How to 'Make Nice'.

Thinking of selling, or just signed a mandate to sell... and now you are left with the daunting task of prepping your house for photography and ultimately a sale. We chatted to our in house stylist and professional de-clutterer (yes, it is a thing!), Helen Michaletos, to gather some top tips on how to, as she likes to call it, 'make nice'.

The top tip to keep in the front of your mind: less is best.

First impressions.

Don’t forget to spruce up your home’s curb appeal when preparing your home. After all, the outside of the home is the first thing potential buyers will see when they pull up for a showing. Make sure that the grass is cut, the garden is landscaped, and the Knick knacks are gone (think: gnomes and children’s toys).

Depersonalize your home.

Your house needs to be both warm and welcoming as well as depersonalized, appear to be lived in but neutral.

This means putting away personal items, photo albums, magazines, toys, awards, and equipment.

When potential buyers are looking for a home, they want to visualize and imagine themselves in the space. Creating neutral spaces by packing away or removing clutter to create a clear ,clean space.

Pack the items you really want to keep and organize into nice boxes or plastic tubs and store them in the garage until you are ready to deal with them.

Get started by making a quick sweep of your whole house, pulling out the obvious clutter. This includes items going to the trash or recycling, things you have been meaning to return to other people, and other things you know you want to be rid of.

Kitchen.

You’re not actually selling your house; you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodelling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back.

It may be a few thousand rands to replace countertops where a buyer may knock a big chunk off the asking price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware.

Use a neutral-colour paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style. If you have a little money to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance.

Why one? Because when people see one high-end appliance, they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates the kitchen.

Clear the counter spaces from all odds and end leaving the tops clear and almost Zen, less is more.

Bedroom sanctuary.

A bedroom space should feel like a sanctuary space where you can rest, sleep, and relax. A space where there is no clutter.

Pack away laundry, clothes, and shoes.

Light it up.

After location, light is the one thing that all buyers want in a home. If necessary, take down the curtains, clean windows, change lampshades, increase the bulb wattage.

Trim the trees and bushes outside the windows to let more sun in. What do you have to do to make your home bright and cheerful?

Deep clean.

Strange smells can be off putting. Deep clean behind fridges, if you have animals clear out the litter boxes, and clean toilets.

Pet consideration.

Not everybody likes animals, some people may be allergic. Pack away food bowls and clear any cat litter in an outside bin. If possible, take the animals out for the day if you are doing a show house.

Reach out to Helen if you have any questions, or would like a consultation on your home! Click here to go to Helen's profile!