House Sale

Guide to a Smooth House Sale

The average time it takes to sell a house in Australia is between 66 to 77 days. Selling a house could be a frustrating and stressful experience. You’ve done all your planning, but with every passing day, you get more and more anxious to welcome that perfect buyer. Here are some tips that can help you get started in getting that smooth sale:

Get a reliable property solicitor

A reliable property solicitor in Townsville can help you with closing complex sale processes smoothly. Make sure that you get a dependable solicitor or conveyancer who can give you the time and dedication to guide and help you with all the necessary documents.

Make your house sale-ready

First impressions last. It is important that you make your property ready to make that great first impression when potential buyers start arriving. This includes making simple repairs and smart updates such as improving your curb appeal, touching up paint, and staging your furniture. It is also important to depersonalise your house. That means that you have to remove family photos and collectables, which could make it hard for prospective buyers to imagine the house becoming theirs.

Another important tip is to fill your house with a single-note organic smell. No matter how scent-free our homes seem to us, someone walking in can instantly smell something — whether it is last night’s dish or just your old carpet.

You have to get rid of things that could turn off your potential buyers, like bad odours from drains and old furniture. Avoid scented spray masks because they can create complicated and unpleasant effects to your buyers. A research by Eric Spangenberg, dean of the College of Business at Washington State University, shows that complex smells, even those of potpourri, may result in lower sales. Freshen up the air instead by washing all covers and drapes, cleaning the carpets, storing old shoes properly, and washing any pet bedding.

Then fill the room with a simple, organic smell. The same research says that simple smells can help sell houses. Lemon, pine, vanilla, or cinnamon smells fall under this bracket. They smell familiar and are not overbearing.

Set a selling price

Get an accurate and realistic idea by doing research on how much you can sell your house for in your area. There are two ways to get an idea of your property’s value and how you can set a selling a price:

  1. Valuation websites and valuation experts. There are many websites that can offer online valuation of your house. All you have to do is to input your address, number of rooms and bathrooms, etc. to get a valuation. You can also check recent prices on similar properties online. If you prefer to work with an actual person, there are valuers who can visit your property and give you an assessment based on a range of factors.
  2. Real estate agent appraisals. Request a no-obligation valuation of your house from at least three real estate agents. Combining your knowledge from your own research with that of the agent’s current market analysis, you can get a realistic idea of how much you can sell your house for.

Market using good photography

Advertise your property using traditional and digital marketing. For Internet listings, photography matters. In today’s digital world, having quality and professional property photos trumps everything else. It is worth investing in a good real estate photographer who can help stage and capture your house at its best. In fact, studies have shown that 98% of potential buyers said that photos were the most useful tools in deciding whether to consider a property or not.

As an owner, you have the most important role in the house selling process. The suggestions mentioned above will help you get started on the process and get that closed sale more successfully.

The Author

Scroll to Top