Good vibes sell houses

MOST home sellers realise that good presentation will improve the appeal of their homes.

Some are even prepared to spend up big in quest of the prestigious top dollar.

However, according to Bellarine Property managing director Christian Bartley, while attention to detail may make your house sell faster and add dollars to its price, spending a lot of money getting your home ready to sell may be a waste.

Buyers don’t always want to pay for improvements that are not to their taste and potential sales may be lost.

“On the other hand there are still a lot of simple things you can do to make your house welcoming and attractive,” Mr Bartley said.

“Bear in mind that appeal is not just visual – other senses like hearing and smell all contribute to a purchaser’s evaluation of a property.”

Mr Bartley said sensory stimuli such as noise and smell could be powerful emotional triggers and buyers could react negatively to features that were not even fixtures of the home.

“Smokers and dog owners could burn essential oils or use room deodorisers.

“Unpleasant or alien odours probably have a more negative effect than any other single attribute.

“Conversely, inviting smells such as freshly brewing coffee or hot baked cakes have a positive impact.”

According to Mr Bartley, loud or extraneous noises are a distraction at best and could even turn a buyer against the property.

“While you won’t want to change the carpet just because it may not appeal to everyone, exuberant dogs or loud music are inexpensive to keep to a minimum.

“Even if your buyers are dog lovers, getting involved in canine rough and tumble may distract them from the real purpose of their visit.”

Mr Bartley said that most purchasers have a checklist of criteria they use to evaluate properties on a rational and critical level.

“Yet they often end up making a decision based on emotion and not according to how the features match up to those on their list.

“Most agents will tell you they have seen purchasers fall in love with properties that don’t meet all of their stated needs.

“Sometimes the positive effect is almost subliminal – days later, people don’t know why they feel more positive about your home than a similar one down the road.”

For further information on selling properties, phone Mr Bartley on 0410 695 325, email [email protected] or head to bellarineproperty.com.au.