In today’s fast-paced Inner West property market, it’s common for homeowners to need to sell their homes quickly. If this is the case for you, we’ve got you covered. From decluttering to making your house sparkle, here’s how to get your home ready for an efficient sale.
First of all, do your research and view recent sales results, property price growth, and auction clearance rates. This will give you a realistic idea of the price you can expect and how the market is currently trending. A free property appraisal with us will further help you set a realistic sale price. If you decide to go ahead, here’s what you need to do next.
3 essentials when getting your home ready to sell
1. Depersonalise your home
The aim of the game is to ensure potential buyers can visualise your property as their future home. This means getting an efficient start on packing and decluttering product-heavy areas like kitchen counters, wardrobes, kids’ rooms, and bookshelves. A clean and clutter-free home also indicates to buyers that the home has been well-maintained.
While you’re at it, store personal photos, heirlooms, and mementos to present a clean environment for optimal visualisation. It’s also worthwhile removing excess or distracting furniture (here’s looking at you, sunshine yellow armchair) and putting them in storage if necessary.
2. Focus on street appeal
They say first impressions last and you don’t want to scare away prospective buyers before they’ve even stepped inside, so focus on your street appeal. Think about painting your front door, adding flower pots or a doormat to the front entrance, landscaping the lawn and garden bed if you have them, and ensuring your house number is visible.
3. Make your house sparkle
There are several ways to make your house sparkle. First, it’s best to make any required minor repairs, as sometimes the smallest things can turn people away. This includes patching wall holes, replacing chipped tiles, fixing leaking faucets, replacing light fixtures, and painting over any vibrant walls with a neutral colour (a blank canvas is another step in depersonalising). Speak to your agent for advice on how to increase appeal without overcapitalising.
When you’ve conquered this list, you may want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service to prep your home from top to bottom before your first open house. Because when we say top to bottom, we mean it. You want to ensure every fan blade is wiped, every door handle is clean, every appliance is polished and every window is scrubbed. Remember, your home doesn’t stop inside either. Ensure your backyard is just as sparkly by maintaining the lawn, pool, and garden.
What to do once you’re home is ready
Once your home is ready, the next step is to ensure your chosen agent creates an extensive marketing campaign. A great marketing campaign often leads to a great price. You ideally want both online and offline property listings and social media advertising. Professional photography is essential to this process. Don’t hesitate to work with the photographer to ensure they highlight your home’s best features, like your kitchen (a.k.a the heart of the home) or your luxurious outdoor entertaining space.
Then it’s time to open your beautifully presented home to the public. Besides the aforementioned preparations, on the day, ensure your home smells fresh with candles or scented plug-ins and say a temporary goodbye to pets. You want to let the natural light in wherever possible and get the temperature just right, too. It also doesn’t hurt to add a little life through fresh flowers, indoor plants or fruit bowls. Trust us, sometimes the smallest touches make the biggest difference.
Can we help with your Inner West home?
Whether you’re ready to sell or need help to rent your investment property, we have the experience and local knowledge to make your property journey easier.
Looking for help selling your home or renting your investment property? Our team at Belle Property Balmain supports homeowners across Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Rozelle and Lilyfield. Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation discussion or property appraisal.
