Presentation

Separate yourself from your home and see it as a house for sale. The first step in the sale process is to look at your home from the eyes of the buyer. You need to highlight the potential so others will see it.

Visualise the day that your property sells and you are ready to move on. From now on it is not your home it is a property that has to look its best. Create a feeling of light and air; remove dark and heavy window treatments or pull them back to let in light and minimise the impact of the curtains.

Street Appeal

You must now look at your house, as others will do. Look at your house from across the road and scrutinise every aspect. A buyer must want to feel welcome and want to walk through the door to explore their new home.

• Mow the lawn, weed the gardens and trim the trees.
• Clean the driveway and footpath and keep clear.
• Repaint any deteriorated paintwork.
• Plant bursts of colour and group pots of coloured flowers together. Yellow stimulates feelings of optimism, positivity and emotional strength, so marigolds or gerberas are ideal.
• Make sure the letterbox is in good condition and you can clearly read your house number, replace if it is too small or in poor condition.
• Mulch the gardens, preferably with dark colour mulch that will highlight the plants.

Clear the clutter

We all collect an amazing amount of clutter. If you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it. The impression you are trying to create is the feeling you get when you enter a hotel room or a display home, an open uncluttered feel with space for the buyers to personalise with their own items.

• Sell, donate or throw away any unused items.
• Unclutter your bookcases.
• Pack up those trinkets, toys and clutter.
• Clean off kitchen bench tops and meals and dining tables.
• Make a place for items used daily in a drawer or cupboard when not in use.

This process will give you a head start on the packing.

Depersonalise

Pack up all your personal items, which include photographs, diplomas, wedding photos and family memorabilia. Buyers can’t see past personal items. You want the buyers imagining their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there! You want the buyers seeing themselves here and not you.

Remove any fixtures, which are not staying in the house.

If there are any items that you do not want to include in the sale then remove and replace before you list the property for sale. What a buyer never sees, they won’t want.

• Clean and tidy robes, cupboards and kitchen cabinets.
• Buyers will open doors and drawers. The message you want to send is everything is organised and in its place and that you take good care of the house.
• Tidy kitchen pantry and cupboards.
• Keep dishes and glassware neatly stacked.
• Minimise clothing and shoes in your wardrobes.
• Hang all like items together and all facing the same direction.
• Polish shoes and place in lines.
• Freshen up fixtures and hardware
• Check all light fittings, bathroom mirrors, taps, showerheads and cabinet handles and hardware and replace if required. The cost of replacement is minimal and can make a huge difference in terms of visual appeal.

Create a welcoming entrance

Your front door is the first thing potential buyers will see when they visit your house so make sure the door is in good condition or, for a new image, replace it.

The entrance is the bridge between outside to inside so remember to make it inviting. Keep decorations minimal and clear. A small hall table with flowers offer a welcoming entrance.