How to prepare your property for a summer sale

Wayne Morgan Posted on 23 Feb 2018

Here are some essential steps to take now to be sale ready this summer.

Make all necessary repairs.

If you want to sell your home this summer the first step is to fix all the necessary and obvious repairs. Buyers will look through your home with a fine tooth comb and you don’t want them to be put off by a creaky gate, dirty windows, and leaking gutters.

So walk around the outside of your home with the eyes of a buyer and make a list of the things that need to be fixed. Start at the front of the home, does the gate need to be repaired, does the front fence need to be repainted, are there any issues with the path, is the front door in good condition, how are the windows, gutters?….you get the idea.

You’ll save time and money by fixing any issues on the property as you don’t want to have to negotiate your price down over minor repair issues.

Make the most of your curb appeal

Many potential buyers do a ‘drive past’ a property before they come in for an inspection – they are seeing if the property looks any good and worth their time. This means that first impressions are critical and this starts at the curb. To enhance your curb appeal:

Water blast the path out the front of the property and along the entryway
Paint the fence if it is looking a bit scruffy. It can also work if you paint one feature of your home a bright colour. For example, the front door, letterbox or fence. Something to grab the eye but not enough to dominate the view of your home.
Tidy up the front garden – keep it neat and trim, weed your garden beds, remove dead plants, keep the lawn mowed – and yes even the strip out the front of your home if you have one should be mowed.
Style the front garden - You can give your garden a simple makeover before you sell by adding defining borders to your flower beds and adding a focal point. Timber borders are popular, or you can outline your beds with small shrubs or grasses. Add a few larger plants as focal points but keep them in proportion to the size of your garden.
If you are selling an apartment add window boxes with some colourful flowering plants will help make your place more welcoming.

Landscape your back garden

Aussies love being outside and one of the key benefits of selling in Summer is you can promote your outside area as another entire living space. This creates a whole new room in the eyes of a buyer and a major selling feature in summer.

If you are lucky enough to have a back garden spend some time weeding the garden beds, keep the lawn mowed, trim any bushes and trees and plant flowering plants in the garden beds.

Repair your deck

If you have a deck – wash it down or water blast it to remove any grime. If there is damage, make any necessary repairs – drive any protruding nails flush with the surface of the board or replace them with deck screws. Repair or replace boards that are badly deteriorated and sand any rough spots to stop splinters. Once it’s dried apply a sealer or stain the deck – you’ll be surprised how great it looks…and your buyers will love it.

Maximise your courtyard space

If you have a courtyard it is important to maximise this space. The first step may be to create a focal point like a water feature, statue or urn. This should be placed at the furthest point from the entrance so your buyers' vision is drawn a distance, giving a sense of space.

You can also give an illusion of space by paving the entire area with large pavers (500x500mm) to make the ground look wider and less busy. Don't use any dark colours in your courtyard structures as these reduce the perception of space.

Add some Outdoor Furniture

If you don’t have an outdoor setting it is a good idea is to buy some nice outdoor furniture. A table and chairs, a BBQ or an outdoor lounge setting looks great and helps people envision themselves sitting back with a glass of wine or a beer entertaining friends. If you already have outdoor furniture make sure it is clean and in good condition.

Enhance the entrance

Spruce up the entryway and the front door. Add a welcome mat, make sure the front door is clean or consider painting it if it is looking a bit tired.

If you have sufficient space, place a range of matching terracotta pots with plants against the wall near your entrance. For the average-sized doorway use the pots up to a metre high. If your home is an older style, aged classic cone-shaped pots with a rolled rim containing colourful flowers, like geraniums, will give a traditional welcome feeling. For more modern homes tall angular pots that taper downwards are very popular. Architectural plans like succulents are also good as they create a dramatic effect.

Try and keep everything symmetrical. If you are using pots and plants to add interest, put on either side of the entrance or you might like to hang two matching lanterns for a warm glow. The trick is to keep it simple and not clutter the space.