Preparing Your Home For Sale In September!

Where does the time go?  Can’t believe we’re coming to the end of August already!  After a long, hot summer and being inundated with family and friends taking advantage of your home in the sun, you need to start thinking about preparing your property for the September buyers ahead.

Here are 5 quick tips to have your home ready to show prospective buyers this September:

1.CURB APPEAL:  Before you’re ready to lock up and leave your holiday home, take a look around at the entrance of your home from the road.  First impressions count, so make sure when the buyer visits your property, they remember it for all of the good features and not the thick, overgrown Bougainvillea that they have to charge their way through whilst acting like Antonio Banderas in Zorro!  Yes they may feel like they’ve accomplished something great once they make it to your front door, but that’s not exactly the feeling you’re looking for!  Trim back any and all overgrown greenery.  You know as long as it has water, everything grows super fast here!

2.SHUTTERS:  Do they all work?  It’s a great idea to check on your window shutters and blinds, to make sure they all work properly.  No-one wants to walk into a dark room when they’re looking at the property for the first time.  All blinds should be, “arriba, arriba, arriba!” (Up, up, up!) when showing a home.  Bright and airy wins!

3.SWIMMING POOLS:  If you have a private pool, you need to make sure the water remains as inviting as possible, but more importantly, crystal clear!  If you are not living in your home permanently, then employ a pool cleaner to make sure it’s always looking its best.  If a buyer’s dream is to own a property with a pool, the last thing they want to see is one covered up, or even worse… green!

4.GARDEN FURNITURE:  Everyone understands that you have to place your garden furniture somewhere when you leave.  For some of you, leaving it outside is just not an option.  However, think carefully where you could store the extra furniture when you’re not here.  First thing is to check how easy it would be, to remove the legs off the garden table.  That way, you can easily slide the dismantled table under a bed, or even behind a unit.  Many people have difficulty in seeing past the extra pieces of furniture, and just can’t visualise the true size of the room.  You need to create the feeling of welcoming space, not make it look like you’re trying to keep buyers out!

5.PRICE:  If you’ve been on the market for quite some time without any offers, now would be a great time to speak with your Real Estate Agent at a possible price reduction before you leave.

So now your home is ready to show those September buyers, as it will be saying “mi casa, es su casa” instead of, “enter at your own risk amigo!”

Selling your home?  Enjoy the journey!

For more tips on selling your home, head to http://www.80ThingsReport.com for my “80 things not to neglect when selling your home,” report.