How to Maximise your Return on Investment when Selling your Home

Written by Ann Maurice

Setting the stage for success

So, you have made the big decision to sell your home. Well, before you pick up the telephone to call your Estate Agent, read on. It could mean money in the bank!

As a professional Interior Designer and former Estate Agent I am often asked the question “How can I sell my home quickly and get the highest and best price?” My response is always the same, “Stage it before you put it on the market.”

What is home staging?

If this concept is unfamiliar, let me explain. Simply put, home staging is a manner of presenting a home for sale so that it will appeal to the broadest buying audience, “setting the stage”. The most common mistake made by sellers is to assume that because they are comfortable in their own home and love it just the way it is, so will a prospective buyer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, buyers need to be able to visualise themselves and their things in a home before even thinking of making an offer.

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It is a proven fact that buyers are willing to pay a higher price for a home that they feel they do not have to put a lot of time nor money into putting right. But they are not often able to see through your “personality” to the home of their dreams. Small things that you have grown accustomed to like your unkempt garden, clutter, dingy carpet or even your dog could be costing you money, or perhaps that all-important sale.

First impressions are key

This is not rocket science, rather, common sense. If you were going on a very important job interview would you not arrive well prepared, well groomed and with a positive attitude? Would you not try and present yourself better than your competition? Why not, then, make the same effort when marketing your home? In most instances one’s home represents their most valuable asset.

So, then, how does one go about this? The first and most difficult thing is to take a good look at your home critically and objectively through “buyers’ eyes”. Begin across the street and imagine yourself a prospective buyer driving by. Would you be interested in stopping to view your home? Next, go inside. Pen and paper in hand, go carefully through each room of your home noting anything that needs clearing, cleaning, fixing or brightening. Make a detailed list and get busy. Remember, “no pain, no gain”.

10 Tips for home staging

The following are my tried and true tips for staging your home to get your best price and get it fast:

Clear away all clutter. Pack up and store anything unessential. You’ll be ahead of the game when moving day comes along.
Do your spring cleaning NOW. Pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms. Take care of any necessary repairs.
A lick of fresh paint can do wonders to brighten up a room. Just remember to use a light, warm neutral colour.
First impressions are key. Be sure your home looks appealing from the front door through the entrance hall. A tidy garden, clean windows, polished door furniture and a welcome mat will invite buyers to “step inside”.
Indoors and out replace plants that are overgrown or unsightly with new ones or fresh flowers.
Pay careful attention to subliminal suggestions: soft music, adequate lighting and pleasing scents elicit a positive emotional response from buyers.
Pick a colour scheme, preferably from something you already own like a painting or rug, and use these colours as accents to create harmony throughout the house
Now that you have cleared and cleaned, dress back in some of your favourite things. Remember, “less is more”.
If necessary, purchase a few accessories to give your house that “pulled together” feeling. Things like colourful area rugs, fresh towels, decorative cushions, curtains and prints can all be taken with you when you move.
Finally, the most artful staging job in the world will not sell a house if it is overpriced. Hire a qualified Estate Agent, and LISTEN to their advice.