Household Hints

If you have ever bought a house yourself, you will know that the impression gained early on in the inspection is vital, so bearing that in mind, think PRESENTATION

Outside
  • Keep the grass mown and the edges trimmed.
  • This will be a prospective buyer's first impression of your home. Make it a good one.
  • Clean and or weed the driveway and if possible keep it clear of leaves.
  • Weed and tidy the garden beds.
  • Wash/waterblast all external walls, fences, decks and all exterior windows. Western and southern areas of your home can accumulate green moss and decks can become slimy. Prospective buyers may consider the house damp unfairly.
  • Get on the roof and make sure all gutterings are clear of debris.
  • Tidy and clean the garage and any shed on the property
  • Get rid of any clutter around the entry (or wherever people tend to leave their shoes). Remember the first good impression.

Inside

  • Do a spring clean to start with. Clear out clutter from the spare rooms etc, if clearing away clutter is not possible because the room is your office for instance, then tidy it like it has never been tidied before!
  • Give the walls a once over, grubby hand marks may be a fact of life but they are some of the worst offenders in taking the edge off an otherwise attractive home.
  • Shampoo the carpets. You will be surprised at how much more 'life' they have after an extra good cleaning and the brighter everything is the better for selling. Shampooing is also an excellent way to get rid of unwanted odours.
  • The service areas in your home (kitchen, bathroom and toilet in particular) are the most important. Clean, tidy cupboards and pantry will make your kitchen look roomier to buyers. If the kitchen is starting to look a little shabby, there's a lot you can do to make it look newer.

Kitchen
  • Make the sink and taps shine, there are plenty of suitable cleaners around.
  • Polish the counter tops with a suitable furniture polish, this will have the advantage of making the room smell nice.
  • If the floor is of a high gloss type, make it shine.
  • Clean down all cupboard doors.
  • Polish the refrigerator, dishwasher etc. Car polish is good.
  • Clean the oven thoroughly and keep it that way. Stop using it if possible.
  • Polish the stove top.
  • Do not forget the small appliances such as the kettle or toaster,
    a smeary stainless steel kettle does not make a good impression.
  • Some people advocate having coffee percolating on the stove top, or
    something baking in the oven (for the aroma).

Bathroom & Toilet
  • Bathrooms should sparkle and be well ventilated.
  • Remove any mould in silicone sealant and grouting and if possible repair cracked or damaged tiles.
  • Make the taps, vanity unit, bath and shower all look as new as possible. If your vanity top is an imitation marble type, car polish will make it shine like new.
  • Polish the toilet seat and cistern also.

Laundry
  • This is often the dingiest room in the house. If yours looks badly neglected splash out and try a fresh coat of paint.
  • Get rid of any clutter in it, make the tub look as new as possible and give your washing machine and freezer (if you have one) a little attention too.

The Kid's Bedrooms
  • Everybody understands that kids are messy, but it is important to make sure that there are no toys scattered around the floor.
  • Have the beds made nicely and the rooms free from any clutter.
  • Also tidy the wardrobes, buyers might want to investigate them.

Living Room
  • Tidy away the clutter.
  • Make sure drapes and curtains hang properly.
  • Get rid of any scruffy looking pot plants, if necessary buy new ones. Plants need to look like your living room is the best place for them.

General
  • Open the windows, the brighter the room the better, so leave blinds and curtains open.
  • Clean the windows and insect screen to let more light in.
  • IIf you have doors leading to outside entertaining areas, decks, courtyards, patios etc, these should be open before would-be buyers arrive and these areas should look as if you use them even if you never actually do.
    You will be surprised how much bigger these open doors will make the room look and feel.
  • Strategically placed pot plants around your entertaining area look particularly good.
  • Flowers always set the scene, you put out flowers for visitors. A prospective buyer is a very important visitor.
  • If the day is dull, turn on all of the lights in the house, the last thing buyers want is a dark home.

Telephone me: 09-478-3415 bus, 0274-965-429 mob