Great question!

Before we talk about preparing your home lets look at our furthest point within the sale
process which is settlement day. Lets think about the property whether it be a
new home, existing or rental that you are going to move into, how would you
like the condition of it to be in? I'm sure a nice clean home that you can move
into straight away or renovate without worrying about mowing the lawns or
pulling weeds out of the garden.

Lets step back a little further and consider the building and pest report, are there any
known issues that you know of that could be fixed right now rather than
discount the agents negotiated offer you accepted? Here are a few easy fixes
that you could do yourself or cost much less than the buyers counter offer;

• Repair or replace leaking taps
• Replace silicon around warn shower and bath edging
• Purchase new globes for those that are blown
• Repair any hole or major dint damage in walls
• Replace cracked roof tiles & clean gutters
• Have your pool water any colour bar green
• Have your pool certified

Sounds pretty simple the above doesn't it? The less faults on the report the better
the buyer feels, even a pile of the above faults and similar cause stress to
the buyer... little things all add up in quantity.

Lets skip right back and yet so close to the finish line the accepted offer! How much do
you want above the market value? That figure the agent came over to discuss, looked
you in the eye and said " Hey, that's what she'll fetch in this condition
( the condition you are deciding on right now ) ".

• A clean home is a much more desirable home ( A messy home is a buyers immediate discount buy home )
• A clean yard whether it be big or small equals the feeling of low maintenance to most buyers
• If you need to paint a few walls because they're fainted, stained or drawn on paint away
• High pressure systems are worth their weight in gold! If its made of cement or wood hit it
• Speaking of timber, stain those old fence posts, garden edges or privacy screens
• Less is best and anything too much above that you are a hoarder ( Let the potential new owners imagine their life here with their kids and furniture... much easier to do with less than more ).

The above could mean anything from $2,000 - $25,000 or maybe even more in your pocket,
tax free dollars from your well presented largest asset being your family home.

So when we jump right over to the first thought, the place I race my wife for the
ship in monopoly the very start of it all. After reading this, grab that shovel
from the shed, the mop bucket or even paint brush and lets put another pile of
dollars into your pockets and dollars that both you and the buyer will be OK
with, because its less work for them when they buy it!