Seller Tips

1. MAKE THOSE MINOR CHANGES

All those tiny flaws in your otherwise beautifully maintained home will add up to one thing to the observant buyer: the dreaded O.N. otherwise known as Owner Neglect. All signs of Owner Neglect must be eliminated.

2. REGARDLESS OF SEASON, TACKLE SPRING CLEANING

Those hours spent thoroughly cleaning your home will be hours well spent when the result pays off in an early and profitable sale. Clean windows, are important! Pay particular attention to your kitchen and bathrooms - they involve personal hygiene, and are areas buyers scrutinize closely.

3. CREATE THE ILLUSION OF SPACIOUSNESS

Make your living space appear larger by eliminating bulky, unnecessary furniture - rearranging to give the illusion of spaciousness.

4. GIVE YOUR ROOMS A LIGHT, BRIGHT LOOK

Most buyers want large, bright, cheerful rooms.

5. USE COLOUR AND LIGHTING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO YOUR HOME’S

BEST SELLING FEATURES

Highlight the graceful bay windows with a colourful arrangement of flowers. Colour has the power to attract. Lighting should be used for emphasis.

6. DISGUISE UNSIGHTLY VIEWS

Disguise those potentially offending views, but always let light into your rooms. Replace heavy curtains with sheer white panels. Above all, don’t apologize for a poor view. Never mention it to a
salesperson or a buyer.

7. ELIMINATE UNPLEASANT ODOURS

Remember that some people are much more sensitive to odours than others. Smokers rarely notice the odour of tobacco that fills their homes, and pet owners may be oblivious to objectionable odours. Regularly use powered products that smell good. Mildew odours are another no-no. Don’t allow wet towels to accumulate in hampers, or laundry to pile up in cup-boards.

8. AVOID ECCENTRICITIES

Smart sellers play down individualistic touches that may express perfectly their taste and personality but at the same time, appeal to the minority of home buyers. In selling, play the odds. If your rooms are painted purple and beaded curtains hang in every doorway, don’t rely on our real estate agent to find the perfect buyer whose tastes match yours. The average buyer will have a hard time looking beyond purple walls and eccentric décor. Two coats of white paint may be the best investment you ever made. It is also not wise to make your living room look like campaign headquarters or your dining room to resemble a sacred temple.

9. RECOGNISE THE FINE LINE BETWEEN CLUTTER AN STERILITY

Notice the small details that make the room particularly attractive and appealing - a vase of flowers, an open book on the coffee table, a brightly coloured pillow in a win chair, a basket of knitting yarns. Accessories can make or break a room on the lookout for distractive clutter.

10. DISPLAY PHOTO’S THAT SHOW YOUR HOME DURING OTHER SEASONS
Go through your photo albums and select pictures of your house and garden during all four seasons. If hung at eye level in a well lighted area, the pictures will speak for themselves and give you yet another selling edge.

FRONT DOOR AND PORTCH

No matter how lovely your home may be behind that front door, a buyer will be turned off by crumpling front steps, a doorbell that doesn’t work, creaky hinges, or chipping paint on the porch columns.
Give special attention to your home’s front entry. Remember, first impressions are likely to colour the remainder of the house tour.

11. CREATE A WELCOMING SPOT OF COLOUR

There should be something special that beckons them to your front door, something that sets your home off from the other houses on the block. A bright red milk can, a tub of geraniums, a pot of floppy petunias, or a basket of nasturtiums. Invest in a new doormat that say’s “Welcome”.

12. OPEN YOUR HOME TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

A buyer approaches a home with curiosity aroused, he want to have positive feelings. If all the curtains are drawn and the front door is locked and bolted, your home will seem like a forbidding fortress. If the curtains are open, the windows sparkling clean and the front door open (in warm weather), your home will radiate a welcoming spirit and invite the buyer to enter.

13. CAPITALISE ON A SPACIOUS FRONT VERANDAH / PATIO

Take advantage of the nostalgia it evokes. Set the state and stimulate imaginations.

YOUR HOME’S ENTRANCE HALL

Whether a graciously proportioned centre-hall or a small space just large enough for a hall stand and tiny table this part of your home deserves your particular attention.

14. CREATE A DYNAMIC FOCAL POINT

Study your entry hall and ask “what kind of statement” it makes about your home. This area should “greet” buyers and say “welcome, your house hunting days are over”.
Dried flowers can make a striking focal point on a hall table any time of the year. Imagine chrysanthemums, a branch of bright crotons, an arching spray of bougainvillea, or what stalks in a glowing copper planter.

15. ADD SPACIOUSNESS WITH A MIRROR

Virtually any entrance hall’s flooring is observed carefully by the prospective buyer - give them a positive attitude.

16. IMPROVE THE FLOOR’S APPEARANCE HERE, IF NOWHERE ELSE

Your entrance hall’s flooring is observed carefully by the prospective buyer - give them a positive attitude.

YOUR HOME’S LIVING ROOM AND FAMILY ROOM

17. TREAT THESE ROOMS AS IF THEY WERE STAGE SETTINGS

Buyers ask themselves, “can I imagine myself living in this room?” Your job is to make each room project a positive response. What touches make a room look truly inviting? Music is one element, consider leaning a guitar in the corner of your living room, or opening some sheet music on the piano with light shining on it. Think of these things as stage props.

18. HIGHLIGHT YOUR FIREPLACE

Don’t take it for granted and expect the buyer to imagine the flow of a roaring fire, Light one. Place something colourful on the mantel, but don’t overdo it!

19. IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW IN THESE ROOMS

Make rooms visually larger by removing excess furniture. Have easy traffic flow patterns. Be sure that all doors open fully.

20. DRAW ATTENTION TO EXPOSED BEAMS OR A CATHEDRAL CEILING

21. DON’T LET A TELEVISION SET DOMINATE THE ROOM

STAIRWAYS

tairways should provide an attractive transition from one level to your home to another.

22. MAKE THEM SAFE

Stair lighting should be more than adequate, stairs must be clutter free, stair railings tight an secure, and runners or carpeting tacked securely. Cheerfully decorated stairs are positive.

23. ADD VISUAL INTEREST TO THE STAIRWELL

A carefully chosen accent might improve the area’s visual appeal. If you have a wide, gracious staircase, emphasise this feature by hanging a few pictures along the wall. Draw attention to handsome lighting fixture by polishing the brass and dusting each small bulb or crystal prism. Any stair landing should also have an attractive focal point, be it a fern on a small plant stand, a dramatic poster, a chiming clock, or a special chair on a large stair landing. If the staircase is narrow, fool the eye by minimizing clutter.

BEDROOMS

Imagine for a moment that you’re in the “bed-and-breakfast” business. How would you change your home’s bedrooms to appeal to a paying lodger? Naturally you’d make up the beds with your prettiest sheets and comforters. Maybe you’d add a vase of flowers on the dressing table or a cosy armchair in the corner. Every bedroom in your home should invite prospective buyers to settle right in.

24. CREATE A MASTER BEDROOM “SUITE” EFFECT

Large master bedrooms are particularly popular among today’s home buyers. Make your bedroom larger. Paint the room a light colour, remove one of the bureaus if the room is crowded, minimise clutter to maximise spaciousness. Aim for a restful, subdued “look”.

25. TACKLE YOUR CUPBOARDS

Virtually all buyers are looking for a house with plenty of cupboard space. Try to make what you have appear generous and well planned...

• Clear out all but your current seasonal wardrobe
• A clear floor will make a wardrobe appear more spacious
• Wardrobes shelves should look well organized
• When prospective buyers open your cupboard door, they should be greeted
  with a whiff of fresh-smelling air.
• Be sure that every wardrobe in your home has a light so that buyers can
  easily inspect the interiors.

26. DEPERSONALIZE TEENAGERS ROOMS

Take the time to explain your house-selling goals to your children. Encourage them to participate in preparing your home for showing, particularly the principal of appealing to the widest possible market ....... store those personal posters until your home is SOLD.

BATHROOMS

Wise sellers take special pains with preparing their bathroom(s) for scrutiny by strangers. The bathroom is a room, after all and a very personal one. Potential buyers will inspect yours with eagle eyes, so be sure it is immaculate. Don’t forget the medicine cabinet; dispose of those 3 yr old prescriptions, and polish the shelves. The same goes for the storage cabinet under the basin. Replace that caulking around the bathtub.

27. CREATE A LOOK

Decorate and personalize - create a pleasing, individual look; add plants, shells you collected at the beach last summer in an attractive glass bowl or jar, pictures, magazine rack, display fresh towels that co-ordinate with paint colours etc.

28. CONSIDER COLOUR

Remember, appeal to a wide range of buyers. Play down that all-pink look with contrasting dove-grey towels and matching bathroom rug. If your bathroom is mostly white or neutral, add a few cheerful accents of colour. Use towels in the popular new shades. Don’t hesitate to buy a few new towels and a rug, you’ll be taking them with you to your new home.

29. INVEST IN A NEW SHOWER CURTAIN

30. IMPROVE YOUR FLOOR COVERING

Notice the word “improve” not “replace”. Scrub and wax the old floor. Cover the largest area you can with a large scatter rug.

31. PUT OUT FRESH TOWELS AND SOAP

Prospective buyers are very special guests in our home. Give them VIP treatment with fresh-smelling towels and a new soap in an attractive dish. Splurge on a box of fancy sculptured or perfumed guest soaps.

32. GO EASY ON AIR SPRAYS AND ROOM DEODORIZER

A gentle hint of fragrance in the air is fine, but keep it subtle.

REARRANGE YOUR STORAGE SPACE

Get rid of anything that you don’t plan to move to your new home. Remaining stored materials should be neatly contained in boxes and suitcases, and positioned against the walls.

33. HIGHLIGHT A WORK BENCH AREA

Many men dream of having a home workshop for woodworking projects. Clear off the dusty workbench and draw attention to its as a sales feature. Clean the surface, set out a few scraps of wood, a box of nails, a couple of tools, hang a light over the bench and you’ve set the scene for an amateur carpenter.

DRIVEWAYS AND GARAGE

Rutted driveways and junk-filled garages spell owner neglect and can easily sour a buyer’s otherwise positive impression of your home. Give these areas an honest appraisal and see whether a few small improvements might make a difference. Remember that buyers are scouting for flaws, which they can use to justify a low offer. If you hope to get top price for your home, don’t give potential buyers any extra ammunition in a poorly maintained driveway or garage.

34. FIX UP DRIVEWAYS FOR FIRST IMPRESSION IMPACT

The driveway is no place for children’s toys. Not only are such things dangerous, the clutter is unsightly. The surface of your driveway should be beyond reproach, after all it’s one of the first things a buyer will see when he drives up. Repair cracks and potholes, pull up pesky weeds, or get a new load of gravel.

35. ENLARGE AND IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE GARAGE

A clean, organized garage appears larger. If dark, add more light, if a single car garage - remove your car before buyers visit. An empty garage always looks larger. If a two-car garage with very little extra room, remove one of your cars so that buyers can make their inspection in comfort.

GARDENsc

Whether your property consists of fifty acres or a small suburban lot, much of the value is in the land itself. If your garden is well-landscaped setting your home, your chances of selling quickly will be greatly advanced.

36. AVOID AN OVERGROWN, UNKEPT LOOK

Does your garden radiate owner’s pride? So, drag our the lawnmower, sharpen up those hedge clippers and shape up your garden;
prune bushes, mow the lawn, and trim trees, hedges, edge along walks/driveways, and spray stubborn weeds.

37. MARK YOUR PROPERTY BOUNDARIES

Paint stakes a bright red or yellow and stick them in the ground on the corners of your property. This will not only show consideration, it will be an effective sale tool.

38. BRIGHTEN UP YOUR PROPERTY WITH SOME FLOWERS

Plop the plants into a well-placed wheelbarrow or an old-fashioned washtub, etc. Such standbys as nasturtiums, petunia, impatiens and verbena are easy to maintain if you only remember to water them regularly. Try a row of sweet smelling alyssum to a line a short sidewalk or pop in some perky dwarf marigolds to form a cheerful oasis of colour in your garden.

39. DRAW ATTENTION TO SPECIAL TREES

Many buyers can’t tell an oak from elm, but they like the notion of having gracious, mature trees on the property they buy. Make sure yours grabs the buyer’s immediate attention. Hang a swing from a strong branch, plant some bright, shade-tolerant flowers like impatiens, or set up your picnic table under the tree’s leafy awning.

40. PLAY UP FLAT AREAS

Set up your old badminton or volleyball net in that flat area of your garden.

41. SET UP A BACKYARD LIVING/DINING AREA

It is important to devote at least one area of your garden to outdoor living. Buyers will still recognise a scene set with a picnic table and chars and respond positively to it. Cover your picnic table with a fringed, red-and-white checked cloth, set out some plastic plates and glasses, bring out the braaing equipment, and buyers will almost smell the braaivleis!

WHEN YOUR HOME IS SHOWN

Of course, like all home sellers, you’re fantasising that the first prospective buyer who walks through your front door will fall madly in love with your home and offer to meet your price right then and there. It can happen, but it’s a rare occurrence. Now your home is in peak sales condition, you’ve employed a top-notch real estate agency and your property is priced realistically. These three factors should give you a distinct selling edge. Before you rest on your laurels, however, study the following:

42. BE WILLING TO SHOW YOUR HOME (PRACTICALLY) ANYTIME.

Play the odds. The more people who see your home, the more likely you are to sell it quickly. Yes, it’s an inconvenience to show your home at dinner time, but if the people buy your home, isn’t it worth the reheated pot roast?

43. HAVE A FAMILY “GAME PLAN” FOR LAST MINUTE SHOWINGS

Prepare for inevitable, unexpected showings with a family game plan. To be effective, this plan should be worked out by all your family and actually written down so that everyone knows what to do if you sound the alarm. No one is talking about major housecleaning at this point. The kind of tasks you ought to be concerned with now are simple ones, dust the dining table top, don’t leave last night’s dirty dishes in the sink;

44. AIR OUT YOUR HOME HALF AN HOUR BEFORE SHOWING

Any home will smell better if you open the windows in each room and let in some fresh air. Stale air isn’t appealing particularly in a home with smokers and pets.

45. TURN ON THE LIGHTS IN EACH AND EVERY ROOM

You can make showing smoother for your agent if you turn on lights in every room before prospective buyers arrive. This also gives you an opportunity to select the lighting effects you want for each room. Be sure not to overlook areas like the attic and basement (if you have one). No area of your home should be dark.

46. TURN ON PLEASANT BACKGROUND MUSIC

Music has subliminal powers. Why else would stores bother to pipe in soft background music if not to put customers in a comfortable relaxed mood for what else - buying? Speaking of sound, every seller should know better than to leave a television set blaring away when his home is being shown. This is rude and distracting.

47. KEEP OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE SALES PERSON IS SHOWING YOUR HOME

Once you’ve answered the door and welcomed the real estate agent and potential buyer you should find something else to do - preferably outside of your home. This is the time to take a walk or visit your neighbours or go grocery shopping. The shrewd seller sets the scene so that buyers can walk onto the stage and immediately begin play-acting pretending the home is already theirs.

48. NEVER VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Once you’ve followed the previous tip you won’t be around to chat with the buyers but if you are at home, resist the urge to volunteer information about what you consider to be important sales features. It’s all too easy to develop seller’s “foot-in-mouth” disease.

49. ASSEMBLE HOUSE RECORDS FOR BUYER PERUSAL

In these times of rising energy costs buyers will most certainly ask what your home heating and electrical costs are. If you are including any appliances in the sales price of your home you should keep warranties and instruction booklets in the same file.

50. TELL EVERYONE YOU MEET THAT YOUR HOUSE IS FOR SALE

Why keep it a secret? Our neighbours across the street may have friends who have been waiting to move into the neighbourhood. Word of mouth is a strong selling aid. If each person you tell that your house is for sale tells two more people and those people each tell two more people, word can spread quite rapidly.

51. REMAIN OPTIMISTIC

The buyer for our home will be knocking soon!

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