How to present your house for sale, using stage four lockdown

Author:ahsan

1/114 White Street, Kilmore - for herald sun real estate

1/114 White Street, Kilmore has been overhauled for sale this spring.

Amid a global pandemic it’s easy to worry finding a buyer for your home will be a hard sell.

But from washing your dog more regularly to updating your garden, there are ways to help your place stand out in tough times.

LJ Hooker Pakenham’s Loren Popovits said while COVID-19 restrictions might limit other parts of your life, there was nothing stopping you from getting your garden looking its best.

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“Outdoor space is definitely an area you can do, and add a lot of value and appeal with,” Ms Popovits said.

Tidying your lawn, ordering some fresh mulch and replacing old outdoor furniture to help prospective buyers imagine themselves enjoying it were among the easiest steps to take.

A tidy backyard that’s easy for buyers to imagine themselves enjoying can add value.

More advanced projects include built-in bench seats or barbecue areas with benchspace.

“Anything that will look like an outdoor room, or improve the presentation,” she said.

Inside, kitchens and bathrooms should be a high priority — and not everything has to be left to the pros. Most home handypersons would be able to replace fixtures and fittings, from tap and shower heads to towel rails, she said.

Better skilled renovators could even tackle a vinyl or laminate floor replacement.

But things such as worn cupboard doors and cabinetry should be replaced if at all possible.

“Family buyers are prepared to pay a premium if everything is done and presented really well and they can just enjoy,” Ms Popovits said.

Buyer’s agent and Real Estate Buyers Association of Australia president Cate Bakos.

Cate Bakos Property buyer’s advocate Cate Bakos said decluttering was vital, but home renovations should be approached with caution.

“When it comes to tarting up a home, as soon as a buyer feels you have done something on the cheap they will be suspicious of the rest of the house,” Ms Bakos warned.

“Do it properly or don’t do it.”

Especially don’t ask tradies to do “cashy” jobs without warranties or certificates, she advised.

But as buyers “really notice a garden when it is horrible” she did recommend embracing your green thumb.

Lots of people love dogs, but few will want to smell yours when inspecting your home.

Otherwise, lockdown is a great time to hunt down all your paperwork, from water and rates bills to manuals and warranties for appliances. Unit owners should also include getting a copy of the minutes from the last owners corporation meeting.

You should also be thinking about addressing any smells in your home before you go on the market. Bathe the dog more regularly, clean out teenagers’ rooms and reconsider pungent meal choices. Lingering smells could take a long time to air out, Ms Bakos said.

Barry Plant director and CEO Mike McCarthy

Barry Plant director and chief executive Mike McCarthy.

Barry Plant chief executive Mike McCarthy advised maximising natural light by clearing overgrown gardens from windows, and if the home still seemed dark to add some lamps — especially if you’re planning a video walk-through.

He also advised going room by room to make a list of “hidden features” that might add value to your home but can’t be seen with the naked eye, and discussing this with your agent.

“And talk about what you love about your home,” Mr McCarthy said.

And don’t be surprised if you’re advised your “bright orange feature wall isn’t to everyone’s taste”.

The goal should be to leave buyers to imagine their own furniture in the home and not repainting, he said. Even loose doorhandles or overflowing gutters can be a distraction.

Racheal Vieira with husband Marcelo Vieira at their Mosman apartment which Racheal decorated. Attic storage.

An attic or roof cavity could be an easily accessible storage spot during lockdown.

If you need to store things on the cheap it may be worth investigating sub-floor and roof spaces that could suit short-term with some chipboard as a floor and a sheet to keep the dust off.

“And don’t go to the extreme of putting in a pool or an extension,” he said.

It took COVID-19 restrictions to finally get Michelle Duggan and her partner Anthony Sammut to give their Kilmore home an update.

And it all paid off, with the 1/114 White St house listed for sale earlier this week and attracting requests for inspection within a few hours.

Anthony Sammut updated aspects of his home’s kitchen and has buyers hooked.

A capable handyman, Mr Sammut updated just about everything in the home’s main bathroom except the floor tiles and the bath tub for less than $1000. He also gave the kitchen an overhaul.

“I believe the money we spent on the bathroom will come back three-fold, because nobody wants to do that reno — it’s a dirty and thankless task,” Ms Duggan said.

The pair also painted and decluttered, and recommended both as low-cost ways to make finding a buyer easier.

“We’d painted one room and didn’t want to do it, but the lockdown forced us to do the rest of the job,” Ms Duggan said. “And it’s an instant improvement once it’s done.”