From the George Brand sales team
Ask anyone who has sold a few homes with us and they’ll tell you the same thing: preparation sells houses. Two near-identical places on the same street can land very different results, and the gap usually comes down to how each one was presented. The encouraging part is that most of what moves the needle costs surprisingly little.
What presentation is actually worth
Industry research puts the uplift from professional styling at up to 12 per cent on the sale price, and styled homes tend to sell faster as well. You don’t have to go the whole way to full staging to benefit. Every step toward a cleaner, brighter, better-kept home helps, because buyers decide with their hearts and then justify it with their heads.
On the Coast this matters even more than usual. A lot of our buyers are Sydney families chasing a lifestyle change, and a home that feels light and cared-for confirms the decision that got them in the car in the first place.
Street appeal comes first
Plenty of buyers drive past before they ever book an inspection, so the front of the property is your first open home. Mow and edge the lawns, weed the beds, fix the fence, and retire the sad letterbox. Pressure-wash the paths, put the hoses away and deal with the front door, which sets the tone for everything behind it. Coastal homes cop salt and weather, so wash the exterior and clean the windows properly. Sparkling glass is an underrated trick.
Fix the small stuff
A dripping tap here, a chipped tile there, flaking paint, a door that sticks. None of it matters individually, but together it tells buyers the home hasn’t been looked after and they start discounting accordingly. Walk through with a critical eye, or ask us to do it with you, and clear the repair list before photography day.
Bigger renovations are a different conversation. New carpet or a repaint can pay for itself. A kitchen done to your taste rather than the market’s often won’t. It’s very easy to overcapitalise in the final months of ownership, so talk to an agent who knows what buyers in your street actually pay for before spending serious money.
Declutter, then depersonalise
The hardest step, and the most effective one. Buyers need to picture their own family in the house, which is difficult when every shelf tells your story. Pack away the photos, clear the benchtops, thin out the wardrobes since buyers absolutely will open them, and remove enough furniture that the rooms breathe. Bathrooms should hide the toothbrushes and cleaning products, and beds deserve fresh linen. You’re moving anyway. The boxes just get taped up a bit earlier.
Light and atmosphere
Coastal buyers are buying light and air as much as bricks. Open every blind and window for inspections, add lamps to dark corners, and use mirrors where they help. Match the house to the day, warm in winter and breezy in summer. Keep any scent subtle. Fresh flowers beat synthetic candles every time.
If the home will be empty during the campaign, ask us about staging. Vacant rooms photograph poorly and feel smaller in person, and even partial styling of the living areas and main bedroom can change how a campaign performs.
The countdown
Give yourself four to six weeks. Spend the first two on decluttering, deep cleaning and repairs, the next on gardens and exterior, then bring in any styling and shoot the photography in week four. After that it’s just a matter of keeping the place inspection-ready, which is far easier once the clutter has already gone.
Every George Brand campaign starts with a walkthrough where we point out which improvements will pay for themselves and which ones won’t, and we can put you onto trusted local tradies, cleaners and stylists we’ve worked with for years. If a spring sale is on your mind, the best campaigns start six weeks out. Call your nearest George Brand office and we’ll take it from there.
