Before putting your home on the market, it is important to have a plan in place. Below are some factors that sellers need to consider before listing their property.
There are two types of people in the world: those who make plans, and those who simply allow life to plan itself. For those belonging to the latter category, you might want to partner with somebody who belongs to the former when selling your home.
“There are multiple factors that need to be considered when putting a house on the market. Sellers who do not have a plan in place are likely to find it difficult to make a timeous sale,” says Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.
First impressions count, so you want to make sure that your house is ‘selling ready’ long before you put it on the market. The best way to achieve this is to have a checklist in place to ensure that you have not overlooked any important factors that might affect the sale of your property.
Who better to ask for advice around this topic than a real estate professional who has been in the industry since 1986 and a part of the RE/MAX team since 1996? Gail Compton, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Tricolor operating in the Westville, Pinetown and Cowies Hill regions in KZN, shares her ideas around the items that you should add to your pre-selling checklist.
“For starters, you need to check that all building plans are up to date and approved,” says Compton. Many homeowners forget to secure official planning approval before making renovations to their homes. When potential buyers find out about this, they may take their offer off the table because they do not want to deal with the repercussions if the plans are not approved.
“Next, you need to go through the property with the ‘eyes of a potential buyer’, paying particular attention to any defects or maintenance issues. These then need to be repaired and remedied accordingly,” Compton advises.
Still looking through your home with an objective gaze, you should be able to pick up on items that are cluttering up the space. Apart from making the rooms appear smaller, having too many personal items scattered throughout your house makes it more difficult for buyers to envision their own belongings in your space. You want to create as much of a ‘blank canvas’ as possible for them. “Arrange to do a thorough Spring clean and remove any clutter. This should be done before an agent come to take photographs for the marketing of the home,” Compton adds.
Last on your to-do list is to find an agent whose advice you can trust. It is never a good idea to look at what a property has been advertised at and to assume that this is the price that a buyer will pay. “Overpriced properties aren’t like red wine that gets better with age. They are like milk: they go sour very quickly,” Compton advises. It is best to find somebody who knows the area and who can price your home at a point that will secure a sale.
While no amount of planning can guarantee a sale, following through on these points before putting your house on the market will help you make the best first impression possible – a factor that plays a pivotal role in the sale of your home.