When is the best time to sell your property? Is it during winter when there is lesser competition or at springtime when market activity is at its peak? Experts say, the best time to sell is when you don’t have to. This way, you have the luxury of timing the market.
But what if for financial reasons or change in circumstance you need to sell as soon as possible, and it’s summer time? The good news is there are simple tweaks you can do to maximise your selling price. Peter Koulizos, property professor and author, shares his top tips.
1. Appeal to the home buyer
While you may be selling an investment property, you want to appeal to the homebuyers as well. In general, homebuyers are more emotional when buying their home compared to investors.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money either. Here are a few things you can do to update your property quickly and cheaply.
Top tips!
- Clean the carpet or polish the floorboards.
- Paint. It’s the best value mini-makeover you can do.
- Clean the property thoroughly.
- Tidy up the garden, especially the front yard. Front yards, in particular, are important because they are often the first aspect of the property that potential buyers will see.
2. Turn up the summer appeal
If you’re going to rent furniture to improve the look and feel of the property before selling, also known as staging, think summer colours and pieces.
Top tips!
- Choose light, neutral colours.
- To sell in summer, less is more. Opt for a minimalist décor.
- Replace darker rugs, curtains, cushions and blankets with lighter colours
- Consider adding a few nautical themed pieces.
- Make the most of the outdoor areas and set them up to show off their potential for outdoor meals and entertaining.
- Ensure all pools and water features are clean and/or switched on to impress buyers.
3. Use light to your advantage
People are generally drawn to natural light, so the more natural light you can let in, the better.
(Image: Boffo Family of Companies / Flickr)
Top tips!
- If there are curtains in the house, either remove them or replace them with lighter colours and textures to add a relaxed, ‘summery’ feel.
- Dark, heavy curtains don’t add appeal and can also make rooms look smaller.
- Use good quality lights and lamps.
- Turn on all the lights and lamps before inspections.
- Open all the curtains and blinds.
- If possible, hold inspections before the sun sets unless of course, the property looks especially good at sunset!
4. Be flexible with inspections
Summer can be a somewhat hectic time of year with school holidays, end-of-year functions, holidays and Christmas and New Year celebrations. There’s also a lot of sport on at this time of year, such as cricket and tennis that have a tendency to keep people glued to the TV screen.
Top tips!
- Given the busy nature of the summer months, be open to more flexible inspection times.
- Try and avoid weekends too close to Christmas or New Year as people are often on holiday or too busy to make time for viewings.
5. Keep your property cool
There is nothing worse than walking into a hot, stuffy home on an equally hot and stuffy day. It won’t help make a good first impression for potential purchasers.
Top tip!
- Ensure that before the open inspections, the air-conditioning has been on for a while.
6. Light a candle
A nice, pleasant smell can also enhance the buyer’s experience.
Top tip!
- Just before inspections, light a nice summery smelling candle or have some diffusers around the house. It doesn’t need to be strong or overpowering, but a nice smell can make a big difference to people’s perceptions. It helps to make inspecting your property a pleasant experience.
7. Exceed expectations
If you really want to impress, offer a cool drink to your prospective purchasers. Have some cold sparkling water and glasses ready to offer people looking through your property.
It adds a nice touch, gives potential buyers a way to remember the house and also helps create a casual atmosphere. This may need to be discussed with an agent if they have been engaged in selling the property.
Every time of year has good and bad points when it comes to selling property but make the season work for you, and it won’t matter when you sell.
Story previously published on The Property Insider.
What are some of your tips for sprucing up your home?
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