Sprucing up your property for a spring sale

Thinking of selling your home? Spring is considered one of the most favourable times to put your house on the market. It’s a time of rebirth and a season of colour: lawns are green and trees and flowers are in bloom.

The beauty of spring makes it the best opportunity to show off your home. Buyers often do a drive-by before deciding whether to inspect the interior of the home. So make sure that your garden is neat and any paintwork looks fresh.

Presenting your home’s interior can be a bit trickier.

People often say that house-hunters search with their heads but buy with their hearts. To that end, we’ve put together a list of ideas to help you bring some display home style to your place and clinch the sale.

Clean and declutter

Clean out cupboards and tidy all surfaces. The key is to make your home look welcoming, liveable and more spacious, so box up all your favourite little nick-nacks and put them into storage. Visitors will see them as dust-collectors that draw attention away from your home’s real features.

Target those odd jobs you’ve been procrastinating about, such as leaking taps and broken light-fittings. Wipe grimy marks off walls, dust skirting boards and blinds, wash windows and check ceilings for water leaks.

Don’t forget the appliances: your oven should sparkle, your dishwasher should smell fresh.

This sounds like a lot of work—and it is—but potential buyers are easily put off if the house appears unkempt.

Freshen up

Soft furnishings absorb smells. Whether it’s pet smells in the carpets, cooking odours drifting in from the kitchen or stale cigarette smoke in the curtains or couches, you may not notice them but visitors to your home will.

Have carpets and soft furnishings shampooed and get curtains dry-cleaned. Don’t use air fresheners to mask odours, open windows and place freshly cut flowers in vases instead.

If you’re having an open day, it’s a nice touch to bake a batch of muffins that is timed to come out of the oven just prior to house-hunters arriving. Most people find the smell irresistible and it creates a very homely feel.

The quickest, easiest and most cost-effective way to revitalise a tired room is with a fresh coat of paint. Remember that potential buyers try to picture their own furniture in the room, which is easier to do if bold colours and styles are not distracting them. As a general rule, stick with neutral shades and introduce colour by accessorising with cushions, flowers and art.

Set the stage

Your home needs to look loved and inviting, so it is important to show off its best features. Place furniture to invite in natural light and maximise the size of rooms.

If your furniture is looking a bit worn or dated, think about putting it into storage and renting some new, modern items.

Lift the mood by borrowing a couple of tasteful pieces of art from friends, but try not to go overboard. Too much and the room may feel small and cluttered. Also, ensure that the works complement your home. For example, don’t try to create a beachy feel if you live among the trees.

If you’re uncertain about staging your home, consider engaging a professional designer to highlight your home’s best features.

Alternatively, spend a weekend checking out display homes to get some styling ideas.

Sales and marketing

All your efforts will be for nothing if you don’t get your sales and marketing campaign right. The right real estate agent is essential here.

Not all real estate agents are the same, so here are a few tips on what to look for.

• Get several valuations for your home and don’t simply go with the agent who provides the highest estimate. Regardless of how much you might want for your home, it is really only worth what the market will pay. So be realistic and don’t be tempted by attractive figures.
• The right agent for you will discuss a pricing structure for your home, and develop a marketing strategy to attract buyers, rather than put them off.
• Choose an agent with a successful track record to back up their claims. Shop around, talk to friends and check independent websites that review agents.

Deciding to sell your home can be difficult. Once you’ve made the decision, the process of selling can be emotional and stressful.

But with a bit of preparation and the right advice, you should soon be signing the contracts.