5 Things to Remember When Selling your Home

September 2016, By Nicole Langelier.

Look, selling your property is not always easy. There are many things to do to get your house ‘ready for inspection’, some of which can be rather challenging for the vendor. On the back of last weeks ‘Real Estate Styling for Success’ workshop with West Elm Chapel Street in Melbourne, I thought I would share with you some of the touchier and more sensitive points which can make or break your hammer price.

1. The truth hurts sometimes, but the fact of the matter is that whether you are styling your property yourself or hiring a professional, you must remember why you are doing it – to get the best price come auction day. This means that you don’t have to personally love it and it doesn’t have to suit your lifestyle or that of your family. You don’t have to love every vase or every scatter and it doesn’t really matter if you don’t like the colour yellow or not. You need to step outside of yourself and see the property with fresh eyes – the eyes of a prospective buyer. Hard to do for some but imperative for all.
2. Move out if you can and empty the house – the best results come from a clean slate. It is less disruptive to you and your family, less maintenance and often less emotional. Let your property stylist do what we do best – make your life easier and to get you more bang for your buck (usually our services net the vendors about 15% over reserve which can equate to 10’s of thousands!!).
3. First impressions are everything when it comes to selling your home. The things people will notice first when they walk through a property are the cleanliness, cracks and damage, natural light, flow through, space and most importantly how the property feels. The way you present your property relates directly to the way people will feel when they walk through, so it’s not about a specific cushion or colour, it’s about the over-all look and if it is inviting, stylish and presentable. Remember that you are not buying your own property – you are selling it – so like it or not your personal preferences are not that relevant. Sorry!
4. The only place for emotion when styling a property for sale is in the wonderful feeling you inspire in people through the beautiful presentation of the home. Don’t get me wrong – it IS emotional and for so many different reasons, but your emotion should not interfere with the emotion of the prospective buyer. Maybe you are selling because your family outgrown your current house, maybe your kids have moved out and you are downsizing, maybe your parents have moved to age care – there are a million reasons to sell a property and yes, most of them are emotional. As hard as it may be, try and remain cool and keep your eye on the prize. If you play by my rules you may just hit the Real Estate jackpot.
5. Many cooks, one kitchen – a common challenge when presenting a property for sale. Look, everyone will always have an opinion, but the only opinions that truly matter when it comes to selling your home are those of your prospective buyer and the professionals that know what those buyers are looking for in a property, so keep your focus and don’t let other people’s opinions cloud your objective. Trust the advice of your agent and stylist – and remember we all have the same goal in mind which is to get you the very best price for your property come auction day.