When you decide to put your dwelling for sale, take a step back and look at your property through the eyes of a prospective buyer.  Buyers generally make up their mind within the first 30 seconds of the inspection of whether or not a dwelling is suitable for them.  Take a walk around the house, go to the other side of the street and have a look at your property as if you are the potential buyer.  The absolute first impression is the street appeal.  Here are some tips to make a good first impression from the exterior of the dwelling:

Impressions from Outside

»»  Yard clutter

Try to get rid of excess building material, car parts and toys or arrange to have them stored.  Prior to putting your dwelling on the market, it is an ideal opportunity to have a grand garage sale.  As a general rule, if you have not used items for the past 6 months to a year, chances are you will not be using them in the future. Learn to let go and get rid of all extras!

»»  Landscaping

Your property should have at least an average amount of landscaping in comparison to the rest of your neighbourhood.  If not, perhaps invest in some basic flowers and shrubs to give at least the front yard a decent look.  Remember that seedlings and small shrubs will not give our landscaping an established image.  Try to keep the lawn mowed and weeding done as often as possible.    

»»  Trees and shrubs.  

Expose your home by trimming trees and shrubs.  Make your home visible from the street, rather than hidden behind a jungle.

If you have brick walls and the bricks are an older style or have cracks in them, consider rendering the exterior walls.  A cheaper alternative is to have a house washing done either professionally, or by high pressure washing it yourself.

If you decide to paint, do not just choose your personal favourite colours, but rather choose colours that would also appeal to a majority of prospective buyers.  Do not forget, you are preparing your property to sell and not to live in.

»»  Gutters

Clean and repair gutters.  Rusty or uncleaned gutters turn off potential buyers.  Experienced home buyers may ignore things like bent gutters and unpainted down pipes, but these things jump right out at some first time home buyers.  Giving gutters a coat of paint will give a fresh look to the dwelling.

»»  Windows

Clean, bright windows reflect more light and give a better impression of a maintained, well-cared for dwelling.

Once the street appeal has been taken care of, you will need to work on the first impression from the moment the door is opened to the inside of your dwelling.

Impressions from Inside

»»  Individual Rooms

The main entry or hallway into your home is the first impression into the insides of your dwelling.  Clean, polish or paint the front door.  Make sure the entrance light and the door bill are in working order.  If the main carpets need attention, arrange for carpet cleaners or perhaps invest in new flooring.

The bedrooms and living areas are where most of the clutter accumulates over the years.  most of us get emotionally attached to our belongings and do not see it as clutter.  What you need to do is de-personalize your home.  Put away most of the family pictures, trophies and souvenirs and let the prospective buyer feel at home -- as if it would be their home.  Buyers like large living areas.  Light coloured furniture and walls make the room look larger.  

In bedrooms, arrange the beds in a way that will make the room look bigger.  Again, remove as much excess furniture and clutter to help maintain an ambience of cleanliness and roominess.

»»  Internal Painting

A fresh coat of paint goes a long way.  This is a very small investment that brings a great increase in the value of your dwelling.  Make sure to choose colours that suit the style of your home and could appeal to majority of people rather than just a selective minority of people.

»»  Making Repairs

Make sure to do the major repairs where necessary.  Such as holes in the walls, leaking taps, broken screens, etc.  Things like renovating your bathrooms and kitchen are a very large expense and may not be to your benefit.  Make sure to assess your situation and see what is to your benefit to do and what is better to be left untouched.

»»  Professional Cleaning

This is a good chance to get those carpets, blinds and  upholstery steam cleaned.  If you have hardwood floors, polish them up along with polishing all other wood in your home.  If you fear you may not be able to keep your house looking neat and clean with a family full of kids and pets, try to spend a much time outside the home as possible.  Do not go out of your way though in creating an unreal home.

»»  Creating a Mood

Some people like to add little touches to appeal to the senses, such as fresh flowers or soft music in the background.  Others will take the atmosphere of their dwelling even further by investing in books and working at creating positive energy in the home, like  feng shui.  Whatever you do, make sure that you do not cook cabbage or fish the day of or prior to your dwelling being put for sale or open house.  Make sure the rubbish is thrown out, and pets are out of the way.  Keep exposed knick-knacks and valuables at a minimal to appear less cluttered and pose less of security issues.

Advertising your dwelling

There are two main effective methods of advertising: Local newspapers and on the internet.  dwelling.com.au provides online advertising for your property.  

More on selling your own property