Property Presentation

Selling your home is a game of strategy and emotion. On a practical level, your priority is to achieve the highest price for your property. The key is to ensure your home has broad appeal by presenting it in a way which will attract the widest possible market. As a homeowner, this can potentially make a difference of thousands of dollars to the final sale price. When selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to help improve the appearance and potential value of your home. First impressions are of paramount importance to a prospective buyer and are crucial in securing a good outcome. We have listed below some useful tips to help maximise the potential value of your property prior to presenting it for sale.

External Presentation

Curb Appeal: The front entrance of your home is one of the first things that a prospective buyer will see. An attractive garden will consolidate the appeal and presentation of your property, so ensure your garden looks its best. Items such as boundary fences, lighting, garden beds and paths should be aesthetically appealing. A lush green lawn adds significant street appeal for little cost to the seller. Consider laying new turf if lawns are looking tired and worn. Regular mowing, raking, edging, weeding and watering will preserve a neat and clean garden. You may wish to hire a professional garden maintenance expert for a one-off garden clean up. Add an attractive outdoor setting and smart accessories to emphasise the entertaining potential of outdoor areas. Attending to these details will add style and character to your home.

Exterior Updates: The exterior of your property is also an important consideration. Ensure your home appears clean and polished from the outside. If the paintwork is tired, you may want to consider repainting the exterior of your home. While this may initially seem an expensive option, painting represents maximum benefit for minimum cost. Keep in mind the look and feel of your local area when choosing your paint colours. Your home needn't be a carbon copy of surrounding homes, but you don't want it to attract attention for all the wrong reasons either. Take inspiration from the natural foliage around your property. If you are not confident choosing a colour scheme, hiring a professional colour consultant can make the decision easy, giving your home a professional edge.

Pool Care: If your property has a pool, make sure that it presents as an attractive feature of your garden, not a liability. Ensure that it is sparkling clean and that the surrounds are in good condition. If repairs are required, contact a professional pool company to have these attended to. Your local pool company can also assist with regular pool maintenance during the sales campaign. Ensure pool fences and gates are secure and in good working order. A well maintained pool is an asset to a home, meaning a higher asking price for the vendor.

Repairs and Maintenance: It is important to show that your property is well maintained. It is therefore worth engaging the services of a tradesman or handyman to attend to outstanding repairs in and around the home. Prospective buyers like to think that a home is maintenance-free and ready to move into.

Interiors

Colour Confidence: A fresh coat of paint can transform even the dullest of rooms. Make sure your decorating scheme flows seamlessly from the inside out, so pay attention to the colours used in your entry and front rooms. Freshly painted walls look clean and inviting. Use colour wisely to make the most of your rooms. Keeping colours neutral and bright will help the prospective buyer visualise the potential of the room. Remember that light colours will make the walls recede, making the room appear larger, whilst dark colours will enclose the space, giving the appearance of a smaller more intimate space. Choose trim colours similar in tone to the primary wall colour.

Kitchens: The kitchen is an extremely important room to prospective buyers. Your kitchen must appear functional, spotless and uncluttered. Remove large appliances from benchtops and store excess items. Kitchen drawers and cupboards are key targets for interested buyers, so ensure they are neat and tidy. Add attractive accessories and new linen. Talk to your estate agent regarding the best options available to you should your kitchen need updating prior to listing your home for sale.

Bathroom Basics: A bathroom should be a relaxing zone. Ensure that your bathroom is spotless. Reflective surfaces make a room appear bigger, so ensure mirrors, shower screens and tiles are polished to perfection. Use fresh towels and accessories to add interest and team with scented candles to add sensory appeal. Call in the professionals if you have any tiles in need of repair, or if you would like to update your bathroom.

Living Zones: Living areas need to evoke a feeling of relaxation, furnished with pieces which suit the era of the home. Light fittings should add interest whilst artwork can be used to create impact. Have carpets professionally cleaned prior to listing your home for sale. The dining area should be a calm, appealing space with minimal clutter. Bedrooms should appear fresh and inviting with simple, tailored linens and co-ordinated accessories. Maximise natural light during daylight hours and use lamps to add ambience during evening inspections. Arrange vases of fresh flowers throughout the house for decoration and clean your home daily to maximise appeal.  

Minimise Clutter: The objective is to edit your personal items to allow the prospective buyer the opportunity to imagine their own possessions in the home. Clear out drawers and thin out the contents of cupboards and wardrobes. Be ruthless and remove all but essential belongings and place them in storage. Streamline access areas, ensuring a good flow of traffic through living rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. Create a clear pathway through the house for prospective buyers to wander. Removing large or excess items from a room also gives the potential purchaser a better impression of room size and functionality. Aim to create a sense of space throughout the property. The objective is to make your home appear liveable and appealing.

Professional Styling: The right styling can give your home the winning edge. A beautifully presented property will photograph well and ensure a presence in the marketplace, both during property inspections and via the internet. Consider engaging the services of a professional property stylist prior to listing your home for sale. A range of services are available, including a walk-through consultation where the stylist can provide recommendations such as rearranging furniture or hiring special pieces to replace some of your furniture for the duration of the campaign. Some vendors choose to opt for a full installation service where the owners move out during the sales campaign, leaving the stylist to completely transform the property.

Finally, be objective. Now that your home is going on the market, look at your property through the eyes of a prospective buyer. There is never a better time to update your home in order to maximise its potential value and appeal to the wider market.