Prepare your home for viewing by potential buyers to bring about a quicker sale.

Prepare your home for viewing by potential buyers to bring about a quicker sale.

Some of the best advice an estate agent can give a prospective seller, is to stress the importance of preparing a home for viewing by potential buyers. Rowan Alexander, Director of Alexander Swart Property, says sellers are often under the impression that the more money they pour into improving the appearance of the home, the more they will raise its value and the more they will be able to ask for it. They see this expenditure as lifting the price exponentially. In his view this is flawed thinking: the right way to view home improvement outlays is to see them as a way to achieve a quicker sale.

"In my experience it is seldom possible to raise the price of a home by "tarting up" its look in accordance with a list of interior, exterior and garden renovation tasks. Such improvements have however resulted in far quicker sales and are therefore very important; essential indeed." In the last quarter, the average time taken to sell an Alexander Swart home was 28 days and 90% of the accepted offers were within 4% of the list price. This was not only due to accurate valuations but also by ensuring that the homes looked well cared for and were in good condition. Sellers sometimes fail to see just how vital this is. How would the seller understand what is required and how should he go about it?

• Firstly, the viewers' initial impression of the home can create or ruin a favourable reaction. What this means in practice is that the "kerb appeal" has to be excellent: all features seen from the street e.g. the boundary walls, fencing, hedges, driveway and gates, even the post box, must be well maintained and in good order. Care must be taken to remove any oil stains from the drive and the parking areas.
• The next aspect likely to influence the visitor will probably be the garden and the pool, if there is one. It is of the greatest importance that everything should be spick and span: there should be no dead plants in the flower beds, no unshapely, untrimmed bushes or rockeries, no uncut lawns or ragged path boundaries and no unsightly toys or garden tools lying around. The pool should sparkle - buyers have been known to reject a whole property because the pool had a sickly green look.
• Once in the home the visitor will have a positive response if the interior has a well-cared for, well-loved look. All DIY tasks, especially painting, should be completed and all carpets, curtains and windows should be thoroughly cleaned. There should very definitely be no ceiling or floor stains from damp or leaks. Soft music playing in the background and fresh flowers in some rooms will add to the atmosphere.
• Equally important is attention to light, temperature and odours in the rooms. If the weather is fine, draw back the curtains and let natural light and warmth flood the interiors. If the weather is cold, batten down, draw the curtains and by means of heaters and fires create a comfortable warmth, especially in the communal rooms. Extra attention should be paid to those rooms which are used most as well as the focal points in the home, such as living and dining rooms, patios and kitchens which also serve as breakfast or family dining spaces. Odours such as cooking or pet smells, which may be acceptable to the home's occupants, may well be off-putting for visitors and should be countered with effective deodorisers.  Garages will often be the one area which is particularly untidy; this should be neatened before the garage has even one viewer.
• Alexander says it is also important to declutter and depersonalise the interior of the home. Leave nothing lying around, not even sports equipment or your favourite books. Too much evidence of the family's friends, hobbies and lifestyle can make a home less welcoming to the possible buyer. He should be able to imagine how his family will feel in this home.

A further tip from Alexander is to leave the escorting of the viewers and sharing of information to the agent. Do not obtrude with additional comments. Many sellers, fond of their homes find it hard to be detached and their presence can in fact hamper the knowledgeable agent who can remain objective as he has no emotional ties to the home.

Alexander suggest the seller obtains a check list from his agent to assist him in preparing the home thoroughly to have a pleasing impact on viewers. If this "staging" is done well, the sale process will be more pleasant and a sale will be achieved much quicker.

 For further information, please contact Rowan Alexander on cellphone 082 581 3116 or by email: rowan@asproperty.co.za