Outside the Property

Make sure the outside of the property and the entrance look neat and tidy.

This will ensure potential buyers get a good initial impression and inspect the property.

1. Sweep the driveway and footpaths
2. Wash down walls, front door, outside furniture and fence, or patch up with paint if necessary
3. Clear the gutters 
4. Keep the lawn and garden finely trimmed
5. Remove weeds from the garden and update it with some mulch, pot plants or flowers if lacking
6. Remove bins from visibility
7. Clean ponds and water features as needed
8. Check number and post box are visible and in good working order

Inside the Property

Once the buyers are inside, it’s time to really impress them.

Removing clutter and having the property spotless will make a big difference.

Areas to be particularly conscious of are the kitchen, bathrooms, garage and laundry.

1. Remove unnecessary items to make the rooms more spacious
2. Clean the walls, floors, windows and fixtures in the rooms and patch up any cracks, holes or broken pieces
3. Patch up any cracks or broken sections of walls and tiles and put on a new coat of paint if necessary
4. Make sure doors and drawers open and close properly and that door knobs and handles aren’t loose
5. Fix any leaking taps
6. Vacuum or clean carpets, lounges and blinds/curtains as necessary
7. Change light bulbs if not working

Additional Considerations

There’s no point investing a lot of money into renovating the property unless you’re confident to see a return in investment.

Some buyers will be looking for properties to renovate themselves and it may not be necessary to do yourself. You can discuss this with your agent or valuer if you have one.

It may be worth updating the style of the property with new pieces of furniture, greenery and lighting fixtures if it looks old and tired inside. Take the expense into consideration as you want to gain a synergistic result from these additions.

Many places have personal items and family photos around the place. For many buyers this is unappealing, as they want to imagine themselves living in the property. Hide these away if possible.

Finally, if your property has coloured walls it may be a good idea to have them repainted to a neutral colour. As an example, a red wall might not appeal to many buyers and they may not be willing to put the time, money or effort into having the place repainted.