Preparing Your Home For Sale

When you initially think about putting your home on the market for sale, it is important to prepare yourself and the property for this. All too often sellers jump straight in at the deep end and leave out some very important steps. Seeff Properties are often asked for advice from clients about why their home is not selling as quick as they would like, or why they aren't receiving many offers. In principle, most homes will sell to the right buyer, as long as the price is reasonable, and the property is being marketed correctly.

Preparing your home for sale in order to get more potential buyers interested and better offers should not be confused with increasing the value of your property; that is a separate issue. Preparing your home looks at tips to make the house more attractive with what is existing and how to prepare yourself for the sale of your property.

Seeff Properties has 10 qualified, registered, and experienced agents who all believe that the fundamental aspect of the sale process should always start with good planning and having the home presented in the best possible way.  Seeff has compiled these top 10 tips to ensure that your home is ready to be put on the market.

1. Find a Trusted Agent

It is important that you take time to find an estate agent you can trust. Meet prospective agents and ascertain if you are comfortable with them. A good agent should be honest with you and feel like they are part of the selling process with you. You should have confidence in their ability, and they should be able to demonstrate a proven track record of successful sales. Fly-by-nights may promise the world and not deliver on that promise. Experienced agents will have a database of potential buyers and investors they market properties directly to and this will be an advantage to any seller.

Agents should be qualified and duly registered. For more on this read our article at https://www.seeff.co.bw/news/ensure-you-work-with-a-qualified-and-registered-agent/

A great agent will look at your home with a critical eye and advise you, using market comparatives and your valuation, on a realistic price to market the house at. This is essential as listing your home for too much can immediately put potential buyers off. Letso Palai, Commercial and Residential Agent at Seeff Properties, reiterates this by stating "that each property transaction is different and so one needs a well-informed agent to assist along the entire journey".

2. Gather Necessary Documentation

Paperwork... this often puts people off any task. But before you get too far down the journey of selling your home you should gather together the necessary documentation that you will need to sell your home and enable a successful transfer. Most importantly, if your property is still bonded, know exactly who to contact at the bank where the original title deeds will be held. Documents that you will be required to have at hand early on are:

• Title Deeds / copy and who to contact for originals.
• Signed mandate to sell the property.

You will also need to complete your KYC with the estate agency as this is a regulatory requirement. So, it is important to have the necessary KYC documentation to hand such as proof of residential address and so forth. Your agent will guide you through this. At this stage, you can also start communicating with attorneys and conveyancers about the requirements and documentation they will need. Being prepared early on will prevent a lot of unnecessary delays further along in the process.

3. Yard Areas and Curb Appeal

First impressions count! Approach your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer. What does the overall outside impression say?

Check that your gate is working, fence / walling is in good repair, if there is an intercom that it works, and that any plants are neat with no rubbish lying around. Of course, some of these outside areas may be public areas but it would be worth ensuring that the whole approach to the home is neat and inviting. This point extends to the entrance to your home so look at the front door and make sure that it is in good order and varnish / paint your front door if necessary.

The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Yard areas and gardens should be neat with no junk or broken items lying around or overgrown lawn, plants and bushes. 

If the house has a swimming pool, ensure that it is clean and in good condition. A poorly maintained swimming pool can be a red flag to buyers.  Try to present the outside areas in a way that the buyer can envisage themselves living in the home.

4. Declutter but Don't Depersonalise

Homes with excessive furniture and clutter can give off a negative impression to potential buyers. Ultimately, the goal is to allow the buyer to envisage themselves living in the home. If there is too much clutter, they may not be able to see beyond that and imagine themselves and their possessions in the space. Selling your homes means that you are planning on moving and so this is a good time, in any event, to declutter. At the same time, don't completely depersonalise the space and leave it looking sterile and soulless. The house should be presented in a warm and homely manner making it a desirable place to buy.

With this in mind, your agent will need to arrange for photographs to be taken for them to market the property. Present your home in the best possible way. "No matter how good a photographer is, clutter and excessive furniture translate to the house looking cramped and small in pictures" notes Sego Ramolefhe, Residential and Commercial Agent at Seeff Properties. Potential buyers will shortlist homes to view based on website listings and other forms of marketing. This is an important time to ensure you get as much interest in the property as possible.

5. Attend to Faults and Repairs

Minor faults and repairs always give off alarm bells that there may be bigger issues to attend to. If a buyer is viewing your home and sees broken floor tiles, leaking taps, dirty or damaged carpets or cupboard doors with broken hinges they may think there are other issues to deal with. Not only this, but Maria de Angelis, Seeff Properties Residential Agent warns that "they will immediately start thinking about the cost of fixing these repairs and start knocking numbers off the asking price of the home." These faults may be something you have learned to live with, and you may need to look at your home with a critical eye to imagine how a prospective buyer will view it. Your estate agent should be able to assist you with some sound advice should you need it.

6. Keep it Light and Airy

This is important to consider while you are preparing your house for sale as well as with each viewing you have. Ensuring the home is well lit and makes the most use of natural light is a great aspect of any home. Dark and dingy homes are not appealing. Before a viewing, open all your curtains and blinds, turn on side lamps if necessary and try to let as much natural air into the home as possible (obviously dependent on the weather). While you are doing this, ensure that all your windows are clean. You will also be able to ascertain what lightbulbs need replacing or fittings fixed.

7. Rid Odours and Smells

Bad odours and smells in your home are probably one of the single biggest turn offs to potential buyers. These odours can range to pungent cooking smells, cigarettes / smoking, drains and pet smells. Sometimes, we live with these odours so are not aware of how pungent they actually are. Ask your agent if you are unsure.

Don't just cover up these odours with air fresheners as that can sometimes make then even more obvious. Rather, get to the root cause and attend to the smells prior to any viewing appointments.

On the other side of this, a good smelling home will be very attractive to buyers. It may not be possible to start baking prior to viewings but even if you just brew some coffee, the smell may make the home attractive.

8. Be Flexible with Viewings

It is important to try to accommodate potential buyers as much as possible. Obviously, there will be times when it is unfeasible to accommodate viewings but try to be as flexible as you can. Remember that the buyer may go to a viewing of another home in the place of yours and may not want to see any further properties.

9. Set the Right Asking Price

This relates to our first point. An experienced and trusted agent will advise you on the right price to list your property on the market. This will be based on the value of the home, prevailing market conditions, comparative recent sales, and the overall condition of the property.

A correctly priced home will attract more potential buyers. More potential buyers through the door will likely yield more and better offers on the purchase. Overpriced properties will automatically put buyers off even viewing the property.

10. Use Your Head and Not Your Heart

Finally, try to remove emotion when it comes to selling your property. Easier said than done. Often the sale of the home is done during a stressful period such as downsizing or relocation. But it really is worthwhile looking at the sale of your property as a necessary transaction, and not as your home. Also be willing to consider concessions and requests from buyers. You don't necessarily have to accept all requests but be considerate and seek advice from your agent. Some concessions are not worth potentially losing a sale.

To read more on what stays with the home when you sell and what can go, read this article: https://www.seeff.co.bw/news/fixtures-and-fittings-what-stays-what-goes-when-you-sell-your-property/

At the end of the day, selling your home can be very emotional and possibly one of the most stressful experiences of your life. Seek advice and support from your agent at any time, they have the experience with managing the selling process from a very objective standpoint and should be able to offer you sage advice throughout the process.

If you have any queries on this or would like to learn more about selling your home with Seeff Properties, please contact the office on 393 9372.