Top 10 tips for adding MASSIVE value to your property when selling!
Any property seller always wants to know how to and what adds maximum value. Well here are the top 10 tips for adding MASSIVE value to your end sale price.
- Gardening – Often one of the most neglected aspects in preparing a home for sale is the garden. Buyers hate messy gardens and it can create a poor first impression.
The best thing is, gardening just costs you a bit of time and elbow grease and potentially some new plants.
Think weed free, easy maintenance and drought tolerant plants. Well cared for and green lawns make for great appeal and show up great in photos.
- Front fence (Picket fence yes please) – It’s an Australian thing. We like to buy a chunk of dirt, put a fence around it so we can ‘water’ our lemon trees in private. LOL.
But seriously, if your property appeals to a family buyer, safety is one of the top agenda items.
- Out with the old! – Unless you are selling a complete renovator, people look at things like pink rose embossed pelmets like they do a crack in the wall….. Just an extra thing to do or fix. Basic window coverings are simple and easy way to modernise.
- Attend to structural and/or building issues prior – We give this advice all the time. There may be issues with your property that you don’t even know about.
The majority of buyers who purchase WILL arrange a builders report prior to the cooling off period finishing. If issues arise, this can cause them to want to renegotiate the price or at worst, back out of the contract.
Best practice is to get your own building report done. This gives you the opportunity to remedy major issues and at very least, be fully aware and prepared as to what a buyer might find. The $700 approx. you spend could save you thousands in the end.
- Paint – Paint and repair cracks if required.
- Update – The 2 big ticket areas are kitchen and bathrooms. Updating to sell can be done easily and at relatively low cost. In many cases it can be a simple case of;
- A new vanity or modern tap ware in a bathroom
- Changing cupboard handles and updating appliances in the kitchen
Updating to sell doesn’t have to be a completely new space.
- De-clutter to emphasise space – Each room should be minimalistic in feel and have furniture appropriate to that room and its size. For example, a 70 inch flat screen TV is great for watching Avatar but will dominate any room it is in.
- Consider styling the house – In my opinion, the best investment any seller can make, especially if you have an empty house or dated furniture. Stylists dress up homes specifically to get the seller more money. Selling an empty house, the buyer has nothing else to look at other than imperfections.
Bottom line. Buyers pay more for better looking homes that make them feel good.
- Invest properly in marketing – You can’t sell a secret. A home will never sell itself.
The more people you attract the more buyers you attract. This equates to interest and the more interest there is the better the chance of increasing the end result. Marketing is about perception and perception is value.
- Get the right agent – Quite simply, the agent you choose will have a direct impact on the sale price. Ensure you have someone that is competent in marketing and actually understands it. Most importantly ensure you have the best negotiator…. Ask them what their negotiation process is, what they do when an offer comes in and to physically show you how they do it.
The cheapest agent up front usually ends up costing you more in the final result, making them the most expensive agent at the end.
Happy selling!
