Welcome to Independent Property Centre

PREPARING YOUR HOME

We live in our homes in one way, we market them in another. Just as builders have long recognised that a finished, clean and uncluttered display home enhances its value, properly preparing your home for sale will give it that competitive edge.

Some hard work and expense may be involved in preparing your home for sale, but could assist in a quicker and better result. Remember you are in control of the marketability of your property.

Buyers are impressed if every area of the property and every room is clean and tidy. So it is worth investing in a thorough clean of the screens, windows, floor coverings and interior of all the rooms.

Your property will appear larger and more spacious if you remove all clutter and unneeded items. This can include clearing surfaces and the inside of wardrobes as well as a tidying up and pruning in the garden. All these things will increase the selling value of your home.

Whether your are still in the planning stages or have already listed your property, we think that the following information and checklist will be useful for you.

OUTSIDE
First impressions are crucial and an inviting exterior ensures inspection of the interior. It is a good exercise to walk past your home from the opposite side of the street. Stop and take a look at the kind of view that a buyer would have as a first impression. Some things to note:

Driveway	repair cracks remove weeds or oil clear obstructions.
Paths	clear and weed, clean surfaces.
Lawns	Watered, mown and neatly trimmed at edges.
Garden	garden beds neat and weeded, some flowers for colour.
Shrubs and trees	trimmed and not overhanging.
Letterbox	replace/repair damage, check numbers are clear.
Guttering	free of rust and leaks, clean out if necessary.
Fencing	Sound and in good repair.
The yard	free of rubbish and garden clutter.
Sheds	replace/repair damaged cladding, remove all unnecessary items.
Garage	check doors/openers work properly, remove unnecessary items.
Outside lighting	check that it works, replace missing globes.
House exterior	repair damaged areas, repaint where necessary.
Windows	replace/repair broken frames check sashes and locks.
Fly screens	repair torn damaged screens repair damaged frames.
Roof	free of rust/broken tiles. Repaint if necessary.
Decks/verandas	repair/replace damaged rails and rotted timber.
Under the house	remove clutter, keep surfboards, bikes etc tidy.

INSIDE
A light, spacious and well aired feel is important for the impression of the interior of the home. Some judiciously placed bowls of pot pourri or an oil burner can help. Keeping blinds and curtains open and windows clean is important. Also:

Plumbing	repair/replace damaged or leaking taps.
	make sure toilet cisterns are not faulty.
Doors	repair if sticking, repair loose knobs.
Electrical switches/power points.	repair if damaged
Floors	repair/replace damaged tiles or timber.
Carpets	replace worn areas. Clean spots and stains.
Ceilings	repair flaking or cracks paints if necessary.
Walls	repair holes or damaged areas repaint if necessary.
Hallways	check lighting adequate, remove obstructions.
Stairs	repair/replace damaged or worn areas.
Wardrobes/cupboards	repair /paint doors where needed.
	tidy and remove unnecessary items.
Windows	repair replace glass or frames if broken.
Lights	repair/replace wiring or bulbs clean shades.
Curtains/blinds	repair /replace faulty hardware.
	dry-clean or wash.
Ceiling fans	check for working order, clean.
Heaters/gas or wood fires	check for working order, clean.
Appliances included in the sale	check water heater, stove etc in good working order.
Kitchen	remove clutter, clean appliances.
Bathrooms	clean and coordinate towels.
	repair mirror is corroded, clean frequently.
Spare rooms	remove unneccessary articles, tidy up.

A WORD ABOUT INSECTS

The impression of your home to a buyer is enhanced if it is free of cobwebs,ants, cockroaches, and other insects. A pest treatment is money well spent at this time. We can advise you on Pest Companies whose fumigations are effective and environmentally friendly.

IF YOUR PROPERTY IS RENTED

If your property is occupied by tenants it is just as important that it presents well to buyers. Our property management staff are happy to inspect the property and advise you about the need for any of the above points to be attended to.