Springing into a great sale

Lifestyle
Springing into a great sale

Springing into a great sale

No matter where you live in the world, spring is widely regarded as the season of new beginnings – a fact not unnoticed by those involved in real estate.

Not only do the months of September, October and November signal a period of renewed optimism but the combined appeal of longer days, mild weather and blossoming gardens typically makes selling your strata residence a far easier proposition than during the remaining hot or cold seasons.

Key steps to prepare your property for sale:

  • do a full spring clean of your apartment
  • declutter and depersonalise
  • display rooms to suit potential buyers
  • repair any defects or damage

Real estate start-up Open Agent says there are a number of reasons why spring is an excellent time to sell your strata residence, most notably because the warmer weather encourages more prospective buyers to get outside and explore. With increased market activity comes higher prices and with higher prices come faster sales.

Spring’s longer daylight hours, along with people wanting to move in before the Christmas holiday period and the new school year are also driving factors.

However preparing your home for the spring blitz, is not without its challenges. While sales outcomes tend to be stronger in spring, more sellers and a larger number of properties can mean more competition for your property, putting the onus on sellers to do anything possible to boost their chances of a great sale outcome.

Multi-national real estate group LJ Hooker says there are four key steps to take when preparing to ready your strata property for a spring listing.

The first is to undertake a full spring clean. Rather than just undertaking a cursory wipe over key areas, your property will have more appeal if you do an extensive intensive clean including washing windows inside and out, dusting blinds, lighting and other fixtures, cleaning and polishing all knobs, mirrors, taps and switches and have your carpets professionally steam cleaned.

“Wipe down cupboards and all exterior and interior surfaces like closet doors as well as shelves and drawers. Pay particular attention to kitchens and bathrooms, and have your tiles and grouting cleaned by experts if necessary.”

First impressions count when it comes to buyers’ opinions, so your next step should be to remove as many personal items as you can from your home’s interior.

Take the opportunity to declutter your house by throwing away or donating anything you don’t use regularly. By removing family photos and accolades, and placing oversized, worn-looking furniture into storage you will not only make your home’s look more spacious, but by depersonalising your home you are providing potential buyers with a blank canvas to imagine the house as theirs.

LJ Hooker says accessorising the interior by professionally staging your property is also a move worth considering when selling in spring as it allows you to better connect with your target buyer.

Renting furniture, artwork, and additional accessories to accentuate your property’s best features also allows you to potentially repurpose exiting space – such as turning a bedroom into a nursery or changing a home office into a media room, to better target your demographic.

LJ Hooker also recommends undertaking any necessary repairs and maintenance prior to putting your strata residence on the market.

It suggests home owners or investors take an objective look at their interiors and take a note of any defects or damage. Leaky taps should be repaired, loose doorknobs tightened and faulty light switches fixed.

Ideally damaged walls should be given a fresh coat of paint, and timber flooring restrained.

Before you commence any repair work it would be wise to check with your strata or body corporate manager first to ensure you adhere to by-laws and state regulations.

To ensure your strata residence presents at its best, Open Agent also suggests airing out your home to rid the staleness of winter, and using freshly-clipped flowers to brighten up the space and add a fragrant touch.

“Natural scents are less likely to trigger allergies and have a more delicate appeal than air fresheners,” it says.

Likewise, enhancing the feel of spring by bringing the colours indoors can also work wonders for those hoping to achieve top dollar with their sale, Open Agent says.

“Use light and bright colours for your throws, cushions, towels, bath mats, artwork and other accessories. Replacing these items is an inexpensive way to make a big impact and lighten up rooms. This will be more alluring to potential buyers.”

We Can Help

To create a better lifestyle for people living & investing in commuities

Get A Quote Today


Ad

Related Articles

Talk To Us

Newsletter

Get the latest Strata News, Investment Insights, Lifestyle & Inspiration Tips