Top 10 Tips to a SUCCESSFUL SALE

Tip 1 – Pick the day you want to list it IN THE FUTURE

Don’t just list your property for sale in one day. Don’t feel like you have to get it on the market ASAP.
Be prepared, make a list of what needs to be done & then set a reasonable time frame to get it done.
Project management is a huge key factor in reducing your stress levels.

Tip 2 – Ask for outside opinions of things that NEED DOING

You know that trim in your kitchen that you planned on painting, but only got the primer on? Oh wait, that’s my kitchen… the point is, I never even notice that trim anymore. Yes I’ll get to it someday, but we have a tendency to overlook imperfections in our own home because we are so used to seeing them.

But prospective buyers will see EVERYTHING. Invite some friends over and have them be brutally honest with how your house looks – inside and out. They will mention things you’ve never even thought of. This will help you compile your to-do list.

Tip 3 – Treat it like a business – IT’S NOW AN ASSET

I know that your house has so much meaning to you… the way it’s painted, the stuff you have on your walls… but now that it’s up for sale none of that matters anymore. Your house is now an asset for sale. It’s an asset that you want to get top dollar for. This means that you also have to be accommodating to showing people through. Yes, it’s always inconvenient to show your house, but you need to work on the schedule of the prospective buyers, not the other way around. Remember, the goal is to have as few open homes / inspections as possible. You want one of those first ones to make an offer and sell it! Working with your Agent will produce success!

Tip 4 – Tidy up and DECLUTTER – LESS is BEST

Have you seen those pictures of living rooms in the furniture advertisements? They look fantastic, don’t they? There’s a couch, a chair, a couple of end tables, window treatments, and just a couple decorations on the wall. And that’s it.

Now look around the room that you’re in right now. It might be your living room or your bedroom… but how much more stuff does your room have in it compared to the picture in the ad? Probably a TON. I’m not saying you have to make it look just like those pictures, but try to get it close.

You are trying to sell your house, not your stuff. So showcase your house. For every piece of furniture, ask yourself if it adds to the overall feeling over your home or not.
If it doesn’t, get rid of it.

Think of it as pre-moving. EVERYTHING in your home is coming out anyway, you’re just getting a head start.

Tip 5 – Nice and Fresh – KITCHENS & BATHROOMS SELL

If the kitchen is the heart of the home then the bathroom is the spa escape room! You don’t have to spend thousands to make the kitchen clean and inviting – just make sure it’s clean & uncluttered – maybe get a new toaster & matching kettle – clear the benchtops and add a little bit of greenery with a pot plant or two. If you have stainless steel appliances invest in a stainless steel polish – you will be amazed at how new they come up after a little bit of elbow grease!!
Buy fresh white towels and bath mats for all of the bathrooms in your home.   You don’t need to spend a lot of money, and you can often find these items at the dollar store.

Lay out your towels on the sinks to give it a spa like feeling, and replace old bath mats with the new ones.
The secret tip is – keep these new towels folded up and safe in a closet, then take them out and put them out only for the open home or inspection. When the inspection is over, fold them back up and store until the next one.
But if you are looking to upgrade your property these two rooms make your home and are well worth doing a renovation on to increase value.

Tip 6 – Best Advice – PAINT!!!

Freshly painted rooms look so clean. Every single little mark or scratch that have added up over the years will disappear, and your walls will once again look vibrant and new.

Stick to neutral colors.

Oh, and that reminds me… do you have any kids who had their bedrooms painted with bold crazy colors? Yeah, time for those colors to go. Remember point number 3 – this is not just your home anymore, it’s an asset. And your prospective buyers are mentally keeping a tally of jobs that they will need to do when they move in.

Tip 7 – 5 Seconds to Impress – CURB APPEAL

For better or worse, people do judge a book by its cover when it comes to houses. So do your best to make it look nice. Obviously, this isn’t the time to do any huge projects to significantly change the look of your house. But there’s still plenty you can do to improve the look of your house without spending much money.

Give it a good power wash, especially if you have any mould or cobwebs. Fix all the little stuff. Are there any trim pieces on your verandah or pergola that have rotted and need to be replaced? Are there any broken pieces of siding / guttering?
Could paint be touched up in a few spots? Now is the time to do it.
Get fresh mulch. It looks so nice and won’t cost you much at all.
Keep your lawn mowed, keep the toys out of the front yard all the time.
You never know when someone is driving by.

Tip 8 – Open Home & Inspection PLAN OF ACTION

When that call comes for an inspection, it can be both exciting, and dreadful. It seems like the timing is usually terrible, your house is a mess, and you only have an hour and a half to make the house presentable and get the family out.

This is why you need to have a plan.

At this point, you’ve already de-cluttered, so you shouldn’t have nearly as much stuff lying around as you did before. The way things are now, everything should have a place to get it out of site. In addition, furniture and decor should be staged at all times now. So what is left to do?

Clean all dishes and put them away.
Make all beds.
Put all clothes in dressers, on hangers or in covered hampers.
Vacuum and sweep everything.
Wipe down all counters, sinks and appliances.
Have clean unused linens on hand. Keep them folded up in a wardrobe, and pull them out to place in the kitchen and bathrooms when you have a showing.
Light candles, then get the heck out of there!

Tip 9 – Invest in Selling your Home TAKE GREAT PHOTO’S

There is no excuse to not have great photos these days. Everyone has a smart phone that has pretty amazing auto-light balancing features. But when I peruse listings, I see so many bad photos! And photos are important – it’s how you get people in your house.

Invest in a professional photographer – they are really cheap now adays and they have the right equipment to easily show your house in the right light the first time.
But if you are budget tight and handy with a good camera phone or digital camera here are some tips to help you:
Get your house in showroom condition – as PERFECT as possible.
Take the photos during the daytime with blinds and curtains letting in as much daylight as possible.
Make sure to keep your camera or phone as perfectly level as you can.
Do NOT take your pictures using portrait mode. Turn your camera sideways for landscape. You want to see the room, not lots of floor and ceiling.
For each room, get as close to a corner of the room as you can. This will make your rooms appear very large.
Use wide angle or panoramic for some shots.
Edit your photos. There are many free photo editing apps out there today. If you’ve never edited photos before, I suggest you just to the following to make your home photos look top-notch:
Brightness and contrast – hit an auto-adjust button.
Saturation/vibrance – bump up the saturation just a touch.
It will make your colors pop, but not so much that it looks unrealistic.
The exterior shot is the most important one. Get your cars out of the shot and back up as much as you can to take this shot and make sure to get the entire house in the picture.

Tip 10 – Price it Right and GET EXCITED!!

When a house is first listed, it will have it’s highest level of interest during those first few weeks.
It’s new on the market, and generating as much buzz and excitement as possible is important.

If you followed the steps above and have rockin’ pictures, you will definitely get that buzz.

Pricing is really tricky, and this is one area that you will need to rely on us for advice.
You want to sell it fast… but if it sells too fast, it was priced too low. On the other hand, if it’s priced it too high, then it might sit for longer than you want and that buzz and excitement will wane. Prospective buyers will see that it’s been sitting for a while and will be more likely to come in with lower offers. So this where having a good relatioship with us and trusting that we have your best interests at heart will make your life that much more easier.