Guess what a studio apartment, a 2 bedroom unit, a 3 bedroom townhouse, a 4 bedroom home on 1000 sqm and a 5 bedroom clifftop mansion all have in common when it comes to selling? If you don’t make them stand out from all the others it is going to take longer to sell. Showing potential buyers why your home is better than the other similar style and age of homes in your area is so very important. Now I’m not suggesting you renovate every room in the house but there are some simple things you can do to make it ‘pop’. Obviously there are the simple little things like presenting a clean and tidy home – particularly ovens and windows (they’re the things I keep an eye on). Decide if you need to remove some furniture and art before you get any photography done. I’ve got a friend who has something like 24 art & ceramic pieces in her lounge alone – now in some houses that just wouldn’t work but for her and her family’s personality it does. That’s not to say it would be best to leave it like that if she chose to sell the house as it may be too much for some people. This is where you get to make the most of having an experienced sales consultant – talk to them (and a real estate photography expert) and see what they think about how you’ve styled your home. Don’t take it personally if they suggest you get rid of some things, it’s not a criticism of your style but merely a statement as to what does, or doesn’t help to sell a property in your area. Make sure that the furniture you have in place fits both the style of the home and the size of the home – balance is all important as big furniture in a small room makes the room feel smaller and small furniture in a big room makes the room feel too large and cold. Lots of people suggest painting walls, upgrading kitchens and bathrooms but I’m all about making the most of what you’ve got without having to spend a fortune. So as well as cleaning and making the most of the furniture and decor you’ve got consider using some home staging to ‘fill the gaps’ if necessary. And don’t forget the outside with mowing, cleaning driveways and making the most of your outside spaces. If you’ve got an outdoor seating area make sure the cushions are bright and comfy, there’s a nice vase of flowers on the table and if you’ve got a lounger by a pool then throw down a towel, a book and a hat. Show people how they could live in your home and they just might want to make it their own. And I really have to say that I cannot recommend real estate photographers – they just know how to show the house in the best possible light. We’ve got some great ones who look after our sales consultants and I can assure you that it will be money well spent.
