It’s rare to wake up knowing, one hundred percent, that it’s time to put your home on the market! In fact, the decision to sell is usually reached over a number of weeks or months; even years for some. Whatever the reason to sell, it is essential to equip yourself with this Seller’s Toolkit, so that you are prepared for the whirlwind that is about to begin.
Once the decision to sell has been made, it’s time for action; as there is much to do before your home can be launched to the marketplace. Preparation is key and knowledge is powerful! At MyPlace Estate Agents, we believe in educating our clients, so that they understand the best way to prepare their home for sale and are primed for the various stages of the sales process. We do this to ensure our Clients remain confident and feel in control of the sale.
Whether you have decided to buy or sell first, we assume that you have a pretty good idea of where you would like to move to next. If you haven’t done so already, start visiting open homes and auctions in that suburb, speak to local agents to learn more about the area and understand current market trends and subscribe to Agent’s Buyer Databases to receive alerts for off maket sales. Start a file containing properties of interest with their selling price, so that you can calculate the budget required. At this stage, you will not be under any pressure; this is research for your next real estate journey and should be exciting! Keep an open mind by looking at surrounding suburbs too and try to pinpoint what really matters to you and your family, ie do you want to be close to cafes or public transport, need a park for children or is a second living space essential for your extended family?
Whilst researching for your new home, your buyer’s eye and mind are being tuned! This is really important because you need to honestly assess your own home from a buyer’s perspective and not that of a proud home owner! Purchase a note book and thinking like a buyer, walk through every room in your home jotting down everything that needs repairing, decluttering or removing. Once you’ve created a jobs list for the interior and exterior/garden of your home, you can start preparing your property for sale. The list below contains things to do and consider before your home hits the market.
Locate all your property documents
- This may seem obvious but it’s a good idea to gather all your documents together to avoid delays later. Locate the Title Deeds to your property and if you’ve undertaken any renovations, have your occupation certificates and warranties ready.
Attend local and comparable Open Home Inspections and Auctions
- This is the perfect place to compare local agents in action. If you leave an open home inspection unimpressed with an agent’s knowledge and professionalism, you won’t want them selling your home!
- Viewing similar homes in your area allows you to monitor sold prices and establish a realistic price for your own home.
Find a great Real Estate Agent
- The agent will be your guide and partner through the selling process so it’s important that you find someone you can trust, communicate with and who understands your objectives. Most people invite a couple of agents into their home for a listing presentation and price appraisal, before signing a contract. It is advisable to use an experienced, local agent such as MyPlace Estate Agents who can support the price appraisal with recent comparables and excellent testimonials.
- Discuss the best way to sell your particular home; agents should be able to recommend the best method of sale for your home, whether it is Auction, Private Treaty or off market Database Sale – one size does not fit all.
- Clarify the Marketing Plan inclusions and what this will cost. The cost of marketing is paid upfront in most cases and should be designed to meet your budget, the current market and the characteristics of your potential buyer.
- For a list of questions to ask your real estate agent, click the link. http://bit.ly/2rBz4cm
Make household repairs
Start making repairs that you have listed or employ a handyman to do them for you. Your agent should be able to advise which jobs are worth doing to improve your sale price.
- Tidy the garden, trim shrubs and clean entrance paths; first impressions really do matter!
- MyPlace Estate Agents have a list of local, trusted tradespeople to help with all your repairs and maintenance, if you need help with this.
- Think carefully before undertaking major improvements just for selling purposes. For example a new kitchen can be very costly and may not reward you with the healthy return you might expect. Seek your agent’s advice.
Painting
- A fresh coat of paint is the simplest and often cheapest way to freshen and update your home. MyPlace Estate Agents have seen how repainting can considerably improve the selling price, so we offer a professional and complimentary Colour Consultation, to assist all our vendors with paint choices.
Decluttering
- Decluttering not only makes your home look neater, feel fresher and appear more spacious, it allows potential buyers to move around the home freely at open home inspections. Decluttering now will also make moving so much easier. To read more about decluttering your home click the link http://bit.ly/2smvvKF
Consider getting a home inspection report
- MyPlace Estate Agents advise clients to obtain a Building Inspection Report and to make it available for potential buyers. We can recommend a professional building inspector, whose service comes at no cost to the Vendor. Buyers are able to purchase a copy of the report, if they wish. If the report contains no major defects or problems, you can sit confidently knowing that you are releasing a well maintained home and if repairs are required, you can choose to fix or leave them as normal wear and tear. Seek your Agent’s advice, if in doubt about repairs.
- If your property is part of a strata, consider purchasing a strata report. Seek your Agents or Conveyancer’s advice.
Appoint a Conveyancer/Solicitor
- MyPlace Estate Agents can provide a list of recommended conveyancers that our Clients have been happy with, to help draw up your Contract and provide up to date legal advice about selling and buying.
Consider styling
- Styling your home for sale has become the norm for many sellers. It can be very beneficial to seek the assistance of a stylist when presenting your home for sale and can improve the selling price. MyPlace Estate Agents are happy to advise if this could be of benefit to your property and would be happy to recommend local stylists to quote for partial or full styling services.
MyPlace Estate Agents has more than 30 years’ experience in the local area, so we certainly know our way around real estate! After all this time, weathering hot and cold markets, we are still passionate about our industry and absolutely love helping our clients realise their Real Estate dreams! Please contact us on 8303 1800, if you have any questions or need advice on buying or selling in the current marketplace.
We are constantly building our library of eBooks or toolkits to share our knowledge and help support your real estate journey. Please contact Justine on 8303 1800 or by email on justine@myplacensw.com.au to request a guide suitable for your stage or interest.