Portraying your home in a positive light when selling

EVERY year around 500,000 houses are sold in Australia, the Reserve Bank of Australia estimates.

You can be sure that several of these properties have their own unique quirks that may not be to the liking of some buyers. And yet they still sell. says Ray White.

Perhaps this is because buyers aren’t picky, but it’s more likely a result of the work done by the seller and their agent to present the property in the right way.

We have a look at how you can portray your home’s quirks in a positive light when selling.

Australia is massive – it’s area clocks in at almost 8,000 sq/km. Understandably there’s countless homes here in far flung areas, up winding driveways, down long country roads.

Taking time to increase your home’s street appeal could be the key to turning your home’s seclusion into a positive.

There are more pets than people in Australia, 26 million, according to the RSPCA’s estimates.

While we might be an animal loving nation, home buyers are often cautious when they see any signs of pets having lived in a home.

Simply drop Mittens off at the kennel or a friend’s house while you’re hosting open homes and do your best to repair any pet-related damage you can see.

Is your home a little long in the tooth? If your interior’s dated, it doesn’t mean the end of the world when it comes time to sell. In fact, by staging your property you could turn ‘ancient’ into ‘charming’, and ‘outdated’ into ‘quaint’.

About 96 per cent of respondents in a National Association of Realtors survey said that staging either ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ has an affect on a buyer’s view of the property.

So if you’re a little worried about your interior, hiring a professional stager to fix it up could solve your problems.

Homebuyers love storage. Every cupboard is peered inside and imagined as a place to keep extra things – old photo albums, a second set of cutlery, unused Christmas gifts from second cousins or extra linen.

If your home’s light on storage, a little creative thinking could help to downplay that fact.

If your cupboards are overfilled, consider moving some of your things out of your home during the sale.

Your home’s small outdoor area can be a draw for buyers if you take a little care when presenting it. Remove clutter like garden hoses, child’s toys, gardening equipment and you’ll make it appear larger.

Then focus on giving your mini-garden as much character as possible, by adding tasteful plantings, outdoor seating, perhaps a hanging garden or even a sun-shade.

Your property’s little quirks shouldn’t affect your sale.

Take a little time to frame them in the right away and buyers and will appreciate the difference.