APPEARANCES - ARTICLE 2 OF 9

The Outside Appearance

First impressions create permanent opinions – so create a positive mood for all prospective purchasers.

Begin by sweeping the footpath in front of your property. Remove all rubbish from the gutters. Clear the letterbox of junk-mail. If you have a lawn, do your best to make sure it is not bone-dry. Green grass is appealing and a sprinkle does wonders to most lawns – a bit hard with water restrictions, I know!

If you have a gate, make sure it doesn’t squeak. If your front fence needs repair, it might be better to demolish it. If the buyers see a potential expense, they either won’t buy or they will expect a reduction in your price.

Clean the paths and the outside of your property to remove dust and cobwebs (close your windows first). And clean the windows so that they sparkle: few things are as ugly as dirty windows.

Make sure there is no paint flaking. You may not have to repaint, but at least scrape off any loose paint pieces.

Flowers do wonders for the front of a property; and the brighter the better. They create a homely look. You can get flowers for any season. Daffodils, pansies, petunias – go to the local nursery and ask for advice.

Buy flowers in pots if you don’t have much lawn, and make sure they are displayed in two places: near the street and near your front door.

You want buyers to fall in love with your property, so give it that loved look. At the front door, have a thick door-mat with ‘welcome’ on it. It sound corny, but it feels good. It is friendly; it feels like home.

Make sure that the screen door is working. Have a door knocker or a bell with pleasant chimes. If you have a door bell, make sure it works. If people come to your home in the evening, have a welcoming light on.

When buyers arrive, you want them to think, “This looks nice.” By the time they reach your front door, you want them to think, “This feels nice. I like it!”

Neat, clean and friendly are the first steps to making your home attractive from the outside.

Create an appeal that says, “Welcome. Come inside”.

The Inside Atmosphere

When buyers enter your property they should immediately feel at home.  The inside atmosphere should be warm and appealing.  One agent described it by saying, “A home should look and feel happily lived-in”.

Make the atmosphere natural and relaxed, even if it means changing (or improving) your living habits.  Buyers are aware of gimmicks such as a pot of coffee brewing, a cake in the oven or classical music playing softly in the background.  False attempts to add appeal have the reverse affect.

Genuine appeal is what wins the buyers.  A radio or a TV – never too loud – is a natural part of home life.  Well made beds with warm quilts and lots of pillows really make a property feel like home.  Home truly is ‘where the heart is’ and anything that increases the emotional feeling of comfort is something we all love.

Odours

Nothing turns people off more than bad smells, so be sure your property smells fresh.  You can buy plug-in fragrances that remove bad odours.

If you have pets, be careful, because their smell, while familiar to you, can be unpleasant to others.  Take pets’ blankets and bowls outside.  A dog that jumps up can be irritating and distracting, but not as bad as a savage dog that terrorises the buyers.

Wherever possible, remove your dog during inspections – take it for a walk.  And always, be sure that there are no ‘doggie surprises’ for your buyers to step in while inspecting the garden.

Bright and Airy

Make sure the property is bright and airy by opening the curtains.  Fresh air, if practicable, is always best.

If you have a fireplace and it is winter, an open log fire can be a big selling feature.  at the very least, make sure the property is warm in winter and cool in summer.

Try to remove clutter so your property does not look smaller than it is.  The time for a clean-up or a ‘garage sale’ is before you sell, not afterwards. 

Most properties have some natural untidiness – a book beside the bed, a newspaper in the kitchen or slippers on the floor – this is acceptable an expected.  What is not acceptable is dirt.

Make sure the bathrooms are clean to the point of sparkling.  Fresh fluffy towels add a warm feeling as does the sound of a washing machine or the sight of clothes blowing in the breeze on the outside hoist.  Atmosphere is everything.

The bathroom and kitchen is especially important to the woman, who is usually the major decision maker.

Minor Repairs

If there is any unfinished work inside the property – such as skirting boards that have been removed – fix these things.  If there is any obvious minor repairs – such as door handles missing or broken hooks – fix these too.  Repair all irritating things that are likely to catch the eyes of buyers.

Be very careful if you do any painting.  Painting one dull room can suddenly make other unpainted rooms look dull too.  Before you know it, you have a major painting job on your hands; this could lead to replacing the carpets, even the tiles in the bathroom.  Suddenly you are involved in a very expensive renovation.

The cleanliness and the mood are most important but all expense needs careful consideration.  Will you get your money back?

Ask your agent’s opinion.

The best advice is to do all you can to make your property feel like a home.  Make it sparkly without making it too immaculate or clinical.

Some sellers create a show-home.  In doing so, they create a cold sterile effect.  Homes with warmth are the most attractive and appealing.

THINKING OF SELLING - ARTICLE 1 OF 9

Over the next couple of months we will be presenting a series of articles that will help you achieve the highest price for your property in any market. I hope you find them useful and informative.

If you are like most sellers, the thought of selling your property can be daunting.

When it comes to getting the highest price for your property, these are the two things that, more than any others, will optimise your chances of success.

But before we get into those areas, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?

Why Are You Selling?

Now, before you go thinking that this is none of my business, I put it to you that this is a critical question that you should answer before you begin the selling process, and certainly before you go talking to a real estate agent.

You see, this sale is all about YOU.

Will your life improve as a result of the sale of your property?

You should be able to discern a clear and positive reason why you will benefit from this sale.

For example, you might be selling to:

-          Upgrade to a larger home to accommodate a growing family

-          Reduce financial pressure

-          Downsize to a smaller and more manageable home

-          Move to a retirement village

In all these cases your life should improve once you make the move.

Human beings are goal-oriented creatures. We all need something upon which to set our sights.

If there is a benefit to you in the long run, the selling process will be much easier for you.

You should never put your property on the market with the thought, “If I get my price, I’ll sell”, or something similar.

Without a clear goal you are wasting your time, emotional energy, and money.

Now let’s talk about presentation ...

Adding Extra Sparkles

Giving your property that extra appeal.

You rarely need to spend thousands of dollars to make your home attractive.

Buyers are attracted by the appearance of your property and when they inspect it, they are influenced by its atmosphere.  The right appearance outside, followed by the right mood inside, gives you the best chance of getting the highest price.

You rarely need to spend thousands of dollars in renovations or repairs to make your property attractive.  All you have to do is pay attention to some obvious points, all of which can me a big difference to your price.

Falling In Love

Buying a home is emotional.  The feeling of a home is more important than the price.  If you agent has ‘qualified’ the buyers, they will not be ‘lookers’; they will be genuine people who can afford your asking price.

Their feelings will be the main reason they accept or reject your property.  The work ‘love’ is common with home-buying – and even with land, when buyers report loving the location.  Buyers say, “We loved that home and that’s why we bought it.”  So make sure you present your property at its finest.  Remove or fix anything that might be a ‘turn-off’ for buyers.

First Impressions

We are attracted to homes the same way we are attracted to people.

The first thing we notice is the outside. If the property is clean and neat and welcoming, we are interested.  If it is scruffy or dirty, we are turned off.

Buyers often say they “just want to look from the outside.”  They want to see if they are attracted by the appearance.

For this reason you need to be careful how your agent markets the property.  Advertising an address, and opening for inspection a property that might not be attractive from the outside, can lose many buyers.

To make your home look its best, attention to detail is crucial.  When you live in a property, you can overlook its little faults.  It is now time to have a fresh look.

Stand in the street and look at your property as if you were seeing it for the first time.  Try hard to pick faults.  It is better that you find the faults while there is time to fix them, than the buyers finding faults.

Try to judge your property by the standards of the buyers, not by your standards – try to see it through strangers’ eyes.

The challenge is to make your property as attractive as possible without spending too much.