How do you prepare a house for sale?

It's a good idea to de-clutter a house so that potential buyers can look past your own belongings to see the potential and not be put off my too many personal effects or mess. Sometimes too much clutter can make a house feel smaller than it is or lacking in storage. If you're not sure on what needs to go away a good friend or even the estate agent will advise you. It's also a good idea to cover over any easily fixed cosmetic flaws too. So a good weed of the garden, a Spring clean and some poly filling and painting of the cracks can help. Unless your house is just not selling, I'd not be investing in 'staging' a house so would leave furnishings and decor largely as they are. Buyers typically look for the potential of a house and would put their own design stamp on this. That said occasionally in a cluttered house you may want to remove a few surplus items of furniture to improve the look and flow of the house. Finally, candles and fresh flowers in the house can improve the aesthetic appeal so I would consider some subtle touches here and there.

by helenonthesofa

Clean, tidy and de cluttering are key. I think it's also important to pay attention to the outside front of the house too. It's often overlooked while people focus on the inside, however it will be the first thing your buyer sees and a good first impression is important.

by Claire Winlow

There are many factors that come into play. Maybe your home needs some improvements. Some cleaning. You'd need to research the area, and organise an independent valuation. I have covered a lot of ground here:

http://homegenius.com.au/top-tips-for-selling-your-home/

I even sold a house in the US recently, and despite the distance - all was seamless. Good luck.

by Justine Crowley

Unless you have a bit of experience with staging your home for sale, I think it's a good idea to hire someone to do it. If the home is well prepared, you are likely to get a better price. Light and Dark Designs (lightanddarkdesigns.com.au) can refresh your interior and give it that wow factor.

by Ivana Katz

Besides doing the normal things - like preparing the house for inspection, I heard that cooking onions, or baking bread, leaves viewers with a good memory of your home and a higher chance of buying it!

by chipp

Make sure the kids are staying with Grandma for the previous week.

by grann

We had to get a stylist in (to make us look like grown ups) and put a tonne of stuff in storage (to declutter). It's the pits!

by Lydia C. Lee