How to get your home ready for sale

prettyliving

Difficulty: Beginner

Selling your home is an exciting time. To get a great deal, it’s important that your home creates a solid first impression.

Here is our guide to making your home more attractive to potential buyers. Let us know if you have any questions, and we'd be happy to help.

Steps

Step 1

Paint your home to make it look more presentable.

Before repainting your entire house, start by thoroughly cleaning all the walls and skirting boards with sugar soap. Once they are clean, it is easier to assess which areas require patching or repainting. Selleys Spakfilla is a great and easy-to-use product for filling in any holes or chips in the walls.

Paint is also a great way to spruce up your backyard. Repainting old pavers, a patio or a fence can make an old space look new again.

Prior to painting, always clean areas thoroughly with a pressure washer and follow instructions on the label.

1.1 Wipe walls with Shelleys Wipes.jpeg 1.2 Fill in any holes in walls.jpeg 1.3 Clean all walls.jpeg 1.4 Paint walls.jpeg 1.5 Check if old pavers need repainting.jpeg 1.6 Repaint old pavers.jpeg

Step 2

Make sure that all windows are clean and clear. Doing so allows more natural light in your home, making it brighter.

Remove any fly screens prior to cleaning. It’s also a good idea to hose down or pressure clean the screens to remove any build-up of dust and dirt.

Bunnings has a wide variety of window cleaners and dry squeegees to make the job easier and more efficient.

2.1 Cleaning windows.jpeg 2.2 Remove any fly screens prior to cleaning.jpeg

Step 3

Check that all lights throughout the home are working and have an appropriate coloured globe for the space.

Replace globes if needed. For darker rooms that lack natural light, install a cool white globe rather than a warm white one. These look brighter.

A great tip for homes with bayonet light fittings is to install covers over them to make them more appealing.

3.1 Check all lights are working.jpeg 3.2 Replace lights if needed.jpeg 3.3 Replace globes if needed.jpeg 3.4 Install appropriate colour globe for the space.jpeg

Step 4

Make sure all taps and spouts are in good working order.

To add further value to your home, update any standard or outdated tapware. Something as simple as a new kitchen tap can make a difference.

4.1 Updated any old tap ware.jpeg 4.2 New tap ware can change a space.jpeg

Step 5

Remove and replace any stained or mouldy sealant around your home.

This includes old sealant on skirting boards, and around sinks, showers and baths.

Remove the old silicone with the sealant remover tool, clean the area and then reseal with a new sealant.

5.1 Remove stained sealant.jpeg 5.2 Remove old silicone with sealant remover tool.jpeg 5.3 Clean area.jpeg 5.4 Reseal with new sealant.jpeg 5.5 Final result.jpeg

Step 6

Use a pressure washer to clean all exterior surfaces.

Over time, accumulated dirt, moss, and algae can dull your exterior floors, fences and exterior walls. Pressure washing can instantly refresh these areas.

When cleaning painted surfaces, it’s best to set the pressure washer at a lower setting to prevent the paint from stripping.

6.1 Use pressure washer to clean exterior surfaces.jpeg 6.2 Use pressure washer at low setting.jpeg 6.3 Before and after pressure washing.jpeg

Step 7

Create street appeal by tidying up your garden.

Start by removing all weeds, dead plants, leaves and broken tree branches. For lawns with multiple weeds, apply a weed and feed solution and follow the instructions on the product label.

For weeds in between pavers or stones, RoundUp works great and saves a lot of time. Make sure to always follow directions on the label and wash hands well after use.

Adding fresh mulch and nutrients to your garden beds will also make them more appealing and healthier. Mow lawns and use an edger or whipper snipper to create neat edges where they meet garden beds or paving.

Grass seeds are a great way to quickly fill in any patches within the lawn. Make sure to choose the right box of seeds to suit your lawn variety. Follow directions on the label for quick and efficient results.

7.1 Kill weeds.jpeg 7.2 Remove weeds in between pavers.jpeg 7.3 Add fresh mulch.jpeg 7.5 Use an edger to create neat edges.jpeg 7.7 Fill lawn patches.jpeg 7.8 After filling lawn patches.jpeg

Step 8

Clean all floors, cupboards, doors and surfaces prior to a home inspection. A clean home will show a buyer that it is well maintained.

Diggers Multi-Purpose Surface Spray is a great product as it can be used for floors, bathrooms, and kitchens. It can also be used on stainless steel, leaving it shiny and clean.

8.1 Clean all surfaces with surface cleaner.jpeg 8.2 Cleaning kitchen fan.jpeg 8.3 Cleaning oven knob.jpeg

Step 9

Remove all personal and decorative items when presenting your home for sale.

The goal is to create a blank canvas, allowing potential buyers to visualise themselves living in that home and making it their own. Remove photographs and other personal items like toothbrushes, lotions and desk clutter.

A great tip for storing personal items is to place them in under-bed storage containers. This way they can be hidden out of sight but still easily accessed when needed.

9.1 Remove all personal items.jpeg 9.2 Place items in under-bed storage containers.jpeg 9.3 Personal items hidden but still accessible .jpeg

Step 10

Add a few pops of colour to make your home feel welcoming and appealing.

This can be easily done by using cushions, colourful towels, throws or indoor plants and flowers.

Prior to an inspection, you can also bake a batch of cookies or light a candle to create a sense of homeliness.

10.1 Use towels for pops of colour.jpeg 10.2 Use cushions for colour.jpeg 10.3 Light a candle.jpeg

Materials

Wipes
Fine sanding block
Roller kit
Interior paint
Concrete and paving paint
Window cleaning kit
Microfibre cleaning cloth
Garden mulch
Multi-purpose surface spray
Spakfilla
Underbed storage container
Batten fix
Shade batten fix
Cushion cover.

Tools

Gardening gloves
Safety glasses
Pressure washer
Cordless line trimmer
Sealant remover.

Images

1.1 Wipe walls with Shelleys Wipes.jpeg 1.2 Fill in any holes in walls.jpeg 1.3 Clean all walls.jpeg 1.4 Paint walls.jpeg 1.5 Check if old pavers need repainting.jpeg 1.6 Repaint old pavers.jpeg 2.1 Cleaning windows.jpeg 2.2 Remove any fly screens prior to cleaning.jpeg 3.1 Check all lights are working.jpeg 3.2 Replace lights if needed.jpeg 3.3 Replace globes if needed.jpeg 3.4 Install appropriate colour globe for the space.jpeg 4.1 Updated any old tap ware.jpeg 4.2 New tap ware can change a space.jpeg 5.1 Remove stained sealant.jpeg 5.2 Remove old silicone with sealant remover tool.jpeg 5.3 Clean area.jpeg 5.4 Reseal with new sealant.jpeg 5.5 Final result.jpeg 6.1 Use pressure washer to clean exterior surfaces.jpeg 6.2 Use pressure washer at low setting.jpeg 6.3 Before and after pressure washing.jpeg 7.1 Kill weeds.jpeg 7.2 Remove weeds in between pavers.jpeg 7.3 Add fresh mulch.jpeg 7.5 Use an edger to create neat edges.jpeg 7.7 Fill lawn patches.jpeg 7.8 After filling lawn patches.jpeg 8.1 Clean all surfaces with surface cleaner.jpeg 8.2 Cleaning kitchen fan.jpeg 8.3 Cleaning oven knob.jpeg 9.1 Remove all personal items.jpeg 9.2 Place items in under-bed storage containers.jpeg 9.3 Personal items hidden but still accessible .jpeg 10.1 Use towels for pops of colour.jpeg 10.2 Use cushions for colour.jpeg 10.3 Light a candle.jpeg