Twelve Tips on Selling Your House. Quickly, and at Your Price.

 

 

With today’s high interest rates it has become a Buyer’s market. So what can you do to give you the edge in this very competitive environment? Read on...

1. You may have to spend a bit of money to get your home spic and span. Consider it as a good investment, but don’t overdo it – there is no point in spending thousands of Rands on re-painting the entire house and then finding your buyer would prefer a different color scheme. Of course if your walls look grubby then you had better paint them anyway.
2. Carry out any small repairs and paintwork wherever it may be required, especially dripping taps, creaking doors, paint peeling off the windows frames, etc. A prospective buyer is going to be put off by excuses such as “I’ve been wanting to do that, but I just have not had the time”.
3. Make sure your house is light and airy, open all curtains, open a few windows, switch on extra lights if needs be. This creates a feeling of openness and trust.
4. If it is in the middle of winter, switch on a gas heater to make the home warm and cosy. If it is in the middle of summer, switch on the air-conditioning to make the home cool and refreshing.
5. Make sure the home is clean and tidy and looks well organised.
6. Remove clutter – your prospective purchaser wants to see it as his house and not as yours, so remove as much as possible of your personal effects, family photos, clothing, toiletries, etc.
7. Make sure your home smells pleasant, buy one or two electric air freshners. Don’t overdo it – potpourri smells pleasant to some people but to others it can be overpowering. Beware of stale cooking smells hanging around.
8. Have a vase of fresh flowers in the entrance, and maybe in the lounge and main bedroom.
9. Don’t forget the garden: mow the lawn and tidy up the flower beds. Get help from a garden services if necessary.
10. Make sure the pool is clear and sparkling blue.
11. Be prepared to bargain – most people expect to bring your price down, and it makes them feel good. Bargaining is a give and take operation – you can accept a lower price if the buyer takes the house as-is, but stick to your full price if you first install the motorized gates / garage doors / irrigation system / alarm system or whatever it is that they want, at your expense.
12. For further insight, watch the following video (broadband connection required).