It may be the middle of winter but now is the time to kick into gear if you are thinking of selling your Mosman property when the weather starts to warm up again.
Having a few months of lead time before you officially put up the ‘For Sale’ sign means you will feel calmer and more in control, plus you will be able to put your ‘best home forward’ to the market.
Take a look at what you should be doing in July and August if you want a sale before the end of the October school holidays.
Choose your agent
Invite at least three agents to give an appraisal of your home and let you know what they expect it could sell for. They should be able to give you a figure based on this year’s market conditions.
Mosman has had a fairly good start to 2019 in comparison to the rest of the market. Strong prices are expected to continue but if one agent gives a figure outrageously higher than the others, make sure they can back their claim up with facts and current statistics.
When you choose an agent, talk to them about the work that needs to be done on your home before presenting it to the market. Ideally, they will have several tradespeople and property styling contacts and can even help facilitate the jobs with some project management.
Declutter and clean
When you open it to the market, your Mosman property needs to be ‘spring clean’ so July and August are the months to make a head-start.
Begin with a ‘deep clean’ and get a team to come in for a total blitz of your home. If possible, hire someone to pressure wash your driveway and the front of your home so it looks good as new.
Decluttering can be an emotional process, particularly if you have lived in your house for a long time. Hiring help is an excellent way to have a facilitator who knows which questions to ask, can identify items of value and will gently break your emotional ties with the items that really do need to go.
You don’t have to get rid of everything but the less your place suggests your presence, the better. Putting excess furniture and personal items into storage will create a more spacious and presentable property for those spring inspections.
Repair, upgrade and update
Ahead of your spring sale, it is time to fix those outstanding jobs and give your home an interior facelift.
Fresh paint is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to update a Mosman property, both inside and out.
Your agent will let you know if refreshing your kitchen and bathroom will add value to the final sale price. Unless they are in a terrible state, the changes should only be cosmetic, and therefore quite affordable.
Small touches like new door handles, security locks on the windows (if you don’t already have them) and contemporary light fittings will add to a buyer’s first impression and enhance the move-right-in factor. Again, speak to your agent about what they would recommend.
Book a property stylist
Your property stylist will add or remove furniture to make your buyers fall instantly in love from the moment they see your home online.
Their job needs to be completed by the time the photos are taken so now is the time to call them for a consultation.
Having your property styled can add up to ten per cent (sometimes even more) to the value of your home as it makes it more appealing, thus creating competition between interested parties. Having a stylist also gives buyers an idea of what your property looks like at its absolute best; optimised for space and styled for contemporary living.
Don’t forget the garden and front yard
Lifestyle is a huge selling factor for Mosman so don’t forget to create an enviable outdoor area with space for entertaining and relaxing. Walk up to your property from the footpath and check if anything stands out as needing a repair. Again, a small investment in some paint or to fix a wobbly front gate can really pay off.
Now is also the time to book a gardening company to come and give an inspection and quote. They can come a week or so prior to your open home and get your outdoor space looking its most presentable.
By making a start on your spring home sale now, you’ll be able to present a beautiful Mosman property to the market of motivated spring buyers.
