When thinking about selling your home, it can be hard to find the balance between profitable changes and over-capitalising. All too often homeowners feel the need to do large-scale renovations which don’t always produce good resale value. So, what are the tricks to keeping your out-of-pocket expenses low but your return on investment high?
Take Before and After Pictures
Whether it is makeovers or fad diets, internet users love before and after pics. The same is true for those on the market for a new home. Taking before and after pictures, subtly says to the buyer that this is a home where all the hard work has been done, and they can simply move in and enjoy.
So, while, you are plugging away at your renovations ensure you are taking progress photos.
Curb Appeal and Yard Work
We cannot stress enough how much curb appeal can impact your sale. This is your only chance to make an excellent first impression on your potential buyers, so you want to get it right.
Things which can improve your curb appeal include mowed and whipper-snipped lawns, colourful planters, weed-free garden beds, raked leaves etc.
But yard maintenance doesn’t stop with the front yard. You also need to ensure your backyard is equally tidy. Such improvements can include, ensuring the fences are maintained with no gaping holes, mow and whipper-snip the lawn, repair broken paths, remove debris i.e the palm fronds piled in the corner etc.
Making the extra effort to gurney your driveway, paths and exterior walls will also help give your hard the ‘maintained’ look.
Painting
It is incredible what a good paint job can do to freshen up a home. But it is important to remember that this is not ‘your’ home. So, while you might love a purple feature wall, ask yourself ‘will the next buyer love it as much as me?’
We recommend painting the home in neutral colours so the new homeowner can complement it with their unique style.
Repairs and Small Projects
This isn’t the time for you to say, ‘I’ll get to that’. If something breaks, fix it. Now.
The same can be said for any projects which you have started such as repairing the loose fence palings, door handles or switching the lights to halogen bulbs. Finish the jobs BEFORE listing the home. Remember, we are trying to make the buyer think this is a home they can just move into and relax.
Energise and Modernise
Speaking of halogen bulbs, have you considered them as an alternative to your existing lighting? Any energy-efficient upgrades you can make to your home are highly recommended, as they are becoming a popular prerequisite for today’s buyers and can drive up your sale-price.
Equally important is the replacement of yellowing, dated switches or rusted tapware. Changing them out for sleek modern alternatives can also improve your sale price, as they add to that low maintenance look.
A Thorough General Clean
Declutter. Declutter. Declutter! Statistically speaking, cluttered photos have a lower return on digital click-through rates than clutter-free photos. So, we recommend going room to room, to clear benchtops, windowsills, tables/desks and any other clutter-magnet areas of your home.
When doing the general clean also focus on simple things like cleaning fans, removing all cobwebs from corners and cleaning the floors. Also focus on cleaning your windows and glass doors as any smudges or prints will show up in your photos.
Finding the Right Agent
We understand that once you have completed all the hard work, you don’t want to part with any of the proceeds of the sale. But allowing for that extra bit of money to be spent on paying a quality real estate agent to handle all the stress of listing and negotiating the sale is worth it. A quality agent, like our team at Mackay Property and Management Services, have over 100 years of combined Mackay real estate knowledge. We understand the market and are happy to come to your home and provide a free appraisal and advice.
Things to do once the house is listed:
- Continual yard maintenance and cleaning;
- If you have pets, clear any faeces from the yard in the morning of any open house;
- Touch up any scuff marks;
- Green is good, so add some plants
These are just some of our low-cost recommendations. For a more extensive list of what to do when doing a full pre-sale renovation of your home, please contact Mackay Property and Management Services.
