You’ve made the decision to put your home up for sale and now it’s time to properly prepare it to make a strong first impression on potential buyers.

This includes transforming it back from a home into a house, positioning it as a product for sale by putting its best foot forward as ‘move-in’ ready.

While staging your home is a great way to present it at its best, it is often the smaller details that lack attention that can see you fall short.

Here are CSR Gyprock’s top tips that are both time-efficient and cost-effective.

Assess the updates

Start your planning with a walk-through of your home. Note down everything that looks tired, dislodged or damaged. Everything needs to look as fresh, modern and current as possible.

Do you need to patch a hole or dent? Do the walls need a fresh coat of paint? Is there an unfinished downlight? Do your fixtures look modern? All of these factors need to be considered.

Next, ask an honest family member or friend to do the same. This will give you valid insight into what an outsider sees when they enter your house.

Adopt a minimalist approach

Remove the clutter, both in and out of the home. Give the lawn a good mow and remove all weeds, dead leaves and unruly shrubs from around your garden. Add a new layer of soil to garden beds and potted plants to really freshen up your outdoor area, and don’t forget to give your pavers a good clean.

Maximise space by removing excess furniture, clearing away ornaments, family photographs, memorabilia and books, cleaning out wardrobes, storage space and the garage, and refresh your bedroom with new linen and fewer pillows.

You may wish to stage your home entirely, which can add 5-10% to the sale price, as reported by industry professionals. While effective in its ability to add general charm and character to your house, it is important to keep an element of neutral warmth. People want to be able to picture themselves living in the property.

Showcase your property

It is important to pay attention to the smaller things in your home when preparing it for sale. Potential buyers will be looking for condition, quality and functionality, picking up on anything that requires attention. A well-functioning surface will ignite comfort and confidence in a property, including the aspects they cannot see.

Ensure all the lightbulbs work and that all door hinges are tight, working and don’t creak. Replace old fly screens and clean both the inside and outside of windows. You may wish to undergo a few minor updates, such as a new pendant light in the kitchen, tapware or handles on kitchen cupboards.

Give your home a solid clean. This includes the laundry surfaces, ceiling fan blades, shower and bathroom, inside the oven and refrigerator, and vacuuming and scrubbing those harder to reach areas.

Invest in new towels and neutral bed linen – whites and earth palettes are recommended.

Finally, ensure your home smells nice – a simple, but often overlooked factor when it comes to showcasing quality.

Create indoor/outdoor flow

Modify the floor plan and maximise the square footage by creating the ultimate indoor-outdoor flow. Both on trend and easy to achieve, by investing in a low-cost upgrade before sale, your home could feel significantly larger to potential buyers, plus it creates an inviting atmosphere and adds value.

Open plan spaces showcase seamless transitions between zones, so featured areas like kitchens need to be integrated into outdoor areas without appearing fussy or over prominent.

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Find more property related news and listings at Canberra Daily Real Estate.