Get Your Home Market Ready

Criticise your home; look for its faults. Ask your Coldwell Banker Pro Property agent to give you their honest opinion. They sell houses every day and don’t have the emotional ties you have. Walk down the road away from your house. Now, turn around and walk towards it; into the front yard, through the house and into the backyard, this time viewing it through the super critical eyes of a potential buyer. 

Note every negative; straggly hedges, unswept pathways, finger-marked front door, scuff marks in the hallway, flaking paint, dust, cobwebs, faded curtains, mouldy tiles, rust-marked sink, mouldy shower curtain, unhealthy pot plants. Any of these things - however minor - will tell a prospective buyer that the house has not been well cared for lately. This in turn has those thinking “MAINTENANCE COSTS’ in capital letters. 

It’s ironic that at the time you are leaving your house forever, it has to look the best it ever has. Achieving this takes seriously hard work. Get every member of the household involved in a major spruce-up project. 

Spring Clean Your House 

 • Check interior walls and ceilings for signs of damp and mould and clean it off. 
 • Polish woodwork, clean curtains, steam clean carpets (especially if you have pets).
 • Wash wallpaper, clean bathroom walls, tiles and grouting, polish brass or silver fixtures
 • Clean inside drawers and cupboards, get rid of scuff marks. 
 • Clean ALL appliances, vents, skylights, and insect screens. 
 • Give the house a thorough airing to rid it of smells, dust and mustiness. 
 • Wash down the outside of the house and clean out the gutters.
 • Remove oil spills and other stains in the garage or on the driveway, hose driveway and pathways clear of debris. 

Buyer’s Eyes Like Order and Open Space 

 • Clean out wardrobes, drawers, bookcases, and linen cupboards. Be ruthless: send anything you haven’t used to a charity. 
 • Neaten what remains: books flush to the edge of shelves, clothes on similar types of hangers, facing one way, games stacked, largest at the bottom, anything with a label facing forward. 
 • Store excess furniture. 
 • Clean out the refrigerator and freezer of excess foods. 
 • Dismantle collections (plates, ornaments, brick a’brac): while some people will admire them, others will feel claustrophobic or may find them distasteful. 
 • Rearrange your furniture if need be to create a maximum feeling of space. 
 • During inspection times allow for people to clearly walk through each room. 
 • Clear the street in front of your house of litter, organise tools, coil hoses neatly, trim plants and shrubs, weed out dying plants. 

Repair, Repaint, Replace 

 • Patch cracks, replace broken glass, repair wood rot, and replace missing or loose tiles. 
 • Arrange for appliance and plumbing repairs. 
 • Replace dull or dated light fixtures, broken or mismatched switch plates or outlet covers. 
 • Repaint skirting boards, picture rails, and any areas where scuff marks cannot be removed by cleaning. 
 • Repair fences; make sure gates work easily and noiselessly. 
 • Re-enamel a chipped bathtub. Repair broken or cracked steps. 
 • Check foundations for cracks; and the condition of roof, gutters and down pipes. 
 • Reseal deck if necessary, tighten railings for added safety. 

Put Your House into Neutral 

Neutral paintwork, carpets, curtains and décor can accommodate most decorating styles. 
 • Get rid of loud wallpaper and controversial artwork. 
 • Put away personal items. 
 • Neutralise any odours that may linger in your house. Cooking odours or musty smells can be alleviated by opening windows or masked with the sweet smell of a vase of flowers, or burning some essential oils, use vanilla. 

Add Appeal with Additional Touches 

 • If your garden looks a bit boring, buy some potted plants and cluster them strategically. 
 • Fix house numbers, buy a new doormat and improve outdoor lighting. 
 • Place vases of fresh flowers throughout the house. 
 • Help buyers imagine their lifestyle by putting out your outdoor furniture.
 •  And - cliché though it sounds - the smell of brewing coffee or vanilla really boost the appeal of your home.  
 •Playing ambient, relaxing music in the background can also help. 

Light & Small Points Add Appeal 
 • Open the blinds and let as much natural light into the house as you can. 
 • Switch on all the lamps throughout the house and lights in kitchen and bathroom. 

Before Open House 

 • Make all beds before leaving the house. 
 • Tidy cupboards, drawers and dressing tables. 
 • For best results wipe down shower or bath and sink with a towel. 
 • Put away personal care items. 
 • Clean up straight after meals and put utensils away, don’t leave to dry on the kitchen sink. 
 • Tidy newspapers, magazines, toys, games, videos and sporting equipment. 
 • Empty wastebaskets, hide dirty clothes. 
 • Finish each room before moving on to the next. Vacuum or sweep as necessary. 
 • Make sure your house is a pleasant temperature. 
 • Tidy front and back yards. 
 • Sweep front path and rake up fallen leaves. 
 • Finally, take five! 
 • Allow yourself a few moments to take a breather and sneak one more look around the house. 
 • Positively greet the real estate agent with a smile and leave before advertised open for inspection time. 

Moving

The big move, for most families is an exciting start to the day and an exhausting hell at the finish. With that in mind you should balance the pain against your budget and get as much help as possible. Doing it yourself may be the cheapest moving option but you shouldn’t underestimate the stamina it will require to pack everything, load the hired truck and unload in one day. Stairs and steep driveways are hard yakka even for the professionals! Removalists can do as much or as little as you want, from lugging just the heavy furniture like the washing machine and fridge, to managing the whole move which means unpacking all your bits and pieces at the other end. Whichever way, always get at least three quotes. 

Catastrophe Money 

Budget for some extra costs after you move into your new place. Inevitably, some type of minor catastrophe occurs: the hot water system dies after a decade of faithful service, the oven refuses to work, or the plumbing backs up. Whatever form the unwanted disaster takes, you will need some extra cash to cover such emergencies - which are sometimes inevitable, no matter how carefully you check the new place. 

Things to be done

 • Be aware that if you are doing the packing, the company’s transit insurance may not cover any damage. 
 • When the estimator arrives to quote, be sure to show them everything that has to be moved and advise them of potential difficulties at the other end: access problems, winding staircases, narrow streets. The more information you provide, the less chance of having additional charges levied: e.g. the hire of another van because the truck was too wide for the street. 
 • Be sure you understand the terms of the contract, such as the hourly rate, when the charge commences and finishes, how you will be charged, how you will pay, and the exact definition of “subject to increase” clauses. 
 • Give the removalist as much notice as possible, especially for peak moving times such as summer and the last week of the month. Confirm dates once the sale is finalised. 
 • Commence the clearing out process as soon as possible to make it less of a torture test. 
 • Get rid of as much as you can before you move. Clean items as you go: for example washing all the dusty, rarely used items in the china cabinet before packing. The last thing you need when you are settling into a new place is to have to wash and polish everything as you unpack. 
 • Arrange for the disposal of old paint, garden chemicals, fuel etc. Drain fuel from the mower, remove batteries from battery-powered devices, empty gas cylinders and bottles. 
 • Pack a survival kit containing cups, kettle, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, snacks, toilet paper, light bulbs, bin liners, cleaning materials, tools, a torch and, in case you don’t get unpacked by bedtime, a change of clothes and sheets and blankets. 
 • Obtain packing cartons in a variety of sizes from the removalist, or a company selling packaging materials. You’ll also need packaging tape and dispenser, marking pens and bubble wrap or tissue paper for delicate items. Use butchers white paper for a cleaner pack. 
 • Pack by the room - it’s quicker and more rewarding. Move boxes away from doorways and beds and tape closed at the last minute. 
 • Clearly label cartons on the top and at least one side with the room they are to go in. Add other information for your own benefit about the contents. 
 • Fill cartons only to within three to five centimetres of the top to provide cushioning. Don’t let items protrude above the top of the carton, or bulge out at the sides, because they won’t stack properly and may split. 
 • Don’t make cartons too heavy, especially when packing items like books. Leave the piano, mirrors and valuable paintings to the experts! 
 • Slap fragile stickers or write “fragile” over cartons containing anything breakable and use more packing paper between items just in case. 
 • Check the insurance cover offered by the removalist. It may not be “new for old cover, but instead reimbursement based on market value. Seek the removalist’s advice about additional insurance you may need such as transit insurance, which bridges the gap between your household contents cover in the home you are leaving, and the one to which you are moving, providing uninterrupted security. If you are putting anything into storage, you will need additional insurance to cover your goods during the storage period. Get quotes and organise your policy as soon as possible. 
 • Have an unpacking plan listing boxes in order of practical importance - don’t exhaust yourself unpacking non-essential items first. 
 • To keep your children occupied on arrival have their toys or the television ready, leaving you free to unpack in peace.
 • Get a good night’s sleep and plan to get up as early as possible on moving day so that you are ready for when the truck arrives.
 • When the last box has been loaded onto the truck, secure the property and leave the keys at a prearranged location.
 • Before the removal van arrives – inspect the property closely to ensure that everything has been left as agreed. Refer any omissions to your solicitor.
 • Organise electricity, gas and phone to be turned on in your name for the day you arrive.

AND Buy a bottle of champers and soft drink for the kids to celebrate - you deserve it!

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION See the following links
·  Selling Residential Properties
·  Selling Luxury Residential Properties
·  Selling Project Developments
·  Selling Tips 
·  What Home Sellers Dont Know 
·  Home Enhancement Guide
·  Home Sweet Home Improvements
·  Moving Tips