De-clutter your property for selling success | Property Investment

By Kat Tate | www.katandkaboodle.com.au

If you are looking to sell your home or investment property, it’s crucial to create a clear and clutter-free space to entice buyers and ensure maximum return.

In today’s tough market, how you ‘stage’ your home is very important if you want to leave a lasting impression on potential buyers. Clutter, worn furniture and having personal items on display will very quickly turn potential buyers off your property. However, for little cost and minimal effort, you can create an appealing space that entices them to make that ever-important offer.

Here are some top tips for preparing your home or investment property for sale:

Clear the clutter: Enlist a team of friends or hire an expert to help you all clear clutter and personal effects from the property. An easy way to do this is work through each room and place items to toss or donate in separate bin bags and box up anything you want to keep. It’s also a good idea to tour your home as though you were a buyer and remove anything that catches your eye or looks out of place. Depending on how many helpers you have, it might take anywhere from 1 to 7 days to de-clutter the entire property

Keep surfaces clutter-free: Make a good impression by clearing all surfaces and bench tops of clutter. This helps give the appearance of a larger space and improves the ‘feel’ of the property. You don’t want a potential buyer’s eye to be distracted by fussy details and miss the important elements.

Clear out the kitchen: The kitchen is without a doubt one of the most important rooms to consider in de-cluttering your property for sale, so it is vital to create a spacious and clean space. Create as much space as possible by removing all appliances from the bench tops and storing them neatly in a cupboard or in an external storage unit. Buyers will want to visualise the space easily without encountering cluttered cupboards. Also ensure you remove any personal items and knick-knacks from the kitchen, including fridge magnets and pictures. It’s also a good idea to organise the pantry by storing food in matching airtight containers and grouping ‘like’ items together on the shelf. Don’t forget the area under the sink – store cleaning items in a plastic or remove them from the space entirely.

De-clutter the bathroom: Remove all personal toiletries from the bathroom cabinet and shower/bath area. Place these in a discrete container or box out of sight. Ensure you wipe down all surfaces to remove soap scum and marks.

De-personalise your home: Remove photos and personal items from rooms and entryways to create a generic space and give the appearance of a blank canvas. Personal items will distract potential buyers from visualising the property and ascertaining its potential. Removing personal items de-personalises your home, allowing potential buyers to visualise it as their own.

De-clutter wardrobes: So many sellers overlook the importance of clutter-free closets. Don’t frustrate potential buyers by presenting them with overloaded storage spaces. Instead, make it easy for them to size up the space of wardrobes by clearing the clutter and giving the impression of spacious storage. Sort through your clothes and decide what to keep or toss. Place these in separate bags or baskets and take good quality items to your local charity shop.

Don’t hide your clutter! Whatever you do, don’t stuff boxes of clutter into cupboards or atop shelves. Potential buyers will look in every drawer and cupboard to size up storage options. Store the boxes off-site in external storage to free up space in the property and have it appear sale-ready.

Hire a cleaner: Have a professional cleaner give the property a good spruce once it is de-cluttered and have them do a mini-clean each week until the property is sold. This might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised by how many sellers overlook this vital step.

Remove stuffy furniture: If your furniture is too big for the space, potential buyers will immediately feel cramped and think the property is too small for their requirements. Put worn or cumbersome furniture in storage to create a spacious and clutter-free space.

De-clutter the garage: Hold a garage sale or place large garage items in storage. Make sure the garage is as empty as possible.

Add a simple bowl of vase of flowers: Once the property is clear and clutter-free, place an appealing bowl or a vase of fresh flowers in the centre of the dining table or bench top to add a splash of colour and vibrancy.

Above all, take the time to organise and de-clutter your home or investment property for sale, to ensure it makes a lasting impression on potential buyers and increase your chances of a successful sale.