8 quick fixes to get your home ready for sale

The talented ladies at The Real Estate Stylist are with us today to share their expert advice on how to get your home sale ready.

Sara and Amy have styled hundreds of homes to get them ready for auction or private sale, helping to bring out the full potential of a property and reach its optimum selling price.

Keep reading for their 8 quick fixes to get your home ready for sale.

Related article: How to prepare for an open house like a pro
Related article: Need convincing a property stylist is worth the cost?

1. Be sensible about what you need to do

“Take a step back and look at the property from a buyer’s point of view,” says Sara. “Ask yourself is it too loud, oppressive, dark or cluttered?”

She says it’s important to remove emotion from this thought process.

“It’s business. You need to put aside your emotional attachment to your home and the things in it and consider what you can do to attract the highest sale price.”

Enlisting the advice of an expert can help.

“If you can’t afford a real estate stylist, talk to an agent about where you can get the most bang for your buck.”

2. Pack away almost all personal items

“Clean up in a big way,” recommends Amy.

“You need to create a clean and bare home that potential buyers could imagine moving into.

“Pack up your personal items and put them in storage, it will cost a little bit but will pay off at sale.”

3. Repaint

“Repainting is really, really, really worth it,” says Sara.

“Remove the purple sponge feature walls,” she laughs, “And create a blank canvas in a very neutral colour.”

This article covers how to select the right colour for the tone you want to set in your home, and if you’ll be DIYing this job, Gina offers her tips on how to paint like a pro here.

4. Put your pets away

“Arrange for a family member to take care of your pets while your home is on the market or put them in a kennel for that time,” says Amy.

“You don’t want pet hair, or the smell of pets, to turn buyers off.”

5. Invest in carpet cleaning

“It doesn’t cost much and will instantly freshen up your home. If you’ve had pets, this is an absolute must.”

If paying for a professional cleaner isn’t an option, you can DIY this job yourself. Gina shares everything you need to know about using a Britex machine here. These machines are available for hire from Bunnings stores and offer a deep clean at a fraction of the cost.

6. Let in the light

“Make your home as light as possible by pulling up the blinds and turning all the lamps on.”

Lighting is one of the most overlooked aspects of design yet it plays a major part in how we experience a space. From gloomy to light and airy, simply playing with lighting levels can transform the way we feel in a space. Find plenty of lighting tips and inspiration articles here.

7. Change your letterbox

“When people come to inspect your house, they’ll be driving down your street looking for your number which is most likely on your letterbox.

“It will be the first impression most of your potential buyers will have of your property so make it a good one.”

8. Remulch your garden

“Again, this front garden will be one of the first impressions people have of your property,” says Sara.

“Set the right tone for property with this quick and inexpensive fix.”

Mulch can add colour and define garden beds. We’ve got expert tips on how to select the right mulch here.

From the real estate styling experts, there you have 8 quick fixes to get your home sale ready. We hope you find them useful and would love to know any other quick fixes you have — post them in the comments below!

More selling advice

This article was first published in April 2015 and has been updated with new information and images.