You may be familiar with Nicole Jacobs, a resident judge on The Block, Licensed REIV estate agent, Founder and CEO of Jacobs Buyers Advocates, Nicole is empowering Australians to find property that’s right for them.
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Today I got the lowdown from Nicole on how to prepare your home for Auction. With The Block Triple Threat about to go to Auction, Nicole answers some of my queries that may be helpful if you are preparing your home for Auction.
WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP WHEN GETTING YOUR HOME READY TO SELL?
- Get your contract of sale and vendors statement (Victoria) prepared and ready – sometimes buyers will come through and for one reason or another they want to make an offer prior to auction or on the spot at a private sale. You run the risk of them over thinking the property or finding another one if they wait for the contracts to be prepared. Have them ready. Often the first offer you get is the best.
- Appoint a great agent: Choosing your selling agent is critical. You need to get out and observe them at other opens and auctions. Do they follow-up after you have been there? Are they dynamic in their auction environment? Do they know what other properties have sold for that are comparable to yours in the past 2-4 months?
- Last but Not least, Prepare your home:
- DESIGN & DÉCOR
Often furniture in the home has been selected from a practical standpoint- it’s functional, but doesn’t necessarily capture a sense of design. Consider engaging a stylist who will select suitable furniture will inject personality, will help balance a Feng shui and fabulous room!
- CLEAR PASSAGES
Logical floor plans attract a broader depth of buyers. While you may not be able to change structural features such as a wall in time to sell your home you can enhance the floor plan by making sure all passage ways and entrances remain clear.
- PAINT
Think Fresh! Invest in giving the home a new coat of paint. Exercise a ‘light-minded’ attitude when selecting colours. Gender-neutral tones including dove grey, creamy whites and hazel browns are light and airy and help to open up a space for broad market appeal.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DE-CLUTTER YOUR HOME?
Be Smart. De-Personalise & De-Clutter.
Buying a home is all about energy and whether the buyer can see themselves living in that space. It’s important to de-clutter and ‘de-personalise the home’ by removing any family photographs or certificates that are on show.
This gives a prospective buyer the opportunity to envision themselves in this space, uninterrupted by your personal life. What’s more, de-cluttering helps to open up the space and create a greater perception of room.
Don’t cut corners when it comes to clearing space. Prospective buyers will most likely take a peek through cupboards and draws to inspect the space (which is absolutely normal and welcomed!). So, don’t be hasty, either throw out old items or store them wisely. SmartBox is an efficient and hassle-free storage solution that cuts out double handling often associated with moving, by combining moving and storage. It’s easy and takes the stress out of having to move. When you want to jump back in your box, simply call them up within 24 hours and they’ll drive your unit back.
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HOW WOULD I START TO CLEAN UP MY HOME, WHERE DO YOU START, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO FIRST?
Clean Windows
Yes! Cleaning your windows provides an easy, cost-effective opportunity for viewers to see the ‘outside world.’ Surprisingly it also makes the internal features look great too. It instantly opens the space and gives your home a fresh glow. Have these done before the photos are taken.
Go Green in Garden
Clear out any dead plants, weed and add green foliage. This introduces life to your garden. Cover garden beds with mulch or bark to provide a low maintenance look.
You can also enhance the look of the garden by painting the fences in dark fence paint. The darker colour brings out the green foliage or colours of the flowers. This simple, cost effective method makes almost every garden look amazing.
The small stuff
When you clean your home make sure you spend ample time on the home’s finer details to ensure you: clean appliances, straighten (and sometimes color-code) the content of your closets, completely dry the shower screen so there are no droplets or marks and launder curtains. Vacuum and clean floors before each open for inspection.
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ANY OTHER TIPS THAT WILL HELP SELL MY HOME?
Focus on Features
Prepare a list of features that have been carried out recently on the home. These may include: recent rewiring or restumping; heating cooling or energy ratings; water tanks or reticulation systems; proximity to shops, beaches, parks, CBD and transport. These features need to be printed out as a take-away for buyers that come to view your property. Don’t’ forget! These key features are often overlooked by the agent and immediately contribute to the value of your home, so take the time to write them down. Your agent will be very happy as it makes their job a lot easier!
Home Improvement– Now is the time to make a list of all the home improvements you have and make a list to ensure that you get the job actually done! There’s never been a better time. And, if there are additional home improvement/ DIY projects planned make sure they will be finished before open for inspection day arrives and photography!
Thanks so much Nicole for your great tips.
You can read more about Nicole by visiting Jacobs Buyer Advocates.
This post was bought to you by Piccolo PR.
This is a great reminder of how important something like restumping can be in the long run. It may seem like an expense at first, but as you say, it’s something that can increase the likelihood of selling your home and adds additional value. Like many things in homes, it’s an investment in your future.
I think focusing on cool features of the house is a great way to let it stand out. My family usually does some kind of remodeling to our house before we move and it helps a ton when selling. Something as simple as restumping can increase the value of the home by a lot. Thanks for the tips!