Annie Newell

Getting your DUCKS IN A ROW before SELLING

Preparation is essential before taking your property to the market. And it’s always nice if you have a bit of extra time up your sleeve to do everything.

So, if you are planning on taking your property to the market sometime in the future, like coming into spring or summer and you are wondering what you could be doing today to do to get yourself organised, here is a brief checklist to help.

My Top Ten Tips covers a lot of this but here are a few things to think about.

Maintenance

Look around your home with fresh eyes. It’s easy when you are living in a property to miss things and you get used to how things look. What you are trying to achieve is a property where buyers are seeing the spaces and the environment - imagining themselves living in your home – and not focusing on the little jobs that might need to be done. This could be touching up paint work, tidying up paths, cleaning out gutters, fixing lose hand rails etc. This also means that if a building report is done, which is highly likely, these items aren’t even mentioned because you have already sorted them.

Consents

This is a very important thing to check. Ensure any work that has been done to the property has the correct consents and Code Compliance certificates in place so that all the paperwork is correct so you don’t get tripped up later on. If you aren’t sure you can order a BIR (Building Information report) from the council – it only costs $27.75 and it usually only takes a day or so – and this details what consents there are and If they are complete or outstanding.

Click here for link to apply, WCC BIR www.wellington.govt.nz/services/rates-and-property/property/reports/building-information-reports

Presentation

We all know about decluttering etc which is really important. Again, my Top Ten Tips covers much of this. A lot of things can be done at the last minute, but the list can be quite overwhelming, and many things such a sorting out cupboards can take a bit of time so it is always good to start these things early so you are ready when the time is right.

Adding Value to your home

When you have a little time up your sleeve you can also look at the possibility of adding value to your home in small ways. Such as:

• Adding some modern handles to an older kitchen and painting the doors,
• Freshening up paint work that is looking tired, inside and out, particularly around high visible
• Looking at street appeal – painting your gate or adding a new gate on, staining or painting fences
• Insulation – doesn’t cot a lot but can add a lot of appeal to buyers
• Trimming older trees or shrubs that would benefit from some time to let a little new growth cover the hard pruning, planting bare areas and feeding the lawn to ensure fresh lush growth.

This is just a brief list of things you can do – so much depends on the property, it’s age and it’s current condition.

My offer to you

I provide a service where I come and view the property and give a detailed list of things I believe will help the appeal of your property which will ultimately get you the best price possible. It doesn’t have to cost a lot and often it doesn’t take a lot of time. But the more you know in advance, the more you can plan, get your ducks in a row and be ready.

Watch the video version of this post - here