With the Spring selling season is just around the corner, now is the time to be giving the preparation of your home some thought if you’re looking to make an impact on the market.

Taking steps to get your home ready now, will help you avoid the stress of a last minute rush. Here’s our Top 10 tips to get ready for Spring!

1. Do a thorough inspection
Place yourself in a buyer’s shoes, grab your iPad to take notes and view your home as they would. Which spaces need freshening up, reworking or simply decluttering? Are there any touch ups that need to be done or family photos removed to depersonalize the home?

Most importantly, what negatives will a buyer see with your home? This step will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises during the sale process.

Inspect your walls and floors for water damage, check for plumbing leaks, make sure your windows don’t have broken seals… and fix any problems that you find.

2. Clean & declutter
Make your move easier by beginning the packing process now. Clear out all clutter and remove items you don’t regularly use, throw away items that are broken or damaged and dispose of paperwork that is no longer needed. Consider a temporary storage facility for bulky pieces of furniture, holiday decor, out of season clothing and any other items you don’t need.

When you clean, pay attention to small details.

• Wash windows
• Dust blinds
• Launder curtains
• Dust baseboards
• Clean appliances
• Straighten contents of your closets 

3. Finish projects & repairs
Now is the time to complete any home improvement projects you have under way and make any and all necessary repairs to your home.

You’ll most likely find a buyer more quickly and the sale process will be much smoother if everything that needs to be done is taken care of before you lost your property.

If you have additional home improvement projects planned, make sure they can be finished in a short amount of time.

4. Paint
While you might love your aurbergene walls, there’s a good chance that most buyers won’t. Many buyers want to see a blank canvas where they can inject their own personality. In order to make your home appeal to the largest possible audience, paint your walls in neutral colors in a matt finish.

Don’t forget to repair any nail holes or other damage before painting, and be sure to touch up ceilings and trim as needed.

5. Clean or replace flooring
Flooring can be an instant area that buyers will factor in as a ‘cost’ when negotiating on a home. While many carpets will come up looking as new with just a simple professional clean, if you have flooring that is stained, damaged or worn beyond repair look at replacing this to appeal to more buyers..

6. Freshen up fixtures & hardware
Light fixtures, bathroom mirrors, taps, shower heads and cabinet hardware can all be replaced for very little money and make a huge difference in terms of visual appeal.

7. Create a welcoming entrance
Your front door is the first thing potential buyers will see when they visit your home, so remember to make it inviting. Paint the door if needed, replace any damaged hardware, keep decorations minimal and declutter the entrance area for ease of maneuvering – this will be a busy spot at your inspections!

8. Eliminate odors
The #1 Buyer deterrent! If there are any strong odors which have developed in your home from pets, cooking or smoking, take the time to correct this in the weeks leading up to your first inspection. Open up windows to air the property out, give the home a thorough clean and light some good quality candles to make the spaces smell pleasant. When it comes to buyer viewings look to include freshly cut flowers, boil some cinnamon sticks in water on the stove on the day (but remove the pot before the showing), or place some fresh apples and cookies placed in plain sight in the kitchen. 

9. Presentation & Staging
An important part of showing your home is making it look as good as can be! Staging can be done yourself or by professionals to create the best possible results.

Place furniture to maximize the feelings of space and light in your home, with an eye to how rooms flow into each other.

If your decor isn’t cutting it, you can move your belongings into storage and rent furniture and artwork from a home staging service on a monthly basis.

10. Get your real price
Find out how much you should list your home for by looking at similar properties in your area and asking for your advice from your Sales Partner at Harcourts Packham.

We’ll provide you with comparable sales to your home and spend time discussing the current market conditions we’re experiencing to help you determine how much you can expect to sell for.