It should come as a surprise to no one that putting your property up for sale is no easy feat.

In fact, it’s generally considered one of the most strenuous events an individual will have to undertake. It’s not hard to see why either. Buying a home is one of, if not the largest financial transactions you’ll ever make, so ensuring you get a return on that investment is paramount if you want to move on to bigger and better things.

  1. Create a blank slate

This is going to start with cleaning your little heart out. A clean and tidy home is not only going to be more attractive to buyers, but it’s also going to make it easier for them to imagine themselves living within that space. You need to show prospective buyers the full potential that your property holds and cultivate an appealing ambiance. If you can generate a positive feeling associated with your home, those coming through will be much more likely to want to think of it as their own.

So, start with the cosmetic appearances and remove as much clutter as humanly possible. Clean off any stains on the walls and the floors, clean the heck out of those bathroom tiles and remove that 10 year old grime from the inside of that poor oven. You’ll then want to go for a full deep clean and either have your carpets professionally steam cleaned, or if absolutely necessary, pull them up and have them replaced. Clean carpets make a world of difference.

  1. First impressions count

Once you’ve finished inside, it’s time to move outdoors. Everyone knows the importance of making a great first impression, and the very first thing that prospective buyers are going to see is your front yard. You don’t necessarily need to hire a professional landscape artist to improve your property’s street appeal, but you will need to roll up your sleeves and maybe get down in the dirt. 

It might be worth investing in some beautiful ornamental plants to spruce up your front yard come sale time, but at the very least make sure that you mow the lawn, weed the garden, and clean the driveway. The same goes for the back garden. Although it won’t be as dire as the front, an attractive garden is oftentimes enough to sway certain buyers in your favour.

  1. Bust out the house paints

A tried and true method of bringing life back into an outdated interior and an aging exterior is the classic paint job. This is going to be the most cost effective way to add some serious value to your home and make it look as good as new. Never underestimate what a new lick of paint can do. 

When it comes to adding your new coat of paint, don’t just fall back on covering over the old coat with the same colour. Do a bit of research on the best colours that will help you sell your home. And yes, that is a thing! There are countless articles and colour palettes available online regarding the most statistically significant colour choices you can make for the sole purpose of selling your home. The internet is a wondrous place indeed.

  1. What’s that smell?

This is something that you do not want prospective buyers to be asking. Bring in an objective participant to ensure that there aren’t any strange or unpleasant smells coming through at any stage of the home inspection process. Have you had a problem with possums in the roof? Do you have a septic tank out back that needs addressing? Any rats living under the floors? All of these things might go completely unseen, but unless they’re adequately dealt with, they will not go unnoticed. 

A more serious concern that some homeowners may need to consider is that of mould. Depending on the level of severity, mould can in fact become a hazard to the health of those exposed to it. Along with strange smells, any hint of mould will likely be an instant deal breaker for most buyers coming through. Far from being generally unpleasant to deal with, issues such as mould and bad odours will often indicate a much bigger problem, and one that the majority of buyers will not likely be willing to investigate and/or pay to fix.

  1. Make all necessary repairs

Not many houses will fall under the category of ‘perfect’, so there’s no need to worry if yours is a little run down. And although many buyers actively go out looking for a ‘renovator’s dream’, most won’t have the time or the funds to undertake repairs in a newly bought home. Given this, it’s always going to be in your best interests to make sure that you fix anything and everything that a home needs to operate at its most basic level.

This means that you’ll want to repair any leaks in the roof, any holes in the floor, and dripping taps, and have an electrician fix any light switches or power points that have given up the ghost. Your house might not be in tip top shape, but if you can show that it still functions as a property should, prospective buyers will always give it a chance. Sometimes a chance is all you need.