Get organised to sell

Man up and toss it

We all tend to collect allot of junk. Consider this... If you haven't used it in over a year you probably wont need it, or even fit into it again! Get rid of it.

Become a donating queen (or king) help the local Op shop

Have a separate Section for Charity items to donate. I find that piling charity items at the front door will encourage you to get them in the car ASAP.

Depersonalise

Don't forget to hide the nudie Photo's (don't laugh people actually leave them on their walls) oh yeah and the bottles of massage oils etc...

Pack up your personal photographs and family Heirlooms, sorry ladies the teddies on the bed have got to go!

Great team effort!

Mel and I worked together to secure one very happy buyer and seller. Great job all round! And that is how we roll at Ray White Kiama. 

Create a mood

Create a mood with lighting. By leaving your mood-lights on before the open house you create a nice ambiance for the property, you obviously don't want every light in your house turned on but  a few here and there to set the tone. And if you have a fireplace get it burning it creates a very comfy mood. Just make sure you are close by so when the real estate agent leaves you can get home quickly... we don't want any fire mishaps.

Images: Print screens from here.

First open home

The furnishing the accessories and all the little finishing touches really help give your property that wow factor.You want buyers to walk in and feel right at home! Have some scented candles burning, some soft music playing, some of my clients even bake cookies or cakes and have them on the bench for the potential buyers to try! 

Remember first impressions really count.

Ask yourself, who do you want your property to appeal to, what do you need to do to make your property more attractive for sale. Change the ambience of your property to reflect the homes best features and think about the type of buyer you are trying to attract. For instance if you own an inner city apartment, you need to change the ambience of the property to reflect a stylish comfortable inner city apartment, and on the other hand if have a Victorian style home, select furnishings and accessories that compliment the period of the property.

And I know how this boomerang works!!

Three tips for the perfect open home

When your real estate agent holds an open for inspection, it’s your opportunity to let your home shine. Of course the marketing materials, photographs and advertisement copy all do their job, but once someone’s on your property, you want them to fall in love with what they see. Here are our top three tips for making sure your open for inspection is the best it can be.

1. HIGHLIGHT THE BEST BITS

Every home has that special something that makes it unique. If you’re highlighting a view, make sure the curtains are open and that the furniture is positioned in such a way as to draw the eye outwards.

For making note of local attractions, you could leave brochures with the estate agent to show prospective purchasers, or compile a menu book filled with the choices on offer from local restaurants – it’s the little things that count!

2. PLAY TO THE CONDITIONS

Is it winter outside? Yes. So, it wouldn’t be the best idea to leave all the windows open before you leave the house. Of course, in summer, that would be the ideal move. People want to feel comfortable when they walk into what could be their ‘forever home’, so try and emphasise how warm and welcoming your house or apartment is in the winter selling period.

Putting out thick rugs in the lounge and fluffy towels in the bathroom will help those rooms appear to be warmer. Heating helps too! Air conditioners and under-floor heating should be left on to welcome guests, but be careful if you use a gas or space heater at home – don’t leave these unattended!

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT REAL ESTATE AGENT

When you interview agents prior to listing your property, make sure to ask them about how they would present your home to buyers. Some realtors are stronger than others when it comes to presentation ideas, so make sure to find out their thoughts.

Ask for examples of marketing materials or internal photographs from previous open for inspections they’ve held – this will give you a very realistic picture of what your agent can do for you and your home.

Knowing the road rules prior to the move

Not only are roads completely different in each state (do read up on the rules prior) but people are too. Moving to Sydney? People have limited to no time for your conversations. In Melbourne, not giving way to pedestrians even though you’re not required to is considered a white-collar crime. And in Brisbane, if you don’t know a random stranger’s life story at the end of a bus trip, are you actually even in Brissy?