What to do before selling your house

Putting your home on the market isn’t just as simple as packing up your things and letting the real estate agents take over. You also don’t have to go to extremes and spend tens of thousands in renovations either.

There’s a lot of little to-dos around the home and garden that can be ticked off, so you not only attract potential buyers but have them pay the best price for your property as well.

1. Professional cleaning

We don’t mean a good once-over with a dusting cloth, we mean getting in there and cleaning it from top to toe. Oven cleaners will remove all the grime that you’d never be able to remove yourself, while house cleaners will have all other areas of the property sparkling clean.

Get professional carpet cleaning, and let a grout cleaner take care of the tiled areas. Don’t forget the window cleaner for glass and sills. If you’ve got a pool, that’ll need cleaning too. It sounds like a lot, but if there’s ever a time to get the professionals in, it’s now. The return on investment could be well worth your while.

2. Gardens and outdoor areas

Start at the bottom and work your way up. Get a pressure cleaner for the tiles and pavers to clear off any mould or discolouration that’s built up on them. Polish and waterproof any wooden areas like decks or pergolas. Next, remove weeds and dead plants. Add more mulch to the garden beds and trim the hedges and bushes.

If you have overhanging branches or dead trees, now is the time to have a tree lopper come in. We’ve got all the gardening help you need, and if you have the budget to really do up your outdoor area, we’ve got landscapers and decking specialists as well.

3. Address maintenance issues

Address any small issues that you’ve been ignoring, such as having a painter come in to cover chipped paint and marks on the walls. Stained carpets and cracked tiles will need addressing as well. If you have loose or rusty fences, have them replaced by a fencing expert. If your gutters are in a state of disrepair, get a guttering professional to clean and repaint them.

4. Banish pet smells

We know you love your pets but potential buyers might not love the smell of them that lingers in the carpets and curtains. Even more smells will come from your furniture like couches if you choose to leave it inside the property. It’s a good idea to air the house well before inspections and to use smell-absorbing products like room sprays. If you decide to remove your furniture and leave the property empty for inspections, we’ve got removalists near you to help.

5. Furnishings

Furnish your home in an appealing way, but make sure it isn’t cluttered or overly personal. Neutral décor with the basic furnishings will work best. Potential buyers want to see as much of the floors as possible and they want to be able to image how their furniture will look in the room, so keep things simple but stylish. It’s worthwhile getting home staging to come in with props and expert interiors knowledge to have your home looking its best during showings.

6. Professional photos and marketing

There are a lot of photographers who specialise in taking professional photos of your property. Usually, the real estate agent you work with will organise this for you or will at least recommend someone to you. Agent In A Box recommends getting professional photos taken to maximise your chances of getting attention from potential buyers.

Wrap up

Once you’ve completed all of these, you’ll be ready to put your property on the market. We’ve got top real estate agents to help you throughout the whole selling process.