Getting your home ready for sale can be one of the most daunting and stressful experiences… we even read that some researchers found it to be more stressful than bankruptcy!
Cat Brown, owner of Arch Melbourne, is a pro at getting houses ready for sale and maximising the selling potential of homes. She joins us again today to share her tips on minimising stress when selling your home.
Related article: 8 quick fixes to get your home ready for sale
Related article: How to prepare for an open house like a pro
1. Declutter your home before you list it
You’ll get a higher selling price and it will cut down the mammoth task of moving and the cost of hiring removalists if you can declutter your home early. See the top 7 tips I recently shared on how to declutter your home.
What makes a home sell? A buyer’s connection. That feeling when you walk through the front door.
2. Get an expert to help you prioritise
There are a million and one things you could do to get your home ready for sale but limitations of time and money means there are only so many things you can do. A professional can help you identify where to focus your effort to get the most return. For example, if you’re using an extra bedroom as a study when you’re advertising it as a bedroom, pack the room up and stage it as a bedroom.
3. Consider what’s manageable
Similar to the point above, it’s important to look at manageable fixes to get your home ready for sale. If there is a feature of your home that really bothers you, chances are it will also bother potential buyers but that doesn’t mean you need to invest in major renovations. Sometimes there are quick fixes to these problems, for example, instead of retiling your bathroom, use a grout pen between the tiles to freshen it up and add some fresh towels and a pot plant to give your bathroom the lift it needs.
We’ve got more tips on cosmetic updates to refresh your bathroom or your kitchen.
4. Ask for help
Like the saying goes ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Whether it’s a professional service like I offer or just asking your friends and family to help you, getting some extra hands on deck to declutter and come up with a plan for success can make the world of difference.
Navigating the complexities of property settlement after divorce can add to the stress of selling a home, making it even more important to seek professional advice.
5. Keep things in perspective
Know that you will be going through a stressful time and make ‘plans’ to manage. A couple of tips I recommend to clients is to have an empty washing basket at hand — it means that when you get a call for a last minute open for inspection, you can zip through your house and tip all the bits and pieces like wet tea towels, kids toys, dirty dishes etc in there and then take the basket with you. Keep a bucket full of cleaning products so you don’t have to go searching on the day. Also, double up on bedding so you don’t have to change over quilt covers on the day.
We hope Cat’s tips for minimising stress when selling your home help you. You can also read our ‘8 quick fixes to get your home ready for sale’ for more pre-selling advice.
Selling and renting tips and tricks
This article was first published in October 2015 and has been updated with new images and information.
