So, you are thinking that it is time for a change, and you are ready to sell your home or buy a new one and keep your existing home as an investment property? Here are a few handy hints that won’t necessarily cost a fortune, but will certainly have an impact on your sale price or rental return!
Hint 1: Street appeal – If you stood on your front footpath and looked at your property, would you feel inspired to go inside? First impressions count, and once you have the property advertised on the internet, a lot of buyers or tenants will do a drive by first to check the location and fine tune their list of properties they actually want to book appointments to inspect. Sometimes it is as simple as mowing, watering and fertilising the grass, lightly trimming the trees or plants, mulching the gardens and replacing a few plants or planting some flowers to freshen and brighten the place up.
Hint 2: De-clutter – Remove any excess furniture, toys or decorative items that may make the rooms feel small. It is amazing what clean surfaces and minimal furniture and items can do to the feel of the room! Personal photos where possible should also be removed – the people inspecting need to be able to start picturing themselves in the home, not feel like they are intruding in your life. If you have teenagers, this will be the hard one… clothes need to be put away in the wardrobe, not left strewn all over the floor and furniture! Perfect time to clean out the wardrobe and give your clothes away to a charity.
Hint 3: Painting – It may only be a room or two, or it could be the whole house, but if the paint is scratched and dingy, or multi coloured, a fresh coat of a neutral colour will do wonders.
Hint 4: Flooring – Sometimes a steam clean of the carpets is all that is needed if they are still in good enough condition. But if the carpet or vinyl is really old, worn and torn, tiles are cracked or floorboards are scratched and dull, replacement or re-polishing may be the only option. If you have to go the whole hog, stick once again to neutral tones; but not too light (marks easily) or too dark (rooms will shrink!) for flooring choices.
Hint 5: Keep it clean – Once you have gone to all this effort, maintenance is now the key to keep it looking fresh and clean. Keep kitchen benches clear and clean, and wash up before you leave the house each day. Make the beds, straighten the lounge and dining room, tidy up the bathroom, and dirty clothes belong in the laundry! You will be surprised at how much a difference it makes. Before Open Homes or booked inspections, open the blinds and curtains, turn on the lights, and make sure the property smells fresh, clean and inviting.
If you think this all sounds good, but are still a bit stuck on where to start and what needs to be done, just give me a call and I can come out and walk you through what you can do to optimise your sale price or rental return!
Call Rebecca Herbst on 0417 644 840 or email rebecca.herbst@century21.com.au