Selling your Rouse Hill home involves more than advertising online and putting up a ‘For Sale’ sign. To attract potential buyers and maximise your selling price, it's essential to present your home in its best possible light and make sure it appeals to the most likely buyers. Here's a comprehensive guide to preparing your Rouse Hill home for sale. 

1. Declutter and organise  

• Less is more: The less clutter buyers can see, the more spacious your home will appear. Start by removing unnecessary items like some furniture, linens and kitchen items and storing them, donating them to a local charity or giving them away. Remember, keen buyers will be imagining themselves living in your home and working out in their heads where their furniture will go.  
• Storage: Use storage like shelves, bins and organisers to keep your belongings neatly arranged. For example, in your bathroom, if you have many items on your vanity counter, find a container to corral them so the top is easier to clean and looks tidy.  
• Clear all surfaces: Ensure all surfaces, including countertops, tables and shelves, are clear of clutter. 

2. Do some basic maintenance

Buyers will open and close doors, drawers and cupboards and look carefully for any small issues they might need to fix before they move in. We know most buyers want ‘move-in ready’ so make sure they don’t find any maintenance issues they shouldn’t.  

• Squeaky doors and sticking drawers: Address any squeaky doors or sticking drawers by lubricating the hinges or tracks. You can use a silicone spray or WD40.  
• Leaky taps: Repair leaky taps to avoid water damage and conserve water.  
• Broken tiles and grimy grout: Replace any broken tiles and clean dirty grout to improve the overall appearance of your home. You might need to regrout some areas. This job can be tedious but it’s worth doing to freshen the look.

3. Deep clean

We might like to think we deep clean each time but when you’ve lived in a home for a while, you often miss areas of your home that buyers will investigate. We suggest pretending you are a buyer, then cleaning everything you might look at. Think about skirting boards, ceiling fans, light fixtures, under the fridge, inside your oven and behind furniture. Remember to clean and tidy drawers and cupboards, even if you have to get hold of some containers or baskets to make everything look neat, clean and spacious. For this type of deep cleaning, it’s often worth hiring a professional cleaning service for a deep and thorough clean.

4. Create kerb appeal

We know most buyers will look online for a property and then drive by before committing to attending an inspection. Your home needs to be appealing from the street so follow our steps to  

• Pressure wash: Pressure wash your home's exterior to remove dirt, grime and mildew.  
• Mulch: Mulch your garden beds to enhance the appearance and retain moisture.  
• Trim bushes and rake any leaves: Keep your landscaping tidy by regularly trimming bushes and raking leaves.  
• Remember your letterbox and lighting: Sagging letterboxes can be a turnoff for buyers. Dim exterior lighting can also make buyers think twice, especially if the lighting is so poor, your house number isn’t visible. Make sure you have adequate lighting, especially over your front door.

5. Repaint

Whether it’s inside or outside or both, a fresh coat of paint can make a significant difference in the overall appeal of your home. Remember that you need to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes so choose neutral colours that will give your home a fresh look.

6. Set the scene

Buyers need to form an emotional connection to your home and to feel they could live there. We know from experience that styling a home can add thousands to the eventual sale price. A professional stylist can help you to present your home in its best light, show buyers what could be done with awkward spaces and add décor pieces. In our local Hills Shire, we find sellers can achieve the best results most cost-effectively by using a stylist for one or two main rooms only. You can look at online videos to get ideas for the rest of your home, even for your outdoor entertaining area.

Hot tip: A home stylist can help you stage your home to appeal to the most likely target market.

7. Get advice from your real estate agent

Our number one tip is: Do not renovate without talking to us first. It’s fun to think of installing a bright new kitchen or bathroom but you won’t get your money back in the sale price. Kitchens especially are personal and your style might not be what buyers want. Let us guide you, especially to help you understand your most likely buyers (families, young couples, downsizers) so your house looks most appealing to the buyer group. We will also help you identify and highlight your home’s best features.

By following these steps and investing time and effort into preparing your Hills home for sale, you can increase its appeal to potential buyers and maximise your selling price. Remember, a well-presented home is more likely to sell quickly and for a higher price.

Thinking of selling or need selling advice in The Hills?

We have buyers looking for homes in Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills, Schofields, Box Hill, Kellyville, North Kellyville and Tallawong. As established real estate agents, we’re here to help. Get in touch today by calling us on 02 8883 0777.