Sprucing up for spring with Laing + Simmons
Remember that time a global pandemic boosted demand for regional properties? Metropolitan folks seized the opportunity to work from home and, as a result, started thinking long and hard about their office view. Ultimately, many made the call to switch skyscrapers for gum trees and – boom – the value of our beautiful regional abodes soared.
One year on, the Domain House Price Report has revealed those lifted prices are here to stay – to a certain extent at least.
With many regional council areas recording double-digit growth, namely Glen Innes Severn Shire (jumping 30.8 per cent), Armidale Regional Council (jumping 29.6 per cent) and the Upper Hunter (jumping 22 per cent), now’s the time for sellers to get the most bang for their buck.
With that in mind, FOUND Regional spoke to Laing + Simmons’ Principal Lachie Sewell about how to prepare your house for sale as spring – the ideal season for selling – approaches.
First impressions count
I’ll begin by saying first impressions count – and when it comes to houses, that means your front garden and exterior. Keep your hedging neat, flower beds overflowing and any front fencing in good shape. It’s also important to check if any trims, gutters and fascias need a quick facelift – a coat of paint can work wonders here.
Take an impartial look at your doors and windows
The same goes for the front door – perhaps a fresh coat of paint will do, or consider replacing it entirely if damaged. Be sure to check for cracked or broken windows too. We’re going for happy, clean, welcoming kerb appeal here and the more objections we can remove from buyers, the better sale price we’ll be able to achieve.
Declutter… but not too much!
Once inside, we want houses to be as light, bright and decluttered as possible. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to remove all personal items though – that tends to be done in the city, but isn’t as important in regional locations. After all, you’ve got to live in the house as well, and in fact, it can help to create a connection between the property and the potential buyer. If you’ve got kids who go to a certain school, play a particular sport, are into cars, motorbikes or horses, they’re good conversation starters between the buyer and the agent and can immediately help the buyer feel more comfortable. It gets them talking, helps them relate to the space and triggers those homely feelings. When people feel better in the property, they’re more likely to be emotionally engaged – and when they’re more emotionally engaged, they’re likely to pay a higher price.
Clean those windows, and move the pets out
Other things that help boost that connection are keeping windows clean to highlight views and aspects, keeping any pets out of the open home (sadly not everyone’s a fan of cats and dogs!) and keeping key areas like the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms neat and clean.
Create the right mood
On the agent side, we always take candles to open homes and have music playing – the reason being we want buyers to feel comfortable to talk without others hearing. These details also help create that good feeling throughout the open home and inspection.
Ready to sell?
You can find Lachie and the rest of the Laing + Simmons team at 120 Dangar Street, Armidale.