House prices may have dropped across the country, but competition is still strong for high-quality properties.
Getting the best price for your property means looking at it objectively from the perspective of a potential buyer – what seems cosy and comfortable to you may appear cluttered, shabby or outdated to others.
Make sure your home isn’t a ‘listing let-down’ with our following guide.
Appealing Exteriors
What kind of first impression does your home make? Street appeal goes a long way to creating interest for potential buyers.
This can be as simple as a fresh coat of paint, some landscaping or planting to freshen up your garden, fixing a broken gate or installing a new letterbox.
If your budget is a bit bigger, consider upgrading your outdoor lighting, updating doors, or repairing or replacing fences.
If you don’t have a lot of money to play with, a good clean of all exterior elements, pressure-wash of your driveway and general garden tidy-up will go a long way to creating street appeal.
Presenting Your Home for the Season
Creating a mood in your home to match the season will go a long way to enticing buyers.
Selling in spring or summer? Make your home feel light, bright and airy with lighter décor and touches of greenery throughout, Open windows to let in light and fresh air. On hot days, have air-conditioning running to show potential buyers how cool and comfortable your property will be during summer months.
Accentuate outdoor spaces such as patios and decks, and if you have a pool, make this a particular selling point.
In cooler months, make your home feel warm and cosy with throws, cushions and warm lighting. Make sure your windows and doors are properly sealed and draught-proof. Covered outdoor areas with firepits and heaters can be attractive to potential buyers looking for a home with options for entertaining in winter.
Décor and Decoration
Cluttered rooms, dated décor and furnishings, dust and dirt are all off-putting to potential buyers and stop your home from being shown to its best advantage.
A thorough clean and de-clutter should be the first thing you do when you start the process of preparing your home for sale. It’s time to cull! (Added bonus? Less mess and stuff to take with you when you move).
While engaging a professional staging service is an additional up-front expense, it’s an investment that could end up paying off with a higher offer.
DIY Do-Overs
For safety reasons, some jobs should only be done by professionals – gas, electrical, heating and plumbing repairs and upgrades need to be signed off by a qualified tradesperson. If you have had a go at a DIY job yourself (and done a less-than-professional job), get it fixed by a professional before your home goes on the market.
Kitchen, Bathroom – Or Both?
Arguably the two most important rooms in the house, bathroom and kitchen renovations can be expensive. If you can’t afford a complete remodel, choose a couple of things to update and buy the best you can afford. For the kitchen, this could be a new oven, range or splashback. For the bathroom, invest in new taps and shower fittings, or have the tiling re-grouted. An updated, more modern look can be achieved with décor, plants, appliances, some new tiles or a coat of paint.
The Home Inspection Hub Can Help
The Home Inspection Hub are the residential building inspection professionals. We can assist both buyers and sellers with a range of professional, high-quality inspections.
Are you selling?
If you have carried out building or renovation works within the previous 6.5 years, you may need an Owner Builder Defects (137b) Report. This is a legally-required document which forms part of your Section 32.
Only registered building practitioners are authorised to carry out this type of inspection – that means only the registered architects in our inspector team will be assigned to your inspection.
A vendor (or pre-sale report) is a valuable tool in the campaign to sell your home. It has the advantage of alerting you to issues with your property which may affect its sale price.
You are also saving potential buyers the trouble of organising a pre purchase building and pest inspection themselves. This can speed up negotiations if an offer is on the table – a win-win for both parties.
We conduct a full range of residential building inspections across Melbourne, Geelong and Central Vic:
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection can uncover any serious issues that may be present with a property that you are interested in.
We are proud to partner with Crunch Pest Control for our pest inspections.
The Home Inspection Hub conducts all stage of new home construction inspections: base stage, frame stage, lock-up/pre-plaster stage, fixing stage and handover stage.
We offer a discount when you book a new home construction package of four or more inspections.
Noticed an issue at your home and not sure how serious it is or what to do next?
We can arrange a special purpose inspection to investigate the issue and offer suggestions for rectification.
The Home Inspection Hub also conducts owner builder defects (137b) reports, renovation inspections, tax depreciation reports and VCAT reports and expert witness
We can also arrange stand-alone PCI reports, contract review and maintenance inspections for your new home.
Ready to book?
Call 1300 071 283, email info@thehomeinspectionhub.com.au or send us a free quote request today.
