obrienrealestate.com.au

Presentingyour Property

L I V I N G L O C A L L Y S E L L I N G L O C A L L Y

L I V I N G L O C A L L Y S E L L I N G L O C A L L Y

Presentation is the Key

Effectively presenting your property for sale is the key to gaining the

maximum price when it comes to competing with similar properties in the

market place. It all comes down to the presentation

The entrance - Create a ‘wow’ factor entrance and decorate the front garden with pot plants and garden furniture. Loan or borrow additional furniture if you have to.

Inside furniture - Less is best. Store excess furniture to ensure rooms appear as spacious as possible.

Inside the house - Repair and paint where necessary, clean walls, floors and windows, steam clean carpets (if necessary) and make some running repair to items such as dripping taps, sticking doors and drawers - this is the sort of thing that prospective buyers will notice.

Remove clutter you can’t see - Remove all unnecessary articles from cupboards - prospective clients will look inside cupboards.

Cobwebs and dust - Remove cobwebs and dust from inside and outside the house.

The garden - Weed and mulch the garden beds and consider adding a splash of colour to garden beds and any pot plants. Also prune trees or shrubs close to the property to help with natural light.

General tidy up - Remove rubbish from the exterior of the house, ensure fences are in good order and think about removing other items that might look uninviting.

Space - a big selling point

The art of illusion and creating space within a home is a huge selling

point and some simple tips that can help your home appear spacious

and open include:

Storing some furniture off the property to open up rooms and hallways.

To accentuate the feeling of spaciousness open curtains and blinds to let in natural light.

On the outside, trim or prune trees and shrubs which shade windows and block out important natural light.

First impressions will last

First impressions often stick with a buyer and you need to take an objective

look at your property. Many buyers will view your property from the street

or when driving by. Also they will be using the front door, when you might

always use the back entrance to your home.

Change your prospective when it comes to the first impressions of your home

and seriously consider the practical opinions of those you value (including

your real estate agent, family and friends or a professional decorator).

Simply take a step back and imagine seeing your home for the first time.

You will notice things that you might not have otherwise; a fence that needs

painting, overgrown garden beds or a broken window.

First impressions are everything and some prospective buyers will find

reasons, to not inspect your home, you might have never noticed.

Should you spend money tomaximise your selling price?

We advise clients not to spend too much on renovating their homes prior to

selling, however, some additions and improvements are well worth the spend.

Major works might not be in your budget but minor changes to the garden

landscape or replacing an old fence can make a significant difference and

not break the budget.

Our professional team at O’Brien Real Estate can guide you in regards to

possible improvements to your property in preparation for sale.

Emotion is everything

Presentation combined with the right atmosphere will set the scene for that

feeling when the property “just feels right”, regardless of all the practical

reasons why a buyer actually likes the property.

The sense of smell is a powerful one and the aroma of freshly baked bread,

recently brewed coffee and a freshly baked cake will conjure up a feeling

of warmth and comfort. These familiar aromas will also play an equally

important role in neutralise cooking and pet odours.

Other simple ways of creating the perfect atmosphere and leaving a lasting

impression include:

Displaying vases of fresh flowers, especially in an entrance or in the main living area.

Playing soft, perhaps classical, background music.

If it’s a cold winter’s day and you have one, light a cosy open fire or have a heater on to warm the house. Alternatively, have a cooler on in the hot summer months.

Think about taking pets when you leave your home for an inspection - not every buyer is a pet lover.

De clutter - Wash and store dishes away, clean bench tops and pack away children’s toys.

Make up beds and borrow extra cushions, if you can, to add a little extra style.

Optimise natural light by opening curtains and blinds; turn on lights in dark rooms and passage ways.

The Value of Open For Inspections

In our fast pace of modern-day living, open for inspections offer convenience,

minimal disruption to your household and can reduce the number of private

appointments.

More often than not advertised days and times for open for inspections are

set when the general public are most likely available - after hours and on

weekends. And this is how we attract the maximum number of buyers.

Potential buyer sees other interested parties at an open for inspection they

can become more motivated knowing there is healthy competition.

Planned open for inspections also allow you the opportunity to plan and

present your property at its best.

Other simple ways of creating the perfect atmosphere and leaving a lasting

impression include:

Open for inspections offer convenience and flexibility for buyers and time to plan ahead for their weekend activities when reading through the real estate advertising guide.

Most agents will run open for inspections at similar times therefore buyers can inspect a good snap shot of the market at the same time.

The time given at open for inspections allows buyers to spend adequate time perusing the property.

Open for inspections offer buyers the ability to blend in with the crowd and feel relaxed as they take in the property’s features.

A private inspection might see both the seller and buyer present which can produce an uncomfortable atmosphere and subsequent rushed inspection.

Importance of Private Inspections

Private inspections will be appropriate for a particular property and will offer

convenience to a buyer and/or seller.

We will make this decision after full consultation with you and communicate,

on a regular basis, when all inspections (open or private) are set and

we never allow buyers to inspect your property without one of our

representatives being present.

However, at times during the course of our marketing, buyers may approach

you wishing to inspect your property. If this should happen, please hand

them one of our representatives’ business cards and request that they

contact our office to arrange a viewing.

In this way we can keep in touch with all potential buyers for your property.

This is particularly important if a sale is to occur prior to auction.

Creating the right atmosphere

It’s important to remember the right atmosphere will create increased

competition among buyers and could bring in a higher price, especially at

auction.

Whether you are selling your home at auction or by private sale, there are a

few things to consider when aiming for that perfect atmosphere.

Make a list for your home and ensure you have included the following:

Plan to mow and edge the lawns a couple of days before auction day as potential buyers will more than likely drive by prior to the big day.

Ensure the surrounding properties are well presented, where possibly, and offer to mow your neighbour’s lawn if necessary.

Remove any weeds or rubbish from the nature strip, footpaths and the surrounding street.

If you have pets arrange for someone to look after them for the day and ensure there are no animal droppings left behind.

Invite friends and family along for the auction to help create atmosphere.

To help keep floors clean, place mats at all external doors and additional mats if it’s raining.

We recommend you place valuables safely away.

To create the idea of space and provide additional parking relocate any cars from your driveway prior to the pre-auction open for inspection.

Depending on the weather, heat your house in the winter months and alternatively cool in the summer - an inspection needs to be comfortable for all potential buyers. Also remember to open all curtains and blinds and windows for fresh air.

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