Just some helpful tips

Presentation Tips for Selling

To market your home to it's best advantage you need to present your home to the buying public so that it will appeal to the broadest possible audience. The skill is to ensure that they can imagine themselves living there as soon as they step inside. Here are a few tips to help you present your home to its full potential and keep it well ahead of the competition.

Street appeal gives a potential buyer their first impression of your home so ensure that the gardens are neat and tidy, the lawns are mown and all rubbish removed. Touch up any areas where paint is flaking and peeling and clean the windows inside and out so that they sparkle. Tubs of scented flowers near the entrance add first impression impact, as well as lush natives in the gardens.

Clear the clutter. Day to day clutter, especially in a busy household, easily becomes familiar and we get used to it, however to potential buyers it makes a room look smaller and untidy. You want them to notice the house, not your "stuff". This is a great time to get rid of old newspapers, magazines and package up ornaments etc ready for the move. In the kitchen put away smaller appliances, jars etc and clear all bench tops as much as you can to give a feeling of space. In the bathroom remove personal toiletries from the tops of vanities and bath surrounds. By eliminating the clutter you will also add to the feeling of spaciousness in a room. Make sure all entrances are uncluttered, warm and welcoming.

Make sure that furniture is well placed to give a feeling of space and doesn't stop any of the internal doors from opening or shutting properly. Avoid placing furniture around all of the walls and if the room has a focal point such as a fireplace, or feature window, arrange the furniture to make the most of the feature and not detract from it.

If you are considering painting, paints the walls in soft neutral colours so that potential buyers can visualise their own belongings in the house. A bold feature wall may work for you but may not work for someone else. You can add splashes of colour with rugs, cushions, throws and flowers.

Nothing is more off putting than walking into a home where strong smells overpower the house. The scent of your home can create a lasting impression on potential purchasers. Where possible open windows prior to viewings to let in fresh air. In winter, the smell of baking instantly makes you feel at home. If you don't have the time or the inclination to whip up a batch of cookies, rubbing the inside of your oven with vanilla essence and turning the oven on for 10 to 15 minutes will leave the impression of fresh baking. Lighting a mildly scented candle or oil burner is a quick fix way to give a low key scent to a room.

Not all buyers share our love of dogs, so do endeavour to have your home a dog free zone for viewings.

Old towels and tea towels on show will do nothing but make a negative impression on potential buyers so ensure that bathroom towels are fresh and co-ordinated and tea towels are in the wash not on display.

Preparing Your Home for the Photographer

To ensure that your home is photographed at its best here are a few easy tips to prepare for the photo shoot.

Outdoors

Have the lawns mowed, edges trimmed and hide garden hoses, tools, childrens bikes and toys out of the way so that they will not be visible in the photographs. Giving faded outdoor furniture a quick oil ensures it look fresh and sharp in the photos. If you have an outdoor umbrella open it up.

House Exterior

Hose down the exterior of the house remove any dirt, mould etc that may be seen in the photos. Touch up any paint spots that need it. Clean the windows inside and out. This makes a huge impact on photo presentation.

House Entrance

Remove any shoes, jackets, umbrellas etc so that the photos are uncluttered and welcoming.

Living Rooms

Put away magazines, newspapers, toys etc that may be lying around. If you have a lot of ornaments or photos remove some of these so that surfaces are as clear as possible giving a feeling of space and clean lines to the photographs. These tend to make a room appear cluttered.

Dining Rooms

If you have a formal dining room, candles and or fresh flowers will give a warm intimate feeling to the picture. Remove table cloths as these can make a room appear drab and dated.

Remove magazines, papers etc from table tops and where possible have an attractive centre piece on the table i.e. fresh flowers, a stunning piece of ornamental artwork to add colour and interest to the photo.

Kitchen

Ensure all work surfaces are free of clutter (mail, kitchen gadgets etc can be hidden away in a cupboard while the photos are being taken). Clean and polish all surfaces including bench tops, fridges and diswashers, particularly stainless steel appliances so that everything is clean, fresh and free of streaks and smears in the photo. If you have pet bowls hide them out of sight and remove tea towels and oven mitts etc. A bowl of fresh fruit is a nice finishing touch.

Bathrooms

Clean all surfaces and remove all small items including personal toiletries, toothbrushes, facecloths etc. Any towels on display should be fresh, clean, colour cordinated and folded neatly otherwise remove. Damp, mismatched towels do not make an attractive photo.

Bedrooms

Beds should be made perfectly, curtains, blinds or drapes open to let the light in and all toys and clothes etc out of sight off the floor. Book shelves should be neat and tidy and dressers as clear of items as possible. This all gives a sense of space in the room.

Laundry 

Surfaces should be clean and any washing should be out of sight (popped into washing machine or dryer) for the photos.