4 STEPS TO GET YOUR HOME SHOW-HOUSE READY

PROPERTY market conditions in South Africa are leaning in favour of buyers, with supply significantly exceeding demand in many areas. Spoilt for choice – and often lacking a sense of urgency or competition – buyers are taking their time to look around and negotiating harder than usual on sales prices.

Conditions like these can make it difficult for sellers to attract the right kind of buyer attention, says David Jacobs, the regional sales manager for the Rawson Property Group.

To overcome the challenge, he urges sellers not to overlook valuable marketing opportunities, particularly when it comes to the most traditional sales technique of all: show houses.

While show houses are typically arranged and managed by agents, they’re not exactly effort-free for sellers, he says, adding that a little preparation is almost always necessary.

“A well-staged home, expertly shown to a select pool of qualified buyers, shouldn’t need to be opened to visitors more than a few times, even in a buyers’ market,” he says.

To improve your odds, he suggests doing the following prep work, alongside any specific recommendations from your real estate agent:

Deep clean: There’s nothing quite like a layer of grime to put a buyer off. Put some elbow grease into getting your property squeaky clean and shining, including windows, carpets and curtains.

Declutter: Make your home feel more spacious by clearing out as much clutter as possible. Pop those doodads and knick-knacks in storage, clear your counters and garage corners, and unstuff any closets that appear overly full. (Storage space is a big selling point, so make yours look as large as possible.)

Depersonalise: Our homes are normally safe spaces to express our personalities and our views on religion, family, politics and more. When showing your home, however, it’s best to present as neutral a picture as possible, removing items of a personal or controversial nature to make it easier for buyers to imagine their own lives in your space.

Leave it to the pros: Most buyers feel awkward exploring a space and asking difficult (but necessary) questions about a property under the watchful eyes of its owners. It’s far better to take the family, including any furkids, out for the day, and let your agent do their best work with complete focus.