Preparing Your Home For A Spring Sale

Spring is a popular time to sell homes. The garden usually looks its best and rooms are warm and full of light.

If you’re thinking of a spring sale, a little work goes a long way to getting a quick sale and a great price. Of course, you don’t want to spend a fortune but you might want to spend a weekend or two getting your home into tip top condition. Even if you’re not selling, the new season is a good reason to give your home a lift.

The garden is the first thing potential buyers will see. It’s sometimes the difference between them stopping for a look and moving on to the next property. Make sure you clean gutters, rake up leaves and pull out weeds, then put down a fresh layer of mulch if possible. Flowering plants are often at their best in spring, but keep plants neatly pruned and lawns mowed. Sweep up or get the blower vac onto your patios, decks and verandahs, and give the BBQ a clean while you’re at it. If buyers will be able to access your shed, make sure it’s tidy too.

Are your kitchen and bathroom benches covered in ‘stuff’? Do you disappear under an avalanche of towels and sheets when you open your linen cupboard? Are your bookshelves overflowing with dog-eared paperbacks? Too much clutter will make your home look smaller and in need of more storage. Rooms don’t have to be empty but throw out or remove anything you don’t need or use. Your home should be neat, tidy and easy to navigate.

A thorough clean makes such a difference to the presentation of your home. Dirty windows ruin the view and restrict the amount of light entering your home. Give your drab carpets a steam clean and make sure the inside of your oven is free of grease and food spills.

High traffic areas and window frames might need a fresh coat of paint too. If you don’t have the time or inclination to give your home the clean it needs, hire a professional cleaner.

It’s the little things that often create a niggling doubt in the minds of buyers. A leaking tap or toilet, creaking doors, a loose downpipe, blinds that are difficult to open. Take note of all the small maintenance issues in your home and devote a weekend to getting them fixed.

If, despite all your best intentions, your furniture is letting your home down, consider having your home professionally styled. It comes at a cost, but the difference it makes in the selling price usually makes it worth every cent. If you can’t afford a stylist, look at magazines and see if there are a few small accessories you can purchase that might elevate your home.

It’s open inspection time! When you walk into a home, you can usually tell whether the owner has inside pets. If your pets live inside you might be used to the smell but a potential buyer might be put off by it, so ensure your pet's bedding is washed and food is outside during inspections.

Speaking of odours, make sure your bathrooms and laundry don’t smell of wet towels or old socks too. A thorough clean and a scented candle or two (don’t overdo it) during opens will make your home smell fresh and inviting.