6 Ways to Prepare a Home for Sale When It's Time to Upgrade

Many homeowners mistakenly think that they need to install a brand new kitchen or bathroom before they can sell their home. But when you’re looking to purchase a new home, it isn’t always possible to invest big on your existing home. 

The good news is that you can prepare your home beautifully on a budget too. In this article, we share how to prepare your house for sale with minimum spending and maximum effect.
 
We’ve put together our tips to help you get the best possible price so you’re in a great position for buying your second home. Many of these suggestions are quick fixes that you can do yourself, or can be done by a local handyman for a small cost.

1 Perform simple repairs
If you’re considering buying your second home, you’re probably already thinking about what you want in a new abode. Do you prefer a house that needs major work or a house that you can move right into?
 
Just like you, new home buyers want to do the least amount of work possible after purchase, so look for small repairs with big impact that you can make. You might replace a missing door handle from your walk-in-robe, repair the chipped tiles in the kitchen, or replace a broken side gate. These are the little things that really add up.

2 Do a thorough clean
Just like you, homebuyers are turned off by a place that appears to be dirty, even if they can’t pinpoint exactly which part of the house needs cleaning. But by cleaning a few key areas of your home, you’ll give the property an instant spruce that makes it more attractive to buyers.
 
Cleaning the windows and removing any cobwebs that have accumulated in the corners instantly improves the look of your home. It’s worth getting your carpets professionally cleaned and doing a pressure clean on your roof and façade.

3 Replace old fixtures
Established homes often have dated fixtures that are easy and inexpensive to replace, while making a room feel brand new again. We suggest inspecting some of these fixtures and replacing them for a fresh look:

•  Door knobs
•  Cupboard and closet handles
•  Tapware
•  Light fixtures
•  Lampshades
•  Light switches
•  Power points

4 Declutter 
Some of our best advice on how to sell your own home is to make the house look more spacious. To do this, you’ll need to seriously declutter. It’s time to get rid of the abandoned kids’ toys and clothes that don’t fit anyone anymore. This is also a great opportunity to put clunky furniture into storage to free up your living space.

In addition, it’s a good idea to look for hidden areas of the house to declutter, like the garage, shed and basement. Homebuyers will often take a peek in these spaces, and if they look clean and empty, your house will have the appeal of storage space.

5 Give it a fresh coat of paint
Another timeless piece of advice on how to sell your own home is giving your home a fresh paint job. This has two major benefits.
 
Old paint may be dirty or flaking and makes your home look older than it is. A fresh paint job will instantly make the house look newer, cleaner and much more liveable.
 
The second major advantage to a fresh paint job is the illusion of more space. Some established properties can have interiors painted in quirky colours, which actually make the rooms feel cramped. Neutral tones will make rooms look bigger and help create a blank canvas for potential buyers to imagine living in.

6 Create curb appeal
Most people don’t realise that simply tidying up the garden can add a lot of value to their property. Even if you don’t have the funds for professional landscaping, there’s plenty you can do to improve your front and back yard space.

Make sure your lawn is lush and tidy by using a grass fertiliser. Pull out weeds and vines and touch up the tan bark which has floated away over the years. Don’t forget the front fence, which may need repairs or a new paint job. When it comes down to how to prepare your house for sale, giving the garden some love is an important step.


Summing up: How to prepare your house for sale 

By now you should have a better idea about how to prepare your house for sale without breaking the bank. Simple things like small repairs, garden maintenance and a thorough clean can add thousands of dollars in value on the day.
 
If you’ve looked into how to sell your own home and find it too daunting, an agent can always help you prepare your home for sale. They’ll show you some fast and economical fixes you can make before holding an open home, helping you get the best possible price.