It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do, not to mention some fresh mulch on your garden beds and a new gate that’s not falling off its hinges. Seriously, these things alone can make a good few grand’s worth of difference to a property’s value. As a property styling consultant, I should know, but even I never cease to be amazed by how much impact these little things can have.
It’s not like they can be overtly referenced in pitching a higher asking price. Property conveyancers are not going to be all that interested in them. But they go a long way in pushing a prospective buyer over the line at a given price point. It’s all about the feel of the place, and putting its best foot forward from the moment it comes into view. Kerb appeal, face value, first impressions… whatever you want to call it, it all amounts to the same thing, which is the feeling imparted to a visitor.
Not to say that other things don’t influence the decision to buy, from real estate agents’ sales skills to the timely availability of a conveyancer. Near Carlton, for example, a house recently went for much less than expected at auction because a certain would-be buyer was unable to tee up their preferred solicitor in time, and couldn’t firm up their end of the bargain. True story. There’s a lot of luck involved in this business.
Although my role is often thought of as ‘fluffy’, it exists to help get the best out of the luck of the draw, and property vendors ignore it at their peril. Of course, many people opt for a DIY route, but they tend to miss things that my trained eye spots immediately: a sagging fence, a dead tree by the front window, a dirty roof. Think of me as the fairy godmother that transforms drab to fab, and 700k to 720k.