How to prepare your home for selling and moving

If you’re putting your home on the market, there are a number of things other than paperwork that you’ll need "How to prepare your home for selling and moving"

If you’re putting your home on the market, there are a number of things other than paperwork that you’ll need to do in preparation for selling and moving.

selling and moving home staging
Source: The Everygirl

Focus areas

The front door

Great first impressions matter. Make sure the entrance to your home is clean, tidy and looks nice. Gurnie the driveway, weed the front garden, and give the front door has a fresh lick of paint.

selling and moving front door
Source: Pinterest

Key rooms

The homemaker will want to focus on the kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry, so make sure repairs and cleaning for these rooms are on point. The other rooms of the house can usually be sorted out with a coat paint.

Repairs

Generally, you don’t need to fully renovate your home prior to selling and moving, but it should be in good, working condition. Little issues like mouldy shower grouting can put off people off. Small expenses and a little effort will go a long way in making your property more attractive to prospective buyers.

Do you need to?…

  • Re-grout bathrooms
  • Fix the fence
  • Fix leaking taps
  • Replace fixtures, e.g. chipped door knobs, rusty towel rails
  • Replace blown light bulbs

selling and moving repairs
Source: Getty via Popular Mechanics

Any investment you make in more expensive improvements prior to selling and moving, should be driven by where you’ll get the best return.

If you’re thinking of renovating prior to putting your home on the market, check out some Top renovations mistakes to avoid.

Rules and regulations

When selling and moving, there will be a number of rules and regulations that you’ll need to comply with, e.g. a pool safety certificate needs to obtained by the seller or purchaser in Queensland (Department of Housing and Public Works, 2015). It’ll make your property more attractive to a prospective buyer to have these things taken care of prior to sale.

Walls and painting

Check walls for marks, scratches and stains that might require plastering and a fresh coat of paint. Paint walls and ceilings in neutral colours; your property will appeal to a larger market (not everyone loves a bedroom in each colour of the rainbow).

selling and moving neutral paint
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Declutter and depersonalise

The sale of your property is a great excuse to clean out your belongings!  Declutter to maximise space for the open house and inspections. Depersonalise so buyers can imagine their own belongings in the space.

selling and moving decluttering and depersonalising
Source: Homey Oh My!

Cleaning

It’s important to give the impression that your property has been kept in good condition all the time (not just for the sale), so attention to detail is a must!  For the best results, you should do an ‘end of lease’ style clean.

Inside

Here’s a list to start you off:

  • All surfaces, benchtops and cupboards
  • Walls, skirting boards, power points
  • Windows, window sills, doors, screen doors, fly screens
  • Floors, carpets, tiles, timber
  • All built in appliances, e.g. dishwasher, oven, stove, range hood, etc.
  • Sinks, basins, taps (descaling)
  • Baths, showers, shower screens
  • Mirrors and wardrobes
  • Fans, air conditioners
  • etc.!

If the thought of scrubbing the oven makes you die a little bit inside, get some help from Airtasker’s reliable and flexible residential home cleaners.

selling and moving cleaning
Source: Pinterest

Outdoors

Outdoor areas should not be forgotten.  Make sure the:

  • Gardens and garage are tidy
  • Lawn is mowed
  • Garden beds are weeded
  • Gutters are cleaned
  • Pools are cleaned
  • Patios and driveways are clean
  • Cobwebs are removed

For open houses and inspections, you should also remove all rubbish, empty and wash bins, and make sure pet poo and pet bedding is removed.

selling and moving garden maintenance
Source: funky junk interiors

Odours

Sometimes if you’re living in it, you don’t notice it… Invite an honest friend with a keen nose over and get them to check for smells.  Odours in the home are usually from pets, mould and mildew. Find the source and address the problem, rather than trying to ‘mask’ it.

Staging your home for display

Put your best foot forward when presenting your home to prospective buyers.

selling and moving staging
Source: Home Adore

Furniture and décor

If your furniture is a worn, mismatched, or a little ‘dated’, consider hiring a home stylist to furnish your home during the sale period. It might be necessary to put your furniture in to storage temporarily.

If you need some assistance with heavy lifting and getting things in to storage, consider hiring a local furniture removalist to help you out.

Greenery

Create a calm and inviting atmosphere by adding some healthy, green plants to your home’s indoor and outdoor areas.  Little potted herbs perched on the window sill can freshen up the aesthetic of the kitchen.  Hire larger plants if you don’t want to purchase them.

selling and moving staging greenery
Source: BLOGLOVIN’

Good smells

Make your home smell inviting by roasting some coffee beans or baking fresh bread on the day of the open house.

Selling and moving

You’re on the home stretch when you’ve sold your property and the time comes to sort out furniture removal and storage. If you’re lucky, you’ve got access to a ute or small truck and the manpower to do the moving yourself. If not, seeking a professional furniture removalist will be on your list.

selling and moving furniture removals
Source: Moving Company Brisbane

If you’re in the market for a trusted, reliable removalist, check out the removalists for hire via Airtasker. They’re located across Australia and covered by insurance.

Let us know if you have any other great tips, and best of luck with selling and moving your home!