Start with a garage sale and a trip to the tip. Besides clearing
the place of unsightly objects, the space will actually look bigger.
Sell or move excess furniture to give rooms an uncluttered look. For
walk-in-wardrobes and built-in-cupboards, transfer excess contents
to removable furniture such as dressers. That way the prospective
buyer can imagine where their own belongings will fit.
Then begin an "Australian defence
force clean." By this standard an Army officer checks all surfaces with
a white glove, even in the oven! When you've finished you will be amazed
at how new the fittings and paintwork look.
Throw out or replace dingy
rugs and tattered curtains. Get acceptable curtains dry cleaned. Get your
carpets cleaned. Wax wooden floors. Hire someone to spray clean the outside
of your house, or do it with ladders and a good scrub.
A new coat of cheery paint goes a long way in selling your house from
the street. Neutral colours such as beige though work best at brightening
dingy interiors. More Paint to Sell ideas
Water the lawn and apply
a small amount of fertilizer. It should soon look enticingly green. Then
weed and regularly mow lawns. Plant a colourful bed of annuals if this fits
in your timeframe. Give shrubs a prune.
Consider most of all what
small ways you can increase street appeal. How your house looks to a passer
buy is one of the most important factors behind a quick sale. Prune branches
of trees that obscure a nice view. Leave them if they screen your neighbour's
dead cars!
