Most people would think that it takes less preparation to sell high-end luxury real estate than it does to sell a standard home because a multi-million dollar estate sells itself.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Purchasers of luxury properties have discerning eyes, and they expect the real estate to reach rigorous standards.
Your job as a seller is to present the prospective buyer with a property that satisfies those expectations.
Fortunately, we can offer you a few standard guidelines that you can follow to successfully prepare your property for the market.
Spruce up the grounds
An attractive lawn sets the stage. The lawn’s appearance should signal to house hunters that they are about to experience an estate that is well-loved and well-tended.
You may have to schedule your lawn service for additional visit so that you’re never caught off guard by an unseasonal weather pattern that leaves you with an unexpected growth of tall grass.
Have your lawn service keep a close eye on all trees, hedges, and plants. Plants in distress due to harsh weather are normal but could nevertheless send a subtle negative message to a prospective buyer.
Keep everything healthy and attractive.
Clean and repair the exterior
Hire a professional exterior housecleaning company to pressure wash your home. You’ll be surprised at the amount of dust and pollen that your home collects.
Make any needed repairs such as repositioning downspouts and repairing cracks in the walkway. If potential buyers easily spot broken and damaged items, they’ll begin to suspect that the estate has other problems or hidden issues.
Spend a few dollars to make your home more inviting to visitors. For example, many homes have had the same mailbox for decades. Consider an update.
As long as you’re replacing the mailbox, add a sharp new welcome mat and a set of attractive house numbers.
Declutter your home
Once you decide to sell your home, you have to be willing to rearrange your interior to suit strangers.
For instance, you may prefer to have all of your art collection massed together, but the resultant clutter makes it more challenging for the visitor to envision living in the space. Therefore, you have to be willing to downplay a bit of your character so that there’s room for the personality of the potential buyer.
You want to rid the entire house of unnecessary items. Avoid hiding the items in another room or the garage. A smart house hunter will ask to see the entire estate and that includes your favorite hiding space.
Instead, rent a storage unit and hire movers to transfer your treasures to their new temporary residence.
Create a cheery environment
Except for a home media room, spaces with an open, airy feel are more likely to give visitors a positive feeling about your home.
Eliminate dark areas of rooms by using natural and artificial light. Can you change the window treatments to allow more sunshine into the room?
Opening windows for a portion of the day will revitalize a stuffy room.
The sense of smell is powerful and can trigger an avalanche of memories and emotions. You can use the sense of smell to your advantage by filling your home with pleasant aromas such as lemon, lavender, or vanilla.
The effect, however, should be low-key, not overpowering. Therefore, if you like candles, invest in a high-quality candle such as the kind found at exclusive resorts and spas. Avoid lesser candles which can produce an acrid chemical-like smell that some find irritating.
Freshen up the look of a room with paint
A fresh coat of paint wakes up a room.
If you decide to paint, lean toward traditional interior house colors. Those colors make it easier for a potential buyer to imagine how he will use the room. On the other hand, intense unconventional colors may block a person from seeing how the room can be adapted to suit his purposes.
If you love colors, you can add them to the room through the use of accent pieces.
Unless your wallpaper is a noteworthy feature of your home, think about removing it. Few modern homeowners are enthusiastic fans of wallpaper. A house with painted walls might have greater appeal to them.
Take your kitchen back to the future
Certain expectations come with a luxury property. One of those expectations is that it has a kitchen that is up to date and filled with high-end furnishings and equipment.
Does your refrigerator and cooking range reflect the rest of the estate? Increase your chances of closing the sale by replacing outdated items.
Potential homebuyers are likely to spend more time exploring your kitchen than any other room. They’re trying to see how much work they would have to do to make the kitchen current with the times. The less they recognize as needed renovation, the higher they’re going to rate your home.
In addition to appliances, the countertops, cabinets, and flooring may also need to be replaced.
Bathe your potential buyers in luxury
Think about adding new fixtures to your bathroom. They bring a needed sparkle. In fact, you want as much as possible in your bathroom to sparkle.
Is the bathroom cabinetry attractive or outdated? You want your baths to have the same luxurious look as competitive homes on the market.
Do you need new shower doors? Does the finish on the bathtub need attention?
How old is the toilet? Is it consistent with the style that other high-end homes have?
Replace all broken and cracked tile.
Stock each bath with quality towels and soaps.
Dedicate yourself to selling your luxury home
Admittedly, preparing a luxury home for the real estate market requires money, time, and hard work. However, it’s nothing that you can’t accomplish.
And the return on your investment stands to be substantial.
