Eye for Design
By Lorette Mawson
http://www.DecorateWithLorette.com
Depending on your situation, getting your home ready for the buyers’ market can be a daunting task. The job can range from small touches to quite a makeover.
To begin the process of selling your home, I suggest starting at the point where a potential buyer drives in your laneway. For me, the front door has to be your focal point drawing buyers in. I suggest painting your door an eye-catching but pleasing colour. Also, if the hardware on your door is outdated, you should consider changing it.
My next step would be to take a walk around the property and fix anything broken, such as railings, fences, laneway cracks, peeling paint, etc.
As we approach the indoors, the most important steps are to clean and declutter. Put away seasonal items such as decor and clothing; you may have to rent storage or find a friend who will lend you a spare room.
Next fix anything broken inside, including taps, lights and railings. Outdated items such as cupboards can be transformed with some paint and new hardware. When giving your walls a fresh coat of paint, keep the colour fairly neutral to appeal to more buyers. Colour can be added through art and accessories.
Window treatments that are outdated can be replaced inexpensively with a bamboo or vinyl blind, making it clean and simple.
You may also want to store some of your furniture pieces if your rooms are too cluttered. Sometimes moving items to another room or changing an item’s colour or hardware can give a new perspective.
Try to make the sprucing up experience enjoyable by having a painting party; inviting friends to help seems to make things like less work.
A home stager may help, although I find the television shows on home staging a little unrealistic; after all, people still have to live in these homes while selling them, and with busy lives, children and jobs, the showcase look can be hard to maintain.
Once you get your updating done, the key is to try keep it as clean and clutter-free as you can, and hopefully the right buyer will walk through that eye-catching front door.