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Preparing Your Home for Sale  

Preparing The Inside

The exterior creates the first impression but it's the inside that is the most important to most buyers. Try to make your home as appealing to as many types of people as possible. For example a buyer can imagine white walls a different colour but can be turned off by colours that are too bold.

Cleaning

Clean everything in and out of sight.

Shampoo rugs and wax floors.

Wash or brush walls.

Wash windows and clean blinds or drapes.

Your home should be immaculate, beds made, floors cleaned or vacuumed, windows spotless, shelves dusted and trash taken out.

Any repairs should be done, leaky taps, missing tiles, broken screens, etc.

If you are a smoker, clean any nicotine stained items thoroughly and refrain from smoking in the home while you have your home on the market.

Lighting
Lighting and space are two things that can make or break a home's appeal. When the house is being shown, turn on the lights when you leave, open all curtains and shutters to let in as much light as possible but screen out unappealing views.

Space

Space is important, take a look around your home, take 50% of your closet contents and put them away.

Take everything off the kitchen counters.

Weed out clutter in cabinets

Create space by storing some of the extra furniture you've found useful (bureaus, bookcases, storage chests, oversized chairs) but which makes a crowded impression.

Place the remaining furniture so that traffic can flow easily from room to room.

Unless you're a skilled artist, scale down your personal art work (portraits, landscapes), posters, signs, and family photos, especially in teenagers' rooms.

Create a feeling of spaciousness.

Keep normal walkways throughout the house clear so buyers don't have to walk around items in the way.

Kitchens

Kitchen: stove, refrigerator, sink should be spotless and workspace clear.

Clear benches, drawers and cabinets of unnecessary items.

Put away all dishes. Don't leave dishes drying by the sink.

Be conscious of odours caused by dampness, hampers, garbage and various foods.

TIP If you wipe the bench with vanilla essence just before an inspection, it leaves a fabulous smell in the kitchen

Bathrooms

Make sure there are no dripping taps

Clean tiles to sparkling shine and the grout as well

Clean shower screens

Clean soap dishes, mirrors, taps and appliances (inside and out)

Store cleaning supplies and hang freshly washed towels.

Bedrooms and Living Areas

Keep living areas clean and inviting.

Arrange furniture to allow a spacious atmosphere.

Make beds, arrange couch cushions, dust shelves, vacuum carpets and touch-up walls with paint as necessary.

Wallpaper should be clean and adhere smoothly to the walls.

Finishing touches such as flowers or candles add to the home's house warming appeal

Preparing The Outside

Your home's exterior is the first thing a potential buyer sees when visiting your home. The following tips will help you increase your home's curb side appeal and create a strong first impression to potential home buyers

Cobwebs

Remove cobwebs from the outside of the home, under the eaves and around the windows

Garage or Workshop

Clean out your garage. Buyers want to envision themselves they are in clean and uncluttered open space.

Items should be neatly stored in shelving or wall units.

Allow appropriate space for the home buyer to visualize their vehicle or workbench.

Consider moving excess or over-sized items to mini-storage.

Clean floor and if necessary repaint.

Driveway, Garage, Carport

Clean up grease or oil spots on driveway surface. For asphalt driveways it is a good idea to apply a fresh coat of black driveway sealer. You can do this yourself or hire a professional.

Make sure the garage door opens freely and the remote is working. If hinges squeak oil them.

Clean your garage or outbuildings thoroughly and relocate any stored vehicles.

Provide an unobstructed view of your home from the street by not having cars that don't work, boats, campers or other vehicles in the driveway.

Lawns and yard

Do a general cleanup around the yard

Remove clutter, garbage

Mow, trim and fertilize the lawn. Remove grass clippings.

Edge walkways & trim hedges and shrubs

Weed flowerbeds and replace dead plants and trees.

Keep bicycles and toys out of sight.

Fences:      -Replace missing slats, stakes and posts.
                  -Repair broken hinges and paint or stain the fence if necessary.

Brickwork and timber

Make sure all exterior surfaces are clean and free of mildew or other stains.

Consider painting the highlight features of your home, such as trim work, shutters, gutters,
down spouts and railings.

If necessary, add a fresh coat of exterior paint to the exterior siding.

Doors and Windows

Consider adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door.

Polish brass fixtures and be sure door locks work properly.

Oil hinges to both doors and windows.

Keep stairways tidy and secure handrail. If required repaint handrail.

Repair or replace bent or damaged screens and window glass.

Cut back outdoor plants that restrict natural light.

Clean all windows inside and if possible outside.

Front Entry

Polish door handles and door knockers.

Replace worn or broken items, such as an unsightly mailbox or rusty doorbell.

Replace or repair screens in doors

Be sure porch lights are working, replace bulbs and add welcoming features such as a new door mat and flowering plants

Roof

Remove debris such as tree branches and leaves.

Check for any cracked roofed tiles and replace.

Clear gutters and down spouts of leaves and debris 

Patios, Decks and Verandahs

Remove clutter

Replace rotten boards and railings 

Repaint if necessary all or portions of the deck 

Tidy any visible items, such as an outdoor grill or barbecue. 

Stairways cleared of objects and obstacles 

Flowering plants and outdoor furniture add appeal. 

Remove any unnecessary items such as gardening equipment

Are you ready for a pest and building inspection

When a property owner lists their property on the market for sale, they would like for the sale to go through as quickly and smoothly and with the least amount of fuss as possible.  The vendor and the sales team can hardly afford to receive a negative report from either the Timber Pest  Inspector or the building  Inspector, so to reduce the chances of that happening I have prepared a quick and easy check list of areas that can be adjusted, if need be, to help the Inspection procedures to run smoothly.

 Check List for timber Pest Inspection:                                        

Ensure that there are no timbers in contact with the ground and building. 

Ensure that all gardens are at least 100mm below the bottom of the weep holes.

Ensure that there are no timbers or other materials stacked against the outer walls of the building.

Ensure that there is no water laying against the outer walls of the building.

Ensure that there are no bushes or trees covering the outer walls of the building.

Ensure that there are no obstructions to the roof void or sub-floor areas.

Ensure that there are no obstructions to any of the rooms inside the building.

Check List for Building Inspection:                                                  

Ensure that all the doors and windows open and close smoothly.

Ensure that all the taps turn on and off smoothly.

Ensure that the shower base doesn’t leak or lose water.

Ensure that the roof tiles or roofing iron are complete and are not damaged.

Ensure that there are no obstructions to the roof void or sub-floor areas.

Ensure that there are no obstructions to any of the rooms in side the building.

Ensure that any pergolas or additions to the building are in good repair and are pleasing to the eye.

Ensure that the building in general is in good repair and reflects a safe environment.

Jamar Realty Pty Ltd    17 Victory Drive, Mudgeeraba , Q  4217

   Ph:   07 5569 0953   Fax:   07 5525 1073     Mob: 0402 879 613