11/01/2019

How to prepare your home for auction

People who stage their homes prior to inspections and auctions often have a higher success rate than those who don’t. Even if your home is architecturally beautiful, making the best impression with your interior design is only going to increase the number of offers you receive during the sales period, and potentially higher bids come auction day. With this in mind, here are some simple yet effective ways to stage your home.

Makeover the front yard

People will see this part of your home first, and you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Ensure your front garden looks healthy and manicured, repair any cracks in the driveway and paths and sweep the entryway. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can paint your fence a darker colour — this will act as a spotlight for the garden planted behind it. And make sure the front doorbell works…

Minimalise furniture

In general, we like rooms to feel spacious and careful furniture placement is a crucial way to achieve this. Reduce the amount of furniture in each room so that the remaining pieces have a functional purpose. In the lounge room, this could mean removing all furniture except for one couch, two armchairs, a coffee table and one side table.

Play with lighting

Create the perfect ambience and mood by mixing up the lighting in each of your rooms. In general, it’s best to have the overhead light on, some form of task lighting such as a pendant lamp, and accent lighting in the form of a table lamp. Ensure all lights are switched on prior to an inspection, even if it’s a bright and sunny day outside, to achieve the maximum effect.

Decorate with plants

It turns out one of the key differences between a home that looks like it’s been staged by a professional versus a DIY job is the addition of plants. By adding a touch of greenery to every room (even the toilet), you’ll instantly create a tranquil and inviting space.

Declutter

When people first enter any room in your home, you want them to be able to imagine what life would be like for them if they lived there. Get rid of family photos and replace them with other artwork you own, clear out all cosmetics from the bathroom, and make sure all bench tops and surfaces are clear. You can leave strategically placed items there, but anything personalised that makes your home look cluttered needs to go.

You may be wondering what to do with all the valuable items and furniture you’ve cleared out of your home for the staging process. The answer is simple – call Wilson Storage today to find out about our range of self-storage units.