Buyers always want as much as they can get for their money. If you look around your house there may be many areas you can improve upon at very little cost to really get buyers attention and make it worth their while.
When it comes to the outdoors of your home there are many things you can do to brighten it up even if you have very little to work with. An entertainment area outdoors, no matter how small, will always be attractive to a buyer. Here are some ideas of how and what to improve.
- Your stoep/patio. As they are outdoors they are exposed to all the elements and can become very worn and possibly very dirty. Check if there are any missing bricks or unattractive cracks in the cement and have them repaired. Just by doing this you freshen it up and make it look neat and tidy. If you have wooden decking that is perhaps in need of a refinishing you should also do this, explain to the buyers that you have just had it refinished and they won’t need to do it again for the next couple of years. Set the scene in a simple uncluttered way and show the buyers how the stoep can be used.
- Check your Lapa. Lapa’s are really great for us sunny South Africans and if it has been well maintained then it can only be great selling point. Check the thatch for any damage and have it repaired before you start showing the property, if the first thing a buyers sees is the need for repair and maintenance it may well put them off.
- Swimming pools or jacuzzi’s. This should go without saying, make sure your pool or jacuzzi is clean! Buyers will probably be put off by another reminder that there is something that they are going to need the time to maintain. It may also be a good idea to install some kind of safety mechanism on or around the pool. Buyers with children will be very happy about this as it will elleviate some of the concerns they have about the safety of their children.
Lastly ensure your outdoors area is clean, pick up the doggy doo, move the municipal bin somewhere out of sight and if necessary cut the grass. All these very basic things are often overlooked by sellers but not by buyers. Always look at your home as though you were buyer.
