preparing to sell your own home - buymyplace.com.au · artificial air freshener. ask a friend to...

Preparing to Sell Your Own Home

Forward 3

Top Five Turn-Offs (and turn-ons) for Home Buyers 4

Preparing your Home to Sell 6

Before you Sell 8

How to Value your Property 8Managing Legals 9

Building & Pest Inspections 9

How buyMyplace can Help 10

Table of Contents:

Thanks for considering buyMyplace - Australia’s leading, commission-free real estate company to assist you with the sale of your home.

If you have downloaded this e-book, there’s a good chance you may be getting ready to put your home on the market.

buyMyplace can help you every step of the way, assisting you to achieve the best possible outcome and save you thousands of dollars in real estate commissions and fees.

Sellers/home owners everywhere, are finding out how easy it is to manage the sale of their own home, while saving an average of 3 per cent of the total sale price by not paying agents’ commission and marketing fees.

This equates to between $19,000 to $23,000 on the average $600,000 home - depending on the state in which you live.

At buyMyplace, we offer a number of packages to suit all budgets, providing all levels of support and making it easier-than-ever to sell your own home.

Our best value package is still only $1795* - which is far more attractive than the thousands of dollars sellers would usually pay to a traditional agent.

Our private property specialists will take you through the whole process and be available whenever you need a hand. After speaking with them, you will realise that selling your own home is no more complex than selling your car.

They take you through every step; from conducting an open inspection to negotiating the very best price for your most valuable asset - your home.

This e-book is a great first-step to understanding the property sales process and preparing your home for market. In the following pages, we will share with you the things that buyers like and dislike when searching for their next home, some quick and simple DIY fixes that will make your home instantly more appealing and could add thousands to your sale price, as well as some of the key actions to help you get an accurate valuation, engage a conveyancer and understand the pest and building inspection process.

At the end of this book, we will share with you the many services that buyMyplace offers and how to contact us for further information about selling your own home - without paying a cent in agents’ commission and fees!

We will also send you a monthly newsletter so you can better understand the property market and get some key-tips from happy vendors, who achieved amazing results by selling their own home.

Enjoy and happy selling,

Paul HeathCEO buyMyplace.com.au 1300 289 697

*Note: Prices and inclusions are dependent on location of property for sale. Register & enter your property address here to find out what prices and inclusions apply

Forward

As you prepare to sell your home, take a moment to consider the features buyers are after, and also the things that might turn them off during an inspection. You can check out the “sold” listings in your area via realestate.com.au or domain.com.au to see if there are any common features in the homes that have recently sold.

Some features may be cost prohibitive to adopt in your own home, but others could be a quick-fix. Try to get along to open homes in your area and note any features or characteristics you particularly like, or dislike, at first glance (or smell).

There are many features that buyers find desirable and you should consider promoting these in your online advertisements.

Top Five Turn-Ons

1. Air Conditioning or climate control. Reverse cycle air conditioning is great when you live in an area with hot summers and cold winters. Depending on where you live, a slow combustion stove is also a big-ticket item.

2. A functional backyard that can be used for outdoor entertaining, a play area for children or space for a pet is highly sought-after. A deck and pergola remain popular with Australia’s love-affair with outdoor living. However, built-in BBQ’s no longer seem to be a priority for people.

3. Garage or carport. Men tend to put a higher value on this feature than women, but it is generally a huge bonus.

4. Modern kitchen appliances. Dishwashers top the list, especially with Gen Y buyers, but also prized are stove tops and ovens. If you are on a budget but need to update, you can buy cheap appliances these days that look almost as good as the top name brands.

5. Solar panels. With increased power costs and general cost of living, it is little wonder that this green, renewable power-source is high on the list of must-haves.

Top Five Turn-Offs (& turn-ons) for Home Buyers

Top Five Turn-Offs (in no particular order):

1. Bad smells, with cigarette smells being rated worst, followed by pet smells, mildew and too much artificial air freshener. Ask a friend to honestly tell you if your house has any bad smells and try and solve them. If you are a smoker, smoke outside while you are selling.

In any case, fresh air and sunlight will usually help immensely. Leave your windows & internal doors open the majority of the time while preparing to sell and during the campaign, to allow fresh air to circulate through your home.

2. Evidence of pets puts people off. Send any pets away during open homes and remove food bowls and litter trays beforehand. If you have a dog, do a quick run around the garden with a pooper scooper.

3. Dirty grimy homes are a complete turn-off, especially in wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms. Make sure these rooms sparkle and also, that the rest of the house is clean & tidy too. Cupboards should look clean and sparse inside and not as though there’s insufficient storage in your home.

4. Dark dimly lit rooms. If you have a dark home, purchase some tasteful table lamps, leave the curtains open and the overhead lights on. Also, look at the wall colour. Should you consider a lighter, reflective colour, such as white?

5. Poor curb appeal. The first impression a buyer will get of your home is when they arrive. Similarly, your “for sale” sign is usually in the front yard. Make sure your home is welcoming. Lawns and gardens should look neat, your front entrance should look inviting, enticing people to enter. You may need to paint the door, the gutters or window frames, but it is worth it as it is your biggest advertisement.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to ensure your house has many of the features buyers value, and few of the ones they don’t. The next chapter looks at some quick fixes you can carry out on your home to increase its appeal and add value to your final sale price.

Your home is your castle! You have probably spent years making memories and personalising it to your own taste, but sadly, sometimes it doesn’t work in your favour when it comes time to sell. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in it, imagining their own lifestyle and furniture. And you need to make sure that they can.

Preparing Your Home to Sell

Declutter and Clean: Remove the clutter, such as oversized furniture and family photos, religious icons and porcelain trinkets. Arrange to have your possessions stored if necessary. Clear out cupboards and storage areas to accentuate the space. Dust the skirting boards, sugar soap the walls and have the carpet cleaned - which is also a great way to get rid of odours. Once you have done all that, you can see the canvas you have to work with.

Paint: If you have dated, internal wall colours or a feature wall in every room, it is reasonably inexpensive to repaint in more neutral tones. Cool-whites have a blue or black base and are ideal for sunny rooms, as they tend to neutralise bright light, while warm-whites have yellow, brown or red base and create a warm and cosy atmosphere - perfect if you have south facing rooms. It’s cheap to do yourself, and cost effective to get a handyman to do it for you. Exterior paint is more expensive, especially if you have a weatherboard home, but if you have a brick home, consider updating the gutters, window and door frames and the front door.

Light: Make your home look bright by installing appropriate lighting, replacing any broken bulbs and replacing any heavy window dressings with light filtering blinds or curtains. Light coloured neutral walls, with splashes of colour through pictures and cushions give a home a sunny, bright and friendly feel.

Tiles and grout: If you can’t get the tiles in your bathroom and kitchen to look perfect with mould cleaner alone, you can easily re-grout those rooms yourself. Major hardware chains sell tubes of grout that are easy to use. It’s time consuming and fiddly, but definitely worth it. You can also re-grout floor tiles, but, before you do, give the tiles a good steam clean - you’ll be surprised how well that works.

Kitchen and bathroom: These rooms can be very expensive to update and not worth the expense in the long run, but similarly, buyers don’t want to feel they will need to make that investment anytime soon. You can have professionals re-spray tired laminate and repaint tiles. Consider updating the knobs on cabinetry, and installing cheap but impressive, modern-looking appliances/tap-ware if necessary. Again, these can be purchased from seconds’ appliance outlets for much less than the big brand names. Hang plain white towels in the bathroom and keep surfaces clear of clutter. The whole look can be achieved for a fraction of the cost of an entire renovation.

Curb Appeal: This covers everything from the state of the lawn and garden to what your house looks like from the moment a buyer parks out the front. Have your lawns and edges looking tidy, garden beds weeded, and make sure your driveway is clear of slippery mildew or mould. Clean your windows, and make sure the window coverings are modern and presentable (vertical blinds look dated from the outside too). Trim any tree limbs blocking the path to the house or reducing any light to the inside. Put away the gardening tools and make your veranda and entry feel welcoming. This could include a nice outdoor patio setting or repainting the front door. Consider what your home looks like at twilight too, and install appropriate lighting or even cheap solar lights to make the path visible.

ColourAdd splashes of colour with

soft furnishings like cushions and throws.

AppliancesMake sure the oven is clean and shiny, and if you need to, update

appliances to add value.

PlantsFresh plants and flowers can also

provide a calm and welcoming feel, especially at an open home.

PaintNeutral walls work best. Cool

whites in sunny areas and warm whites for a cosy feel.

White & BrightAdd fresh white towels in the bathroom and clean the grout and mirrors. Dirty bathrooms

are a turn-off.

WindowsClean windows and modern window

fittings add light and freshness to any room. Roller blinds are both

cheap and modern.

How to Value your PropertyThere are several ways to obtain a valuation for your property and sometimes, looking at a number of sources of data, can help you to establish the most accurate price.

Try to go to as many open homes in your area as you can. Compare the homes and their features to your own, and find out the price those vendors are advertising their home at. Bear in mind, if a home has been on the market for a long time, it’s usually an indication that is is priced too high.

It is not uncommon to think no other home is as special as your own, but try to look at it objectively. Compare features such as air-conditioning, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garaging and other desirables such as swimming pools, modern appliances and outdoor entertaining. Take a look at the sold properties on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au, to see the prices achieved on recent sales in your area.

You can also pay for the services of a professional valuer, and a quick google search will unearth those in your area, who can give you an objective price.

You can also use the same tools as the real estate agents and type your address into www.propertyvalue.com.au which is powered by Core Logic RPData, Australia’s leading real estate analytic service. Best of all, this valuation is absolutely free!

There are other free sites, such as onthehouse.com.au, which will also give a free, instant valuation. Often it is good to get more than one and check if they differ (many even say whether their estimate is high, medium or low accuracy).

The estimates are based on descriptions used the last time your home was on the market, so be sure to check they are accurate. The valuation may be higher if you have renovated since purchase (Onthehouse.com.au will let you update the features).

buyMyplace also offers a valuation service as part of some packages, powered by APM, which is a subscription-based service used by agents. It takes into consideration a number of variables, not available on free valuation websites and is worth considering if you are not confident comparing valuation data from a number of different sources, yourself.

When compared with current sales data in your area, you can set your price at the market rate and feel comfortable you have not under, or over, valued it. Many vendors (and indeed, agents) add a buffer on top, with the expectation that buyers will try to talk them down.

Before you Sell

Don’t forget too, that some of the simple DIY fixes, listed on the previous page, can also add thousands to the value of your home.

Building & Pest InspectionsWhile vendors don’t have any obligation to provide pest or building inspection reports to buyers, more often than not, it can delay the sale process when buyers undertake a professional inspection.

Buying a home is probably the single biggest investment people will make, so it is natural they should undertake inspections to make sure there’s no serious problems.

More and more though, vendors are obtaining pest inspections to provide to potential buyers (at a cost) to streamline the sales process.

Certainly, it is a great strategy if you are planning to sell at auction, where there is no cooling off period and a lack of already-available reports might put off potential bidders from registering.

Managing Legals No matter how you plan to sell your house, whether you will do it yourself, or engage an agent, all vendors and buyers should engage their own lawyer or conveyancer who will manage all the legal work, contract of sale, and ensure all the title deeds and other government certification is in order.

You don’t legally have to engage a conveyancer but understanding the specifics of property law can be tricky for the average person.

As the vendor, your conveyancer acts as your representative ensuring that all the legal documents are complete and correct, advises you about your legal obligations, acts on any requests from you or the buyer to alter contract terms, extends or reduces deadlines and answers questions about title.

They also manage the trust account where the deposit money is held between exchange of contract and settlement, and reconciles any remaining mortgage on the property.

In NSW, before you put your home on the market, you are legally required to have your contract of sale prepared.

A buyer’s conveyancer prepares, checks and lodges legal documents such as the contract of sale and memorandum of transfer, researches certificates of title and easements or other information that may need clarification. They deposit the money in the trust account, calculate outstanding rates and taxes and “settles” the property with the vendor’s conveyancer.

buyMyplace can help you withy conveyancing through our partner My Place Conveyancing, so please contact our team for a fixed price quote, or you can hear about it here: https://www.buymyplace.com.au/conveyancing/

Another great way to find a conveyancer is word of mouth, so ask your friends and family if they know of a company that they would (or wouldn’t) recommend.

Before you appoint a conveyancer, there’s a few questions you can ask to make sure they are professional and suit your home sale and budget.

• Check if they are a member of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers. • Make sure they have experience in the type of property you are selling. • Find out the costs and payment structure. • How much will you need to pay them at settlement? • What time frames do they work to on settlement day? Bear in mind, this day can be hectic as you try to move out and a new owner

moves in. Mid morning to early afternoon generally works for all parties. • Find out if they will keep you abreast of progress every step of the way through telephone and email, or if they will only contact you if

there’s a problem (different people prefer different styles of communication)

As your conveyancer is acting for you, it is important you trust them and have a rapport, so don’t just choose the cheapest one you find.

BuyMyPlace has a strategic partnership agreement with beforeyoubid.com.au where vendors can arrange pest inspections and then on-sell them to potential purchasers. The more reports that are on-sold, the cheaper it becomes for each party, and the originl purchaser will receive a partial rebate.

The pest inspectors are all independent, accredited organisations.

The advantage for many buyers (particularly if you live in a termite prone area) is that you have a chance to rectify any problems before you put your home up for sale, preventing buyers from negotiating you down on problems you were not aware of beforehand.

You can hear more about this fantastic service here: https://www.buymyplace.com.au/before-you-bid/

buyMyplace offers a variety of packages to suit every budget. We accommodate sellers who want total DIY, to those who want to be supported every step of the way.

For only $1795*, our Ultimate Marketing package includes professional photography and photographic For Sale board, a 30-Day Feature listing on realestate.com.au or domain.com.au, an ‘Open for Inspection’ board, professionally printed brochures and a professionally written property description!

On average, a buyMyplace vendor will save upwards of $19,000 selling privately.

All of our packages come with seven-days-a-week support from our team of Private Property Specialists, and start from as little as $695*

For considerably less than what you would usually pay to a real estate agent, buyMyplace can offer you all the same support. The difference is, you get to keep all the profits from the sale!

PhotographyThe first opportunity your home will have to leave an impression, is with the photography used in the advertising. Some of our packages include professional photography to present your home at its very best. These are taken by a professional photographer and edited by our art team to create the perfect look for your online, real estate ads. Finished photos will be emailed to you to upload with your listing.

SignageAll of our packages include a sign board to install outside your home. With some of our packages, a Photo Board is included. If you live in a metro area (as defined by our suppliers), the standard ‘FOR SALE’ board is made new from metal sheeting on a sturm wooden frame, and will be professionally installed at the front of your premises within 3 business days of listing. For those outside metro areas, we will send you a board made from industrial core flute via courier within 5 business days, for self-installation. We also offer Open for Inspection boards with some of our packages.

How buyMyplace can Help

Photography

Signage

*Pricing as of 1 Dec 2016, subject to change.

Online listingsbuyMyplace offers listings on all the major real estate sites and also on sites targeting foreign investors. Sites we advertise on are:

Realestate.com.au - Australia’s No.1 property website. We help you get your listing at the top of the pile. All our packages come with a standard listing on the website, but you can upgrade to a Feature Listing with our Complete Package

Domain.com.au - part of Fairfax Media Network and is one of Australia’s most popular destinations for finding property. We provide a standard listing with all our packages to improve your visibility to potential buyers.

buyMyplace.com.au - Our official website offers the largest online database of private property listings in Australia. By selecting any one of our packages, your property will be showcased to over 60,000 unique property hunters who view our website every month.

Homely.com.au is as an alternative to Australia’s other real estate websites. All of our customers will get a listing on this website.This website embodies a sense of community, which appeals to a lot of couples and families.

juwai.com - The Chinese word “Juwai” means “home overseas”, and the website is visited by thousands of Chinese buyers each month. This is generally only included in our Professional Photography Package, Complete Package Advanced Marketing and Ultimate Exposure Packages. It can also be added to any other package for an additional flat fee of $110.

allhomes.com.au - Allhomes.com.au is included in all packages except for ACT & NSW, where it is available for an additional fee.

Online Printable BrochuresWe give all our customers the option to print A4 brochures from our website. These visually appealing brochures include key features of your property, photos, personalised description and most importantly, a method for interested buyers to get in contact. You can print off as many brochures as you want for the open inspections or mail outs or for when you do letter box drops.

Customer SupportEven if you’ve never sold property before, you’ll never feel like you’re on your own. Our friendly customer service team is available 8am – 8pm AEST 7 days a week and ready to handle any and all of your questions.

Online enquiry forwardingWhen a buyer makes an enquiry to us about your property, our system will automatically forward them directly to your inbox. We will also provide the buyer with an automatic email from our secure system giving them your name and number to ensure both parties can communicate freely.

Vendor Advocate SupportTo make selling your property as easy as possible, we have introduced Vendor Advocate Support for some of our packages. You will receive four hours of one-on-one professional consultancy time with a licensed real estate agent, either over the phone or online, allowing you to ask any questions regarding the sale campaign – for instance, choosing a price, the negotiation process, running an open for inspection and even additional marketing opportunities that are available in your area.

Professional Copywriting For our packages that don’t include Professional Copywriting, we offer this for an additional investment of $99. One of our copywriters will talk with you to find out all about your property before crafting it into a compelling and enticing real estate description for use on your online advertisement and your for sale board.

Online Enquiry Forwarding

Vendor Advocate Support

Customer Support

Online Printable Brochures

Online Listings

Professional Copywriting

NegotiationSome vendors feel nervous negotiating the sale with buyers. We also offer a professional negotiation service as an additional extra. It is included in the Ultimate Exposure package, and available for a small fee to all packages and is ideal for those vendors who would rather be a step removed from the sales process.

Building & Pest InspectionsObtaining your own builfing and pest inspection can save time in the sales process and is especially useful if you are going to auction. Potential purchasers can purchase a copy from you, reducing the overall cost. We offer our customers the services of our partner beforeyoubid.com.au, which allows you to obtain an independent and certified pest inspection report.

AuctioneerFor those vendors considering an auction, we can also arrange an auctioneer for only $799*, which is considerably cheaper than what you may pay through an agent.

Mortgage Broking and Financial ServicesAt buyMyplace, we like to see you transition into your next property comfortably and to that end, we have partnered with Australia’s leading mortgage aggregator AFG, to help you secure a mortgage and any other financial services you require (personal loans and insurance). Even if you have already spoken to your bank, we recommend having a chat to one of our brokers, anyway. Often times, they can negotiate you a better rate or better suited loan - and sometimes, it’s with the same bank!Whether you are refinancing your mortgage, selling to buy a new one, or have an investment property or two with bundled finance packages, you might well find there’s a better rate for you or a better way to manage your mortgage. Our team of Specialist Mortgage Brokers are on hand for a 100% no obligation consultations to compare your current Mortgage with current offerings from thousands of providers.If you would like one of our Mortgage Specialists will give you a call to conduct a quick review of your finance options, or to learn more, visit www.buymyplace.com.au/mortgage-health-check/

Utility Disconnection & Reconnection ServiceThrough our partnership with Moving Hub, we can help you to seamlessly transfer all your utilities such as electricity, internet, gas and telephone to your new address with the minimum of fuss.To find out what utilities and deals are available for your new home, visit us here: https://www.buymyplace.com.au/moving-house/

How much could I save using buyMyplace?Visit www.buymyplace.com.au and use our handy calculator to see just how much you could potentially save by selling your place online, with us.We also provide other services that are not included in our packages. We know that every home and every one of our clients are all quite unique. Therefore, if there’s a service you would like included in addition to your package, they can each be added on an individual basis - ensuring you receive a tailored and fully customised service that is the perfect fit for you and your home.

Talk to our Private Property Specialists about selling your own home on 1300 289 697.

Negotiation

Building & Pest Inspections

Auctioneer

Utility Disconnection &

Reconnection Service

How much could I save using

buyMyplace?

Mortgage broking & financial services

*Pricing as of 1 Dec 2016, subject to change.

preparing to sell your own home - buymyplace.com.au · artificial air freshener. ask a friend to...

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