If someone asked you to invest $3,000 with a promise to return $20,000, you would probably assume it was a scam, or you would sprint to the ATM faster than Usain Bolt winning gold. But for nearly every listing I come across, a return on an investment such as this is 100% possible! All that is required is some consultation with your real estate representative and, compared to the potential gain, a relatively small financial commitment from you. It’s quite simply the best low risk strategy for enhancing the value of your property, that nearly anyone can do when considering selling your home.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard from a buyer, following a viewing of a property, say ‘’Yes, we love it, but we feel it just needs too much to be work carried out’’ I could retire right now and move to Tuscany. (Or back home to the UK… Nah! Tuscany)
A recent trend in the housing market has seen many buyers demanding properties that do not require any renovation. This is due, firstly, to buyers being put off by the task of having to contact, organise and book the tradesmen to undertake the necessary work (with buyers often under – estimating what this can cost.) Secondly, buyers value their time! Painting walls, filling gaps, re-grouting, gardening, and mulching isn’t top of the agenda after moving in.
First impressions are the most important for buyers. You want to make them welcome even before they set foot in the house. A jet washed driveway, colourful plants set around wood chip mulch that compliments the colours and tones of the main dwelling give an excellent first impression. This sort of basic presentation can be done across the weekend (Also, don’t forget to remove any cobwebs!).
You would be surprised how sensitive buyers are to the smell of a house! No matter how wonderful your home is, if it smells like a soggy dog lived there, or someone has smoked 60 a day, or the house smells of stale cooking, it will be difficult to even give it away! Have the carpets professionally cleaned and the walls washed down, then invest in some air fresheners, the type that sit in the wall sockets. Depending on your house size and carpet coverage will depend very much on the cost.
Declutter, less is always MORE! You may have sentimental belongings and items in your home you love, but the buyer wants to imagine themselves living there. Lots of clutter on surfaces makes things look out of balance, untidy and small. Also, if you have dim yellow light bulbs, replace with 700lm cool white globes through the whole house. Believe me, this will make a massive difference and won’t cost a lot.
And about that leak you had last year that meant you had to have tiles on the roof replaced but you never got around to repainting the ceiling in the bedroom? (This is surprisingly common) Please don’t be that person to forget! Re-paint the ceiling. The bedroom is one of the most important rooms for buyers. Yes, you’ll have a sore neck, but it only takes a day. Michelangelo took three years to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling!
Dead grass makes people sad. Do you have a big back garden that looks like the Sahara Desert? Well, depending on your soil content, a 10 – 15-minute watering after sunset or before sunrise each day, for 2 weeks is enough to bring your grass back to life. This is a lot cheaper than most people think and may only cost between $20 – 40. (This estimate is based off my own water usage with a medium – low pressure.)
If you want to gain more knowledge about maximizing your property’s potential, contact Tommie Watts of Merrifield Real Estate today via call or text at 0476 514 921.
