Selling Your Home

Home Sell Preparation Programme

Preparation of your Property Before Selling

Preparing your property before putting it on the market means you are much more likely to attract a higher offer when it is well presented. The following five areas of preparation are worth considering:

  • Declutter and downsize household contents
  • Do any small repairs
  • Clean the inside of the house
  • Tidy the outside area
  • Style and stage the house for ‘Open Home’ days

Home Sell Preparation Programme

Benefit from our experience and expertise – we can assist you by managing and coordinating all or some of the above services through our Home Sell Preparation Programme. 
We start by discussing costs and setting the budget you want, and prioritising which preparations are the most worthwhile for your property and situation. Contact Us for a no-obligation consultation.

“I recently met Anita when a client was about to put her home of many years up for sale. Prior to photography taking place, she engaged Anita to help declutter, sort and clear her home. I know most people will feel uncomfortable with someone assisting with such a personal process of going through the things collected on life’s journey and then deciding what to keep and what can go, but Anita has just the right balance of no-nonsense and compassion! This along with a good dose of humour meant the job got done easily and efficiently. My client was very happy and relieved to have what was perceived as a huge job, sorted in no time.” (Linda Reid, Barfoot & Thompson Real Estate, Auckland 2021)

Selling your Home

The Senior Moving Company has a network of trusted real estate professionals who have specialist expertise in marketing and selling residential property. We work with property owners, families, Power of Attorneys, executors, lawyers, and other professionals as required.

Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements. Email us at [email protected] or call direct on 0800 789 800.

Styling and Staging your House for 'Open Homes'

You may like to ‘stage’ your property for viewing to prospective buyers so that it looks its absolute best! There are a growing number of property sellers now who invest in a professional stylist before putting their home on the market. 

A home stylist will aim to create a consistent, more neutral flow around your home, allowing potential buyers to picture how they might put their own stamp on the place. They will then ‘stage’ your house with more contemporary pieces, possibly including new furniture, rugs, and wall art, as well as on-trend accessories and fresh flowers. 

At the end of the day, it’s the little touches that can make all the difference when you’re looking to get top dollar for your home. And with a bit of love, effort and small improvements like these that needn’t cost a lot, you can potentially add thousands to the selling price.

At the Senior Moving Company, we can arrange the services of an experienced home stylist at your request with your best interests in mind to maximise your gains. We keep you informed every step of the way and discuss choices with you.

Top Tips for Home Sell Preparation

Preparation before you put your property on the market . . .

Clear the clutter and downsize first

If your home has a lot of household contents, decluttering and downsizing the amount of furniture and belongings may take some time, but it is recommended we start here first. 

Gift, sell and donate unwanted/unneeded furniture and items. If necessary, consider putting items that you’re not sure whether you want to keep into our short-term storage facilities until you have moved into your new home. Other things may need to be discarded. Having a tidy, uncluttered house for presentation to the market makes it look more spacious and so much more appealing!

Have small repairs done

There’s nothing worse than a potential buyer looking around your home and seeing lots of fiddly jobs that haven’t been finished. In their head, they’ll be thinking that the house hasn’t been looked after particularly well and that maintenance has been low on your priority list.

Replace cracked windows, make sure closet doors are on their tracks, fix leaky faucets, and clean the grout. Perhaps get a new, fresh coat of paint somewhere.

Take the ‘home’ out of your ‘house’

One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to depersonalise it. The more personal belongings you have around your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Buyers need to see the house, not the household contents! Downsize as much as you possibly can.

The kitchen sells the house

For many buyers, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It’s so important that you get yours looking as good as it can. Find some easy and affordable ways to make your old kitchen look more appealing. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include a fresh lick of paint and replacing cupboard doors. Use neutral-colour paint, so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style.

Make the bathroom sparkle

Homebuyers always love a pristine-looking bathroom, regardless of its style, whether it’s old-fashioned or contemporary looking. Giving the bathroom a thorough clean will pay off – scrubbing the tiles around the shower and bath, re-grouting the corners and edges, using bleach on mould. Don’t overlook fixing leaky taps, or even investing in some new fittings, like a new showerhead or replacing rusty taps.

First impressions count!

You never have a second chance to make a first impression. Buyers have already made their first judgement before they walk through the door. Let’s make it a good one! Spruce up the outside of your property – have your garden tidied, lawns mowed, bushes and trees pruned. Plant some inexpensive shrubs and brightly coloured flowers where they will be seen. Have outside bits and pieces and any rubbish removed. Our specialists at Senior Moving Company can arrange all this for you.

Now the property is on the market . . .

If you’re still living in your home while your house is on the market, here are some top tips to keep it tidy and beautifully presented.

Have your house ‘show-ready’ at all times

You never know when your buyer is going to view the house if you have it available for viewing on any day at short notice. Keep the kitchen and bathroom sparkling clean, and no dust or cobwebs in the corners. This extra effort will help get your house sold! The Senior Moving Company can keep your house clean for you until then.

Light it up!

Maximise the light in your home. Good light is one thing that many buyers want in a home. Draw open the curtains, lift the drapes, open all the doors and let the natural outside light in. Increase the wattage of your light bulbs and get your trees trimmed outside to let the sunshine in. The brighter your house, the cheerier it will feel.

Half-empty closets

Plenty of cupboard space is something every buyer is looking for. A cluttered cupboard and something falling out when you open the door is the last thing you want! Take out half the contents of the closet, then neatly organise what’s still in there. Buyers will almost certainly take a quick look inside, so be sure to keep them clean and tidy.

No pets during open-homes

You may think a cute fluffy cat would warm the heart of potential buyers, but not everybody is a dog- or cat-lover. Keep your home free of pet hair, remove the litter box, and open a few windows. Take the pet dog away with you during open homes.

Contact Us for a free, no-obligation consultation today!

Other Services We Offer

Are you making changes to your living situation?

If you are a senior looking to move somewhere for your golden years, then we would love to be there for you. We know how to make the whole process easier without putting any undue pressure on you. To learn more, get in touch with our team at Senior Moving Company today!