How to give your home sell appeal

Top tips for selling your home

It’s been your home sweet home for years, but it’s time to move on. And unless you are related to Neil Whitaker, you’ll probably need to give your place a bit (or a lot) of a makeover. Some things are obvious, but there is a lot going on inside the head of a potential purchaser when they are viewing your home and you want to ensure the best reaction possible. 

Below is a checklist of things to consider prior to listing your property which will increase your chances of a successful sale;

• Declutter 
• Clean
• Refresh
• Bring out the Bloom
• Sensory Appeal

Over the next few weeks we are going to delve deeper into these key areas, to help you consider all factors when preparing your home for the best possible sales outcome. Watch this space.....

Botanical healing

Peace out with a green interior

Plants bring life and beauty to any space, so bring them into your new place. If you are lucky enough to have a balcony, vertical gardens and potted plants create a garden you can take with you when you leave. 

Invest in a plant stand to bring nature indoors and put herbs on the kitchen bench or windowsill to add colour and to bring flavour to all of your meals. 

Ideal indoor plants include African violets, cyclamens, orchids, various ferns, Bromeliads, peace lilies and anthuriums. These will not only create colour but they also serve to purify the air you breathe.

Green is Good: you will feel relaxed and invigorated at home with plant life around

Create indoor outdoor spaces: you will love your new look balcony when you add green!

Don't be left floored by your rental property

Flooring plays a big role in the look of your home

If the carpet in your rental home leaves a lot to be desired, unless you are in a short lease situation, you should consider other options. The landlord may welcome a positive change such as lifting and removing carpet if there are decent floorboards underneath. Where carpet must remain and if money permits, purchase a rug from Ikea, Freedom, etc. to cover the ugly carpet as much as possible. Floating flooring is also an option, which you can place over the top of the existing flooring. Chipped bathroom floor tiles can be concealed with a bathmat and durable polyurethane mats can be used to cover unattractive kitchen tiles. 

Flooring: floors can really change a space, so make sure your floor looks the part!

Another quick fix for aesthetic improvement is curtains

As mentioned in a previous post (Think Before You Act!) your home’s curtains may not be to you taste, so seek approval to take them down and either discard or store them. Shower curtains are a must to change as they can be unhygienic. Homeware and specialty stores have a range of standard sized roman, venetian blinds and bathroom curtains which can do the trick and allow you to take with you when you leave as they are standard fittings. Just re-iterating you must keep the original curtains to put back up when you leave.

Curtains: you can’t beat plain white curtains for a living space but why not go crazy for fun and colour in the bathroom and kitchen?

Colour me happy!

Colour and accessorise your rental home

If you are lucky enough the walls of your apartment will have been repainted in a light, neutral colour, ideally one of the plethora of whites on trend for this season. If this is not the case and a wall is painted in a colour you hate, if you have a longish lease you should consider repainting as this will make a big difference to your new home. White and off-white create the perfect canvas for accessorising and as a backdrop to any style of furniture or art. They create an enlarged sense of space and brighten a darkish room considerably. If the landlord agrees to repainting, you can source paint at quite competitive prices and if you paint it yourself, it will end up costing far less than you think. 

• However be aware that dark walls will take considerably more paint to cover up. 

• Remember to keep leftover paint for touch ups. 

Now comes the fun part. If you have lots of gorgeous accessories, you’ve just created the perfect backdrop, but if you don’t, go to Ikea, Aldi, Freedom, op-shops, garage sales - wherever is cheap and cheerful - and brighten up you world with cushions, candles and prints and patterns. Don’t forget, anything that isn’t nailed down can be taken with you when you move, so think of it as an investment.

Styling: inexpensive furnishings and soft furnishings from Ikea or your local op-shop can transform a room from drab to fab!

Renters think before you act!

Renters be aware: think before you act and save yourself a lot of time and money!

Before going to an open house get on the front foot and be prepared to plan the space to fit your life. 

Suggest: Take photos and measuring tape! When inspecting a property take photos of the rooms and make sure you measure them so that you can plan how to make the space your own. This will help you recall the setting so you can think about what you have that will fit and where it will go in your new home.

Once you are approved as the successful applicant ask the agent if there is a floorplan for the property they could forward you, otherwise from your measurements and the trusty photos you took, draw up the floorplan and pencil in where your furniture will fit in. Ideally on the day you receive the keys, go into the empty space before you move anything in and consider your options.

Floor plans: sketching out where your furniture will fit in the space is a very clever move; it could save you a lot of time and money, think of paying a removalist to bring your baby grand only to find it won’t fit in the lounge or even down the hall!

Photos: planning ahead with a few photos and a measuring tape can do wonders, need we say more……..

Also remember to consult with your agent if you are going to interfere with the property in any way that will leave a trace, you will need to get approval from the landlord if for example you plan to put in nails for paintings, take down curtains or repaint a room etc. Also anything you remove must be stored somewhere that will not cause any damage to it, as replacement costs  will be taken off your bond unless the landlord has approved permanent removal.

How to make your rental home your castle

You may be renting your property but it’s still your home. Whether on a long or short lease, you will still want it to feel like your place, not temporary accommodation. However there are restrictions on what you can do in terms of structural changes and what is financially worthwhile. Small things can make a big difference.  Unlike homeowners, who can knock down walls and rip up floors to transform a space, renters can’t even put a nail in the wall without the owner‘s permission. Even if you are blessed with the most open-minded landlord, you’re unlikely to want to spend any significant time or money on a property that’s not your own, or on anything that you can’t take with you when your leave. The solution? Think inexpensive, reversible and portable and you’ll be ready to transform even the most drab rental house into a home.

Portable: use portable work spaces and storage for apartments where space is an issue, these trolleys can be fixed to one spot or moved to make more space for entertaining

Reversible: why not personalise your walls with removable adhesives, this gives a sense of your own personality and style which can easily be removed without taking the paint work with you when you leave

Inexpensive: styling your home need not be expensive, why not recycle, reuse or repurpose your old items into something new and unique, and amaze your friends with your creativity and ingenuity

Get your craft on!

How to be festive around your home this season on a budget 

With the festive season already upon us many people are feeling the pressure to buy gifts, gourmet food and decorate your home with style. This year don’t spend too much money on decorations, instead save loads and make them yourself! Craft can be done by any willing participant and it is like meditation so it is good for your soul. Plus it is a very rewarding exercise that you can share with the whole family; there is nothing better than admiring your handiwork once you finish something tangible and hopefully beautiful.

Why not try these amazing and oh so easy DIY ideas for your home and get your craft on! Warning this may be messy but its going to be worth it…

IDEA 1: The Advent Calendar

Materials: old frame; spray paint (silver or gold); paper and texta for date tags; ceramic ornaments/tree decorations, tacs & ribbon

Get your craft on: stick old newspaper inside the frame then spray paint the frame; remove the newspaper and affix the date tags using tacs; tie ribbon through the decorations and around the tac to hang them

IDEA 2: Wreath

Materials: wooden hoop from Spotlight, ribbons or fabric swatches

Get your craft on: tie ribbons or fabric swatches onto the wreath until there is sufficient to please the eye

IDEA 3: The Golden Acorn

Materials: newspaper, acorns and spray paint (note: use the same paint from the advent calendar), ribbon

Get your craft on: lay down the newspaper, take your acorn and apply spray paint to one side then rotate doing the same on the otherside, then tie a ribbon to the base and add to a shallow glass vase to show off your creations

IDEA 4: Candy Cane vase

Materials: lots of candy canes, glass jars or vases, cotton wool, Christmas stickers or ornaments, blutack

Get your craft on: hang the candy canes over the glass or vase, place cotton wool in the centre, add the stickers to the front of the glass or blutack a Christmas ornament to the front instead

IDEA 5: Homemade cards

Materials: newsagent card (your choice of colour); scissors, glue, decorations, glitter, pens, textas, ribbons anything that takes your fancy

Get your craft on: fold the board into the card shape and tear using a ruler (this gives a better line than cutting with scissors), then the world is your oyster get creative – stick Christmas paper and ribbon on in festive shapes, draw a snowman or candy and decorate with glitter and paper cut outs, or use colour and be abstract, there is no limit here

      

Season Greetings to you and your family from the Cramer family!