Looking to sell your house or start making money off property? Award-winning Adelaide real estate agent Kris Casey from Harris shares her all of her knowledge and years of experience with Place Journal.
On one level, selling a property is a very intimate and personal experience, but at the same time, approaching this as a business with a clear goal to maximise its return to you and to make a profit is, for most people, the ultimate goal.
Talk to any real estate agent and they will tell you that the way you present a property can make a massive difference to achieving a premium outcome.
Creating maximum competition with buyers is the way to maximise the price and the speed of selling a property. It’s my experience that most properties I sell look their very best when they are on the market. Don’t be scared to get advice about what you need to do before you start undertaking any work.
The eyes of a buyer and agent focus on different things, be well considered in your spending; and remember that the goal is to present your property to the widest possible market.
This will mean that, unless your house is ready for demolition, presentation counts. It’s the images it presents online that is going to determine the attraction of buyers.
They make the decision to turn up based on what they view online, so it’s critical that you understand that most buyers can see when they like the property based on the images, or they don’t.
Most buyers want better than what they already have, and unless it's a renovator’s delight, they are not wanting to do works before moving into it.
You don’t get paid for potential, your value is determined by what you have. There are so many things that create an impression. Depending on your budget for presenting your home there will always be something you can do.
CLEAN TO BE SEEN
Clean, clean, clean like you are expecting the queen to use your kitchen and bathroom. Just think how you feel when you are paying for accommodation somewhere and it’s not clean and fresh or better than what you have at home, you regret your decision to pay for it and would rather be at home.
LET THERE BE LIGHT Lighting - natural and artificial. Let the sunshine in, both naturally by removing heavy curtains and artificially with high watt lights and lamps.
PAINT WORKS
Paint your walls and ceilings - refreshing can really make the world of difference for little cost. But if you are painting, and have more time, do yourself a favour and consider updating your colour scheme. I can tell you, I have just changed my own colour scheme on my own home, and I swear it has lifted the value more than 10 times the cost of the paint.
REPLACE old carpets.
Photos: Retro Revamp
BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS ARE STILL KEY
The big money in properties sits in wet areas, so look at your kitchen and bathrooms and see what you can do to improve these areas. Clean, clean, clean all your surfaces and what's inside your drawers and cupboards. You can give any kitchen a designer feel by simplifying what you stock on the shelves and pantry. Get rid of clutter on your benchtops so you make the space feel as big as possible. Get rid of ugly built-in cupboards, if they overcrowd an area, and replace them with wall shelves. They are simple and stunning. Get a professional in to clean your oven and cooktop. Let’s face it, if these aren’t clean, no one wants to be in your kitchen preparing food.
GRASS SHOULD BE GREENER ON YOUR SIDE Look outside - start with your verge. Weed it, water it, paint your letterbox or replace it if it doesn't look cared for. Pressure clean your pavers and driveways. Keep your lawn green - it’s worth it even if it means replacing turf that’s dead or dry. Clean your facades, repair wood rot and clean, clean, clean your widows and seals. Prune your trees, if they are overhanging, get rid of dead plants and stumps and mulch your garden beds so your plants pop (dark cottage mulch is the best for this).
Swipe across for before and after shots of effective presentation. Photos: Harris Real Estate
SPEND THE MONEY TO STYLE Get a stylist who knows how to maximise the interior space and functionality. Make every space count and have a purpose. The value of hire furniture is one of the best spends you can make in lifting the value of your property. Buyers are conditioned to buy a look, so don’t let yourself believe that people can see past your furniture. Sure, you would love to believe this, but it is NOT true. Every home is different, and I could go on and on about how to present your home and what changes make a difference. If you have someone that says you don’t need to do anything to sell, tell them they’re dreaming, and don’t trust them. I have never seen a property that this is true unless, of course, it’s a knockdown. Every other property you can improve.
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