You only need to watch a few episodes of “Selling Houses Australia” to understand the importance of proper presentation when it comes time to list your property for sale. And yet when I’m out buying property for clients, I regularly see properties that are tired, messy, dated or just plain awful. Sometimes you need to spend a little money to get the best possible result.
Try following these simple rules:
- The minute you decide to sell your home or investment property, it’s a good idea to focus on shifting your mindset. Think of the process as a business transaction. Your goal is to make the most money on the sale and you should investigate various ways to make this happen.
- Understand who your target market is and what they’re looking for. Once you pinpoint who they are, you can present the property accordingly and make any necessary changes that will entice the right type of buyer.
- Make that emotional disconnection. Remove all of your personal items, family photographs and anything else that could potentially prevent a buyer from imagining their belongings in your home. You want buyers to feel comfortable in the thought they could soon be living there.
- Your personal taste isn’t going to suit everyone. Knowing what colour schemes, finishes and inclusions are going to appeal to the masses will allow you to attract the maximum number of buyers and therefore the highest possible price.
- Stage your property to suit your potential market if necessary. Statistics show that staged homes sell 30 – 50% faster than un-staged homes, and for around 5-10% more. On an $800,000 property you might expect to pay approx $8,000 on rental furniture. This could equate to an extra $40,000 to $80,000 more! When styling is an option for your property, we would highly recommend it be taken advantage of.
- Add value where you can. Paint the walls a neutral colour, install new carpets and give the house a professional clean inside and out. Clearing out the clutter, creating extra rooms from dead space and showing potential buyers they can move in without having to do any work will add appeal.
- Remove your tenants. If your property is tenanted and not presenting in the best possible manner, it’s worth removing your tenants, attending to any repairs or updates, style the property and sell it with vacant possession. You can’t always control how the property is going to present when a tenant is living there.
Innovative Property Advocates specialise in helping people prepare their property for sale. We have advised many clients on how to add value to their sale without overcapitalizing. If you’d like to find out more, click here or feel free to drop us a line at info@innovativeproperty.com.au or call us on 0411 522 233.
