The biggest worry for a seller, when listing their home is "will it sell" or even "will it sell for what I want?". This is something that all of us at Holmz have heard over and over again amongst our clients, their biggest worry is if the sale of the home will cover their bond, the amount they have put into the home or even breaking even.
Our advisors here at Holmz do iterate that there are some steps that a homeowner can take to increase the value of their home by adding desirable attributes that will cater to more buyers' needs and wants, ultimately increasing their chances of a sale. Everything stated below are steps that anyone can take that won't break the bank, or cost anything for that matter. Although we don't recommend attempting to sell your home in your personal capacity, they do,k however, recommend taking these steps before listing. Our advisors have summarised these 5 steps below:
1. Clean Up the Place
Your listing may be a great property, but if it's dirty, and not kept well, it will just not sell. When speaking to our Holmz Property Advisors, almost all of them touched on keeping your place neat and tidy, a home will look and sell better if you take some time to de-clutter and ensure that space is made in your home. Go minimalistic during viewings or presentation days. This easy step will definitely make a difference when it comes to making sure that your home sells for what you want.
2. Stage as Much as You Can
This simple and easy-to-do weekend DIY task will make your life, and our advisors’ job, so much easier when it comes to presentation days, viewings, and even when the home gets its pictures taken. There is something so pleasing about looking at a well-looked-after home, it shows that the owner has taken care of the property. No, we don't mean a full-home revamp, we're talking small things, like fixing cracks on the outside, fixing up the lawn, cleaning your much-loved braai, and maybe even planting some flowers in the front of the home to make it very welcoming. We chatted to our Advisors here at Holmz, they suggest that these small touch-ups will be more inviting to a potential buyer and increase the chances of an offer being made. It must be said, however, that staging a home is not the same as interior design or decorating, it is using what you already have, and making it look better. It might be a hard pill to swallow, but everyone is different, and not everyone likes 1000 pictures of your cats scattered across the home. Take the time to go minimal.
3. First Impressions Are Everything!
We cannot stress this enough! This step is one of the most overlooked parts of selling a home. Picture this; you are scrolling through Holmz's listings, and you come across a home that is within your budget and has most of the amenities that you are looking for, but that first image is just... average. This is why you will never come across a listing on our site that is not well presented, it can make or break a sale as judgments from the buyer begin as soon as they see the home. Minor changes like potted plants in the entrance, a new coat of paint on the front door, make sure the garage door is clean, and the exterior is fresh and vibrant with new paint and clean-cut grass. Now that is what we call Curb-Appeal.
4. Re-Vitalise the Two Most Important Rooms in Your Home
Now, this might be a surprise to most, but the two most important rooms in your home, when it comes to selling, are the Kitchen and the Bathroom. Every one of our advisors here at Holmz swears by this, and according to Consumers Reports, this can increase your home value by up to 7%. This does not mean throwing thousands and thousands of Rands at these rooms, it means taking up opportunities that these rooms offer to you. For example, in your kitchen, you can make minor changes, such as a new light fixture to brighten the place up, or some new paint, and for the bathrooms, change up the old taps for new ones, make sure that the shower is clean and scrubbed. There is no need to make any major changes to these rooms if the new buyer is going to go ahead and change everything as soon as they buy the property.
5. Know the Type of Person Who Might Buy Your Home
More than often, sellers can forget the type of person that might end up buying their home. For example, if your home is a two-bedroom apartment, ensure that your space is used wisely, as the person who will buy the home is more likely to be a single individual entering the job market, there is nothing worse than a claustrophobic space. If your home is a 4-bedroom house, with a pool and garden, any potential buyer viewing your home either has a family and is looking for a new or bigger home, or this individual is planning on starting a family of their own, by making sure that the garden is well-kept, the pool is crystal clear for presentation days, and that there is a safe play area for toddlers are winners. Of course, this can't be applied to every home or every buyer, but it is a very good starting point when trying to figure out how you can increase the perceived value of your home.
We know that some of the above can sound far fetched, but remember, it's the small things that make the biggest difference, and that difference could be an offer to purchase or a buyer that walks away. At Holmz, we go through a number of steps to squeeze out as much value as possible for our Sellers, and we're sure we can do it for you too, just give us a call!
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