Integrity Auctions

It's about this time of year that auctions slow down to a trickle in Australia. So if you're thinking of getting your home ready for Auction in February 2010, the summer holiday break is a good time to work on those little things that can add extra value to your home.

Street appeal is vitally important. If prospective buyers are driving by your home, it's vital that what they see from the street gives that instant eye appeal that begs and invites them to come inside. Property auctions are a great way for you to get a great deal for your property. That is why you have to present it in such a way that will attract potential buyers.

Here are some tips on how to get your home ready for the year ahead:

1. Eye Candy. Make a list of the things that need improvement. Keep the garden neat and tidy, trim bushes,  keep the lawns mowed, fix that gutter that needs a new bracket.
2. Paint. If it's a while since the inside has been painted, use neutral colours. Forget what appeals to you, after all your goal is to sell your home. Neutral colours enable potential buyers to imagine their furniture inside their prospective new home.
3. The Little Things count: replace washes in dripping taps, clean the oven tops, remove clutter from inside and outside of your home. If you haven't used it for a year or more, box it up and place it in storage during the open to view period
4. Clean and Tidy: something as simple as washing down the front door, keeping the carpets vacuumed, and making sure you have light bulbs, fittings and switches that work in every room really make a difference.
5. Open for inspection: Prospective buyers are coming through their prospective home. Make it inviting. Flowers on the table, fresh towels in the bathroom, a scented candle burning, all of this adds ambiance to your home. For most homes going to auction, you're only needing to do this across 4 weeks. It's not much to work on if it adds perceived value to your property.

Notice how little expense is involved in preparing your home for auction? Make the small investment prior to opening your home for inspection - you may be pleasantly surprised by the return it adds to the total value for your home.