Your Spring Selling Guide
SPRING SELLING GUIDE
Quick tips for vendors Presentation of your property is a critical factor in achieving the highest possible price. If they see neglect, they’ll imagine the worst. If they see a well presented property, they may even overlook minor disadvantages. You don’t need to renovate or invest a fortune, just simply make the most of what you already have.
Even the most astute investor will be encouraged by a well presented property. People are emotional beings and will be stimulated by what they see, feel and hear.
How to better prepare your home for sale to maximise your selling price Spring is just around the corner, so if you’re planning on selling your property during this busy time of year, here are some simple planning tips to help you fully reap the rewards.
When the time comes to sell, one of our trained consultants will help you identify ways to increase the appeal of your property to your most likely buyer profile.
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SPRING SELLING GUIDE
How to Style Your Outdoor Living! An outdoor living space is an Australian home staple. The real quest is to ensure that it is styled correctly, maximizes the space you have and flows on from your home rather than it feel like a separate place. Outdoor areas are a well-loved feature in many homes as they offer more variety in entertaining space, while still providing privacy.
A well-designed outdoor space is underpinned by four key elements – flow from inside out; vistas from as many rooms as possible; access to light and air; and the right balance between shelter and openness. With these foundations at play, an outdoor area’s comfort level, sense of space and appearance can be enhanced in conjunction with material
Smaller spaces: If you’re working with a smaller area, less is always more. Trying to include various elements will take away from the uniqueness of each component and eliminate the ability to showcase the area’s best features. You should aim to strategically place furniture away from the boundary of the house to create the illusion of an adjoining room flowing from your home. By using materials such as timber and bluestone pavers, this will compliment the sense of outdoors being drawn into the house, rather than taking away from the beauty of nature.
Bigger spaces: Those with more room to play should consider styling their outdoor area into separate but cohesive zones. Combining contrast with continuity, The space could be designed encompassing a pergola to facilitate the feeling of an external room, with a garden, relaxed seating area and pool for example. The key message is by adding levels and zones, it gives the impression of a bigger space and keeps it interesting rather than flat and boring.
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Main turn offs for buyers Rubbish - inside and out, despite how neatly it may be stacked Clutter or oversized furniture Animal odours Dampness and darkness Cigarette or strong food odours Doors, windows or gates that stick Peeling paint Cracked glass Stained carpet Overgrown gardens and lawns Page 5
SPRING SELLING GUIDE
Preparing your property for sale to make the most of your investment. When the time comes to sell, one of our trained consultants will help you identify ways to increase the appeal of your property to your most likely buyer profile.
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Make the property feel inviting
Buyers like to imagine they’d enjoy living in a property, so make it easy for them to feel good about your place. Gentle music, a fragrant oil burner and a few scattered cushions can make all the difference on inspection day. The power of emotion is amazing, even with the most astute purchaser. Perhaps even hire some modern furnishings, or whatever suits the style of your property to create that perfect package. And remember to also consider your outdoor areas!
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Less is more
Clear the clutter. It will make it easier to keep the property tidy for inspections and rooms will feel more spacious to buyers.
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Let the sun shine in
Everyone loves sunshine when they are looking to buy, so open up blinds and curtains for inspections – and make sure windows are clean inside and out. After 7 years in real estate, we have never had a buyer complain of too much sun.
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Fix outstanding repairs
Especially visible ones. Even the smallest of problems can make buyers wary about other less obvious issues. So its best to fix what buyers will see and make the property appear well cared for.
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SPRING SELLING GUIDE
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Clean up lawns and gardens
This may seem self explanatory, yet it’s often the garden that is last on the list of things to do. If you’ve spent time and money with your property’s presentation, a small investment in finishing off gardens can be extremely worthwhile. Remember we live in a beautiful part of Sydney where the outdoor areas can be just as valuable as indoors for many buyers, so make sure they add to the property’s appeal. Some key points to consider with your outdoor areas. Remove children’s bikes and toys where possible Make sure bins and composts are out of sight Clean outdoor furniture as well as clear paths of moss and leaf debris
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Spring gardening tips
Up to 90% of your plants annual growth can occur in spring, so being prepared will help your garden look spectacular by the time winter has passed. Here are some specific areas to focus on: Prune shrubs and roses and remove spent flowers from bulbs Pull weeds from garden beds and lawns before they have a chance to take hold Plant trees, shrubs, hardy annuals and summer blooming bulbs Fertilise and mulch garden beds and fruit trees. Spring is the best time to start a new lawn from seed.
For established lawns, start mowing more regularly in the spring for a thicker, greener lawn. Start with a fairly long cut and gradually reduce the height until your lawn is looking its best. Remember mowing promotes vigorous growth so mow regularly – just not too short! Spring is also a great time to fertilise
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lawns, as long as you water them afterwards.
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The Kitchen
A good kitchen can help sell a property. Not
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Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is another very important room
only is it an essential part of the house, it can be
for purchasers. Makeit as inviting and relaxing as pos-
the most expensive and inconvenient room to
sible with candles, beautiful bed linen, cushions and
refurbish, so its condition will influence the value
throw rugs. And if the room is large enough, include
of your property. If your kitchen is a little dated,
a comfy chair, coffee table and a few magazines or
you don’t need to replace it, there are a few sim-
books.
Put appliances out of sight and keep
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bench space clean and clear
sidering these purchasers, you can unnecessarily limit
Pay special attention to the cleanliness of
your market. Here are a few simple steps to consider if
ple ways to help increase its appeal. Change cupboard handles to something more contemporary
sinks, stoves and ovens Wipe marks from cupboard doors and splash backs
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Pets & Smells
Many buyers do not appreciate pets and by not con-
Take your pets to visit family or friends during inspections Move bowls, toys and bedding outside the house and make sure they are always clean
Kids Bedrooms
Air the property for a few hours before inspections Pick up any ‘surprises’ in the garden before inspections
Make it easier on the kids by packing up some of their toys and worldly possessions before you offer the property for sale. It will clear the space and help them to keep their room a little tidier during the sale. And if your children are ‘distinctive’ in their decorating style, you may need to ‘neutralise’ a little to appeal to a broader market. Some key areas to consider. Remove posters from walls doors and windows Cover worn or marked carpet with rugs and furniture
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SPRING SELLING GUIDE
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Take the time now to consider what’s for sale
Now is the time to get really clear on what you will be including in the sale. Many fixtures and fittings can easily be removed without causing damage – such as precious light fittings, curtains to match a bedroom suite, garden pots, birdbaths etc.
The exclusion of select items from a sale usually won’t impact on the final price achieved when everyone involved is perfectly clear on what to expect BEFORE negotiations commence.
So if there is anything you want to make certain moves with you, it must be written into the contract for sale. We will discuss what to include and exclude with you further when you meet.
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Local tradespeople & service directory
Preparing your home for sale doesn’t need to be a headache. We do this every day for our clients and can always recommend the right help for you.
At Reliance Real Estate, it’s not about getting your property sold. It’s about getting it sold for the maximum price possible. As well as making it easy for you.
We want you to be thrilled with the result, so our relationship lasts well beyond the initial transaction.
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SPRING SELLING GUIDE
Questions to Ask Before Deciding to Sell.. Deciding if selling is the right thing for you and then choosing your agent can be a daunting and overwhelming process. We’ve come up with some questions for you to consider and ask the agents at the appraisal of your home. You should have an idea of what you expect for each question which will allow you to choose the most fitting agent based on their answer.
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How much will it cost us to sell with you? Think about costs such as marketing and commission
Is now the right time to sell? Get their honest opinion and ask for insight into what the latest market trend has been
Which is better for our home – auction or private sale? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of both
Is it worth giving our home an upgrade/renovation? Discuss overall costs and how it might influence the final offer
What is the best way to advertise? Think about who your target audience is
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What do you think our property is worth and why? It’s good to get a ball park figure from a professional
How long will it approximately take to sell? See if this works with your current lifestyle and expectations
How long has it taken for you to sell your recent properties? If the recent properties are similar to yours, this is usually a good indi-
How long have you been working in this area? Establish their experience level
What will you do to introduce buyers to our property? Compare different strategies
Why should we hire you? Before they sell your property, get the agent to sell themselves to you
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