For most of us, our home is our single biggest asset. When the time to sell comes, getting the best bang for your buck could get you a step closer to your next dream home, financial independence or a more secure retirement. The biggest challenge is figuring out where to put your hard earned money and time to get the best return on auction day.
New paint? New flooring? Kitchen reno? By the time you're done with your list, you could be looking at a very expensive and time-consuming ordeal. To help out, we asked our Real Estate expert, Stephanie Jordan from Dalton Partners in the hopes of making it easier for you. Here are her recommendations:
Street Appeal
How the house looks from the outside gives a first impression that could either make or break a sale. So make it as presentable as you can without shelling out a ton of money. Remove or hide the garbage bins in the garage or at the neighbours, tidy up the yard, plant some flowering plants and mulch! If you’ve got a picket fence out the front, then give it a coat of paint for a serious WOW factor.
Painting the Exterior
Avoid giving off that dilapidated house look vibe by splashing on a new coat of paint. This should give your home that fresh modern look that attracts potential buyers. Go for light and neutral colours for the best effect.
Flooring
Potential buyers stepping into your home may pay extra attention to the condition of your floor. Have your floors cleaned by professionals who take extra care in removing ugly stains from the carpet and giving your timber floors a refreshed look. If the floor is too worn out or hopelessly outdated, consider updating to a newer, more stylish look.
Kitchen & Bathroom Updates
You don't have to go crazy and tear down the entire kitchen or bathroom. Install modern handles and have your cupboards and vanity repainted. Give tiles and grout lines a thorough clean and consider having the grout recoloured for a pleasing new look.
Finish It
Remember that kitchen bar you started working on a decade ago? Guess what, it's not finished yet! This should be a good time to finish work on any existing projects you have at home to make buyers feel they're not buying an unfinished house.
Cleaning & Organisation
This will require a fair bit of time and considerable elbow grease, but will make a big difference on your property's sale price. Remove unnecessary clutter, personal items and excess furniture. Bonus tip: You can have a garage sale to make a few extra bucks selling old stuff.
Inspection
Having your house looked over by professional Pest & Building inspector should be done even before putting your house on the market. This will help narrow down areas that needs fixing. Problems that pop up when a sale is being negotiated can create a strong bargaining point for the purchaser or cause a sale to fall over. Get ahead of the game and understand your property.
How to Get Started
It's never easy to get your home ready for selling. Put to the side your emotional attachment and focus on what’s required to get the best possible sale price. Get an agent’s input early on in the process so that you can focus your efforts. Just focus on one thing at a time and you should be able to get your house ready to sell without blowing the budget.
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