Selling your home: why the little touches make the biggest difference

You want to sell your house. The only problem is, so do tons of other sellers. To stand a chance of making your property stand out, you need to ask yourself, ‘If I were a buyer, would I want this house?’

Keep reading and I’ll explain the little changes that will make a huge difference when it comes to selling your home.

In terms of your home’s condition, it can be challenging to look at it with ‘fresh’ eyes and see what needs doing. However, I find that when sellers realise that it’s the little things that put buyers off, they soon start to see clearly!

Even if the jobs are purely cosmetic, such as weeds growing between the pavers or a messy bedroom, you need to understand that these are enough to put a buyer off. As they wander around your home and they notice the mess, or broken or missing fittings they’ll look out for more clues that your house isn’t up to scratch. That animal smell from your pet dog, stale cigarette smoke, holes in the screening and the patchy lawn will put them on red alert. Instead of finding their ‘dream’ home, they might wonder if they’ve found a nightmare.

Take a look at this checklist to ensure you create that all important great first impression.

1. Lawns and gardens. It pays to tidy up all your outdoor areas, so they look maintained and inviting. If you don’t have the time or energy, get a gardener.
2. Windows, doors and screens. Give all windows a clean, so they’re sparkly and allow in as much light as possible. Fix, repaint and replace any frames, broken door handles, fittings and holes in screens.
3. Remove cars, trailers, vans, boats, bikes and gadgets from the driveway and front lawn. You want to create the impression of space; clutter does the opposite.
4. Curtains, netting and curtains should be pulled back to allow as much light in as possible. Refresh and clean window hangings, so the space looks inviting.
5. Pet odour, smoke and human smells. None of these are pleasant to a prospective buyer, so remove smelly items such as dog beds, ashtrays and clean the toilet.
6. Bathrooms and kitchens. These two are the ‘big ticket’ items and need to look spotless and clutter-free. A person will be trying to imagine themselves in these spaces, so put in some elbow grease!
7. Declutter. Present your house in a way that isn’t full of your life. Remove clutter and chaos. It will take an effort, but it’s best to depersonalise and minimise everything on display.

How you present your home to potential buyers is critical to your success – a sale for premium price.

Getting on top of these little things can make a BIG difference.