In some ways, a home is like a child. Its owners look past the cracks and only see its beauty and potential. But being overly sentimental about your home can hinder it fetching the best price. So with no further ado, here are the 6 sentimental snags to consider before you erect that ‘For Sale’ sign… 1. CLUTTER To you, it’s cherished gifts, ornaments and home-made pottery from your kids clay play days. To everyone else, its unsightly clutter. Before you open your show house doors, take another look around. Pay close attention to the mantelpiece, shelves and counter tops. Old, tatty cushions and throws, too many posters in bedrooms and garages heaving with stuff will do you no favours either. Get rid of anything that isn’t immediately useful or nice to look at in both the back and front gardens. Pack it up, rent a storage space and stash the junk (oops, we mean treasure) away while you are trying to sell your house.
2. COLOUR We understand it’s not always easy to hear, but if your home is sporting a tangerine dining area or a purple kitchen, consider that you may have got carried away with a Plascon Inspirations pamphlet. This is great for expressing your unique style, but not always so great when you want to sell. Because of the preference most people have for neutral colours, having something that sticks out like a sore thumb is a problem you may want to fix before putting your house on the market. The exterior colour of your home is one of the first things a buyer will notice. If it’s a very different colour from your neighborhood or general area, consider painting it something more innocuous. Most buyers don’t want to live in the only pink house in town. This is a slightly expensive and time consuming fix, but it can add value to your home that may be a great help in selling it.
3. OUTDATED FIXTURES Having a kitchen or bathroom that looks as though it has not been updated in about twenty years can turn people off in a hurry. Completely renovating a kitchen can get very expensive, so keep it simple by adding a fresh coat of paint. Switch out old cabinet knobs and handles for something fresher. We suggest you chat with your Rawson real estate agent about the impact on value replacing outdated fixtures would have before you make any big decisions about what to change.
4. UNFINISHED PROJECTS You may be doing these yourself or have hired a contractor who has not yet finished an improvement project. Whatever the case, make sure it’s complete before listing your home for sale. Buyers may not be able to imagine the finished project, and most won’t find any half-finished job appealing.
5. WASTED SPACE Do you have a spare bedroom that has turned into a storage area? Or an office that now has a mountain of laundry and unused exercise equipment? Potential buyers want to visualize how every part of your home can be used. Inspire them by utilising every space well.
6. PET HAIR OR BAD ODOURS Potential home buyers can be very shallow people. They have the right to be. Many do not care how much you love your dog or cat. If there is hair everywhere from your furry friends, people can and will be turned off by it. Odours are a much bigger problem. Very few things repel potential buyers quicker than bad smells in a house they are trying to picture themselves living in. Of course, it’s hard for us to smell our homes after we’ve lived in them for a while, so ask a diplomatic friend to sniff out your place before putting it on sale.
The next step to selling your home is finding a local real estate agent with expert, up-to-date knowledge. Contact your local Rawson Neighbourhood Experts to get the ball rolling.
