Preparing Your Home For Sale To Get It Sold

house-entranceMake an entrance: First impressions count, so take stock of your front entrance. If your front door is looking tired, replace, repaint or restain it. Similarly, your driveway should be clean and free of cracks. Old concrete driveways can be revived with a resurface and a respray in a new colour or a stenciled pattern.

Make sure your letterbox fits with your home exterior and makes the right statement, either built into a fence or standing on its own.

Get into the garden: Time well spent in the garden over winter will pay off in spades come spring. Take advantage of the cooler weather to clear debris, weeds and overgrown trees and shrubs. It’s also the perfect time to completely overhaul garden beds with new soil and mulch. Draw a rough plan and clip pictures from magazines to create a clear picture of your garden. Take your plan to your local nursery and get expert advice on which plants should go where and how many you actually need. Just make sure the end result is easy to maintain for maximum appeal.

Consider some colour for a warm welcome. The colour yellow has been proven to help sell, so plant or pot marigolds along a walkway or near your front door.

Leave fertilising your lawn until late winter so it’s in tip-top condition when your house hits the market in spring.

Clear out clutter: Make your rooms look larger by putting less in them. Consider replacing multiple pieces of small furniture with one large statement piece. You could also try re-arranging your furniture differently to create the illusion of space.

Brighten your outlook: Clean all your windows inside and out. You will be surprised how much fresher your house looks with sparkling, spotless windows. Make sure you take down and hose all the fly screens while you’re at it!

Deck the deck: Consider adding a deck to create outdoor entertainment space and value. If you already have one, winter is the perfect time to re-oil the surface and railings and replace any worn outdoor furniture.

lightSpotless surfaces: Wash walls, ceilings, light fittings and ceiling fans to rid them of dust and grime.

Lighten up: Twilight photo shoots and evening open houses are hot selling tools, especially when the weather warms and the days grow longer. Take time over winter to install outdoor lighting that spotlights your front garden and entrance and any outdoor entertaining areas, including the pool.

Detach: It may sound like a strange selling strategy, but consider de-personalising your home. While you still want potential buyers to feel “at home” when they inspect, they don’t necessarily want to see all your family photos on the sideboard and children’s artwork on the fridge. Apart from uncluttering your surfaces and creating clean lines, packing up the family portraits allows buyers to envision their family living there, not yours.

It’s also an opportunity to step back and genuinely appraise your decor and colour scheme. Is your home styled for broad appeal or just for people who share your penchant for peach? If you find it hard to be impartial, one hour and a couple of hundred dollars spent with a design or colour consultant may be a wise spend. A good consultant will know what trends have market appeal and can share some clever tips on quick fixes and colour schemes. How much of the advice you take is up to you, and you usually have the option to just pay for the consultant’s time and DIY the restyle.

Get energy efficient: With electricity costs on the rise, buyers are on the hunt for energy-efficient homes. Switch to energy-saving light globes and consider a solar-boosted hot water system. While you may not be living there long enough to fully benefit from the savings, buyers are likely to be enticed by the promise of smaller electricity bills.

kitchenFreshen up the kitchen and bathroom: You don’t need to completely overhaul tired kitchens and bathrooms for a fresh look. If your fixed appliances — oven, cook top, range hood and dishwasher — are older than 10 years, considering upgrading to new ones. Shop around for a package deal on reputable brands.

Add some shine to the bathroom with new basin taps and create a sense of space with a large frameless mirror above the vanity. Upgrade your shower fitting if needed, especially if it has poor pressure. Plenty of buyers will test the shower head during an inspection.

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Sheree Atkinson
Rated 5.0
April 11, 2023

Lee made the selling of a deceased loved one's unit a smooth process at a difficult time. He ensured continued exposure of the property in the market and guided me through the requirements and decisions needing to be dealt with. I found Lee to be very capable, friendly and reliable and would highly recommend him to other sellers.

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Diane Harrison
Rated 5.0
February 12, 2022

I highly recommend Lee and his Team to anyone wanting to sell. There were numerous issues along the way of our sale, which delayed the final settlement by months (none at the fault of our agents). Lee talked everyone through all the issues and ensured that everything was resolved with minimal fuss. He saved the day (and the sale) on numerous occasions and kept things on track when we had all but given up. Many thanks

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Graeme Smith
Rated 5.0
February 3, 2022

I was very satisfied with the assistance provided to me by Lee personally and his support team. Real estate dealings can be very stressful but Lee did not create any stress for me. Thanks Lee.

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Carolyn Brewer
Rated 5.0
February 2, 2022

Lee was amazing throughout the whole sale process. We'd actually met Lee years earlier when we were thinking of selling and he gave us his books. We kept them and read through when we were ready to sell and called him again. We followed his advice to get our home sale ready and we had record numbers through on our first open home. We got numerous offers well above our asking price and received $50k over the asking price! Lee and Justin are a fabulous team, so professional and really know the real estate market. We're glad we chose them as our agents and would highly recommend them.

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Randall Burow
Rated 5.0
February 2, 2022
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Corrie Hemming
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February 1, 2022

I found Lee to be knowledgeable, efficient and helpful. He assisted me with my home purchase and was able to guide me through the process.

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Carly C C
Rated 5.0
January 30, 2022
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Arthur Collins
recommends
January 30, 2022

After listing our home with other agents for 3 months with out any luck, Lee had it sold within a week of listing it and at a price above what the other agents said we would get. would recommend Lee any time.

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Lynda Michel
recommends
January 28, 2022

Lee and his team were simply amazing. From the marketing right through to the sale of our precious home. Highly recommend for a professional property agent.

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Ian Mayers
recommends
January 28, 2022

From the first meeting until the last we knew we had made the right choice with Lee, Justin and the team at Leading Realty. No nonsense honesty is what you get, no hidden costs, very upfront and a great deal all round. The follow up was fantastic, really more than helpful. Cannot praise nor thank them enough

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ian mayers
Rated 5.0
December 8, 2021

Would highly recommend Lee and his team. Very helpful, professional and courteous. Excellent result for the sale of our home. Sale was Well over list price and sold in four days. Kae and Ian Mayers

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Wilma Fratter
Rated 5.0
November 1, 2021

Always a pleasure working with Lee and Leading Realty team. Exceptional communication and professionalism. Looking forward to be apart of their marketing team.

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Karen Giumelli
Rated 5.0
April 16, 2021

Lee and his team have just sold our property in Bli Bli for well above the listed price. His professionalism and attention to detail when listing our property resulted in multiple offers at the first open home that exceeded all our expectations. Lee guided us through the whole process from listing to sale with patience and good humour making it stress free for us.

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Carla Humphreys
Rated 5.0
April 14, 2021

I was lucky enough to work with Justin Christopher, he was a pleasure to work with, very friendly and professional.

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Natalie Atkinson
Rated 5.0
April 14, 2021

I have dealt with Lee and his team for over 10years. His professionalism, knowledge and hard work is a true asset to himself and his clients. I am confident in recommending Lee to anyone wanting to buy or sell real estate on the Sunshine Coast. Thanks for all your hard work.

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Dave Graham
Rated 5.0
March 5, 2021

The team at Lee Sutherland are superb! Their friendly, responsive team will do everything they can to assist. Highly recommended if you're looking for a Real Estate agent on the Sunshine Coast.

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Naomi Twyford
Rated 5.0
March 1, 2021

Lee & Justin are one of the best agents on the Sunshine Coast! Their passion for acheiving the best result possible for thie clients is unrivalled. I have had the pleasure of knowing them both for just over 4 years and during this time I have seen the lengths they will go to for their clients. Congratulations gents on building such a powerful real estate team - Naomi

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charlie brown
Rated 5.0
January 22, 2021

Lee and Justin are the best agents we have ever dealt with. They are kind, courteous, knowledgeable, proactive and honest. They are the very best in their field and always have their client's well being in all their negotiations. If they say to do something...just do it! you will be amazed at the result. Lee was able to return an extra $30k above listed price by utilising his immense knowledge of the Real Estate industry. You cannot go wrong.

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Jamie Thorburn
recommends
January 23, 2020

Just bought a house in Buderim. Lee and Justin were the agents for the seller - they were a pleasure to deal with: friendly, thoroughly professional, and always ready to respond to our call or email. Thanks guys! We’re planning to stay here for quite a while - but if we were to sell up, without any hesitation this team would be our first call.

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