- The number of homes for sale on the market is well below the historical average
- There are things you can do to maximize interest during the first weekend of your property going to market
- Also ideal to make appropriate repairs
You’ve made the decision to put your property on the market.
There couldn’t be a better time, especially now with the supply of homes on the market.
In my home state of WA, this figure is sitting at 8,532 – well under the average of 12,000 – 13,000 homes.
You will be met with a reasonable interest in your first weekend of going to market.
Below is a snapshot of REIWA’s Property Market Statistics for the week ending 19th of June.
Now, there are few key things you can do to ensure you are maximising your sale campaign in the first 21 days.
The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book The Ultimate Guide to Selling your Home (also will be available on Audible for all your listeners out there ) – so stay tuned, and follow us here at The Property Tribune for more updates on this.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak preview…
How to prepare your home for sale
Organising
Have the contents of your walk-in-wardrobe, drawers and pantry neatly arranged. A well organised house gives an impression of order and hence the buyer can imagine their own lives within the home.
By organising, you will reassure the potential buyers that there is ample storage space for their needs and inspire confidence that your home is well taken care of.
Optimise Space
This is ensuring that every space in your house is put into good use. One can easily create extra living areas, a home office, a study room, an entertainment room, spare rooms for guests and children, all without knocking down any walls.
To achieve this, take out any unnecessary furniture and fixtures, if there’s room under the staircase for a compact office, place a desk and chair there so that the buyer can clearly see its potential. For an unused patio or balcony, have some comfortable chairs or a hammock there to suggest room for relaxation.
Landscaping
A little gardening or weeding the garden, a little lawn-mowing would go a long way. Placing elegant ceramic flower pots with small trees, or attractive flowers or shrubs might just be the thing to create a welcoming impression of a home well cared for and loved.
Small enhancements to the fence and the general outdoor look can also aid in attaining the maximum impact and help create a positive first impression.
Repairs
Before listing your home for a sale, ensure all obvious and critical repair work is complete.
A poorly kept home gives the buyer a bad first impression, which is normally imprinted in their mind within the first eight seconds of entering your home.
The only exception would be if they are planning full-scale renovations for the place. This would mean that then the major repairs won’t really matter if you are selling your home on an AS-IS basis.
‘What to Repair’ Checklist
- Floors and ceiling.
- Bathroom and kitchen fittings.
- Lighting and ventilation.
- Doors and windows.
- Paint on the inside and outside.
- Electrical, Gas & Plumbing Fixtures & Fittings
You can also opt to have a Structural Inspection Report done prior to going to market to have a professional highlight any issues you may not have known exists in your home.
For more on this, check out another article of ours on the importance of Building Inspection reports, which is also available as a chapter in our upcoming book!
If all the above checkboxes are ticked and the house is well kept, then you are now ready for that exciting first home open weekend.
We wish you the best in your property journey!
