Who can believe how quickly this year has started? One minute it feels like everyone is going on their merry way for Christmas, and the next we're already into the third week of January – with only one month left of summer!
For those Australians who have earmarked the 2012 autumn period for the sale of their property, I would suggest that now is an ideal time to get things moving. With the appointment of an agent, allowing time to advertise and not to mention the preparation of your property itself, there is much to be done before most of you will be ready to go to market.
The first step is obviously to appoint a sales agent with which to list your property (assuming you will not be selling the property yourself). In choosing the best agent for your circumstances, my suggestion would be to choose someone with whom you feel comfortable, and who you feel will be honest with you regarding expectations (both theirs and yours) regarding price and market conditions in your local area.
It is not uncommon for many properties to require a bit of a 'sprucing up' so to speak before being officially offered to the market. It is entirely up to you to decide the quantity of funds that will be dedicated to the endeavour; however a general rule is that you should follow the rules of a cost-benefit analysis.
It is often the case that extensive renovations are unnecessary as many people like to move into a new property and integrate their own touch and preferences. You could find that you spend a large amount on repainting and reflooring, etc, only to have new owners move in and start again.
With this in mind, many properties will benefit immensely from just a coat of fresh paint and a decluttering of all personal items. When painting, light colours are often best as they can help to create a sense of spaciousness and light – often improving the appeal of the property to prospective buyers.
Although the steps to prepare a property for sale will differ from dwelling to dwelling, with an agent in place and slight visual changes complete, many properties will now be ready to take to market. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you are pleased with the end result achieved.
For more information or to speak with an experienced property professional about selling a property this autumn, please don't hesitate to stop by any of the hundreds of Century 21 real estate offices located around Australia.