surfaces so that everything is looking its best. When not in use, remove throws, outdoor cushions and breakable décor items to prevent damage from wear and tear, or weather, when they are not in use for open homes.
Giving your exterior doors and fence a fresh coat of paint will add extra appeal to your home. Outdoor lighting is also impressive as it provides extra security to your home while adding warmth and accentuating your home’s features. Hurricane lamps and candles offer ambient lighting and makes your outdoor area perfectly cosy.
Be Inspection Ready
If you’re living in your home during your sale period, being inspection ready can be exhausting. It’s really important to depersonalise your space so that you don’t feel that strangers are looking at personal photography and belongings.
Keep your home light and airy by opening blinds and curtains, turning on lights and lamps, and using candles and flowers to add a warm and welcoming feeling. If you’re using an air conditioner, set it on cool at 22 degrees in the warmer months, and set it on warm at 23 degrees in the cooler months.
If you want to make it really easy to style your home ahead of an inspection, take photos of room layouts, outdoor areas and décor items, so that you know how to restyle, on demand.
If you’re looking for help to style and stage your home to give it something special and attract the best possible price, contact the team at Allure Property Styling and we’ll do it for you.
Keep Well,
Courtney