Anyone who is wanting to sell a house should try to view it from the buyer's perspective and should also look into trends that are prevailing in the current market says Barbara Becker of Pam Golding Properties in Pietermaritzburg.
She says that buying trends are not dictated by banks but by other factors too, such as generational changes. "By that we mean that low interest rates are helping young buyers to invest in their own homes. So if you are selling a house consider how it will suit some of the younger buyers that are coming into the market and will qualify for the bond finance," says Becker.
She claims that younger buyers want to give a home their own identity and for this reason it is an idea to neutralize a home when putting it onto the market.
"With younger buyers, both partners are usually working and so they don't have the time or the inclination to carry out repairs or undertake a major refurbishment," she says.
Becker says that homes with instant appeal will generally sell more quickly particularly as there are many homes on the market in KwaZulu-Natal and so buyers have a wide choice of homes to view.
According to Becker, buyers moving into Pietermaritzburg are often relocating for work purposes at they need to make many adjustments such as finding schools, joining new clubs and making new friends.
She says that as a rule of thumb it is worth spending between 0,5% and 1% of the asking price on making small cosmetic changes to the property before putting it on the market.
"De-clutter and de-personalise the property. Get rid of excess furniture and put away many of the knick-knacks as rooms will seem more spacious without them.
"Pay attention to the garden and clean it up, mow the lawn and trim the trees and hedges. Buyers will shop around so it's imperative to make your house that much more attractive than others in the area," she says.
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