A practical guide to getting your home ready for sale — from the small jobs that make a real difference to the bigger considerations worth your time and money.
Start outside: first impressions count
Before a buyer even steps through the front door, they’ve already formed an opinion. Stand at the street and take an honest look at your property. What do you see?
- Mow, edge, and weed the garden. A freshly mowed lawn with clean edges can transform how a property presents. Edging in particular makes a dramatic difference — it signals care and attention to detail.
- Cut back overgrown bushes and shrubs. Overgrown greenery can make a home feel dark, neglected, and smaller than it is. A tidy trim opens up the facade and lets the house speak for itself.
- Check the fence. Make sure fence palings are upright and secure. Check if it needs a coat of paint or a bit of stain.
- Wash the exterior. A soft wash can remove years of grime, lichen, and mould. Don’t forget the driveway and pathways – a pressure wash can make concrete look fresh. Properties near the beach, highways, or areas with heavy pollen buildup can benefit from this too.
- Clean the windows. Sparkling windows let in more light and signal a well-maintained home. Don’t overlook the frames and sills, which can accumulate grime over time.
- Clean the gutters and spouting. Pay attention to the underside of gutters too – they’re often overlooked but can get quite grimy.
Inside: clean, clear, and clutter-free
Once buyers are through the door, the goal is to help them picture themselves living there. Clutter, mess, and grime make that harder.
- Declutter every room. Put things away – but don’t just push them into wardrobes. Buyers open wardrobes, and an avalanche of belongings sends the wrong message. Consider donating, storing items off-site, or hiring a storage unit for the duration of the campaign.
- Clear all surfaces. Kitchen benches, bathroom vanities, bedside tables – clear them all. Even an older kitchen or bathroom can look great when it’s clean and uncluttered. Remove tea towels from oven handles, take fridge magnets down, and put away the everyday items that make a space feel cluttered rather than show-ready.
- Deep clean everything. Windowsills, skirting boards, light switches, door handles, and all the spots that get skipped in a regular clean. A truly clean home feels clean.
- Tackle the bathroom. Beyond just the surface clean, mould and discoloured silicone are big turn-offs. The good news is that re-siliconing is a relatively cheap fix. Fresh silicone around the shower, bath, and vanity can make a bathroom look fresh and clean.
Small fixes that add up
A few minor repairs can go a long way to giving buyers confidence that the home has been well-maintained.
- Tighten loose cupboard handles and doorknobs. Handles that are hanging off or wobbly can suggest neglect.
- Fix anything that’s loose or broken. A loose handrail, a sticking door, a cracked tile – these are the kinds of things buyers notice and mentally add to their list of concerns. Address them before they become negotiating points.
- Consider steam cleaning surfaces. Carpets, upholstery, hard-to-clean surfaces – a steam clean can make a significant difference and is relatively affordable.
The bigger picture: legal and financial preparation
Preparing your home for the market isn’t just about the physical property. There are important legal and financial steps to take before you list.
- Talk to your bank. If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, make sure you won’t be hit with any break fees. If you have multiple properties under one mortgage, your bank may have specific requirements around how much of the loan needs to be repaid on sale. Get clarity on this early.
- Talk to your lawyer. If your property is held in a trust or has any other legal complexity, make sure you understand the implications before going to market. Your lawyer can also help ensure everything is in order for a smooth settlement.
- Check your LIM and building consents. If any work has been done on the property – a deck, a sleepout, a bathroom renovation – make sure all relevant consents are in order. Unconsented work can hold up a sale significantly, and buyers and their lawyers will ask.
Get professional advice
Before you do anything else, talk to a real estate professional. A good agent will walk through your property with you and give you specific, tailored advice on what’s worth doing and what isn’t – because not every property needs the same preparation.
An appraisal also gives you a clear picture of what your property is likely to achieve in the current market, so you can make informed decisions about how much to invest in getting it ready.
If you’d like to talk through what your property might need before going to market, click here to reach out to the team at Irelands. We’re here to help.