Professionals Real Estate 
7 ways to prepare for summer open homes
Summer has officially arrived and while the property market tends to cool down over the Christmas and New Year holidays, there are still plenty of properties in hot demand, with buyers keen to purchase a home before having to head back to work or school in 2016.
If you’re selling your home this season then make sure you pay attention to your home’s presentation and put in a little bit of extra effort to appeal to summer buyers.
1. Open up windows and doors and let in as much fresh air as possible. When hosting an inspection in the heat, there’s not much worse than walking into a house that’s been closed up all day. If you’re serious about making a good impression on buyers, it makes sense to make the house as fresh and comfortable as possible so they’ll want to stay.
2. On the other hand, if it’s forecast to be an extremely hot day, or of it’s too rainy or windy outside, then it’s the perfect time to show off your air-conditioning unit, if you have one. When you’re selling you’ll want to put your home’s best features at the forefront of buyers’ minds, and on a hot summer’s day an air-conditioned home can become a cool oasis. Just remember that you want to make the house feel comfortable, so don’t make it too cold that people end up shivering.
3. Showcase your garden and any outdoor entertaining areas. When people think of Australian summers they think of BBQs and spending time outside with their friends and family. Make the most of your backyard by keeping it as neat and green as you can and possibly even placing an outdoor setting outside so that potential buyers can imagine what it would be like to entertain friends and family at your place, if they choose to buy.
4. You can bring a little bit of summer inside the house by adding a splash of colour. Colour helps bring a bit of life indoors and can put people in a positive mood. If you want to bring some fresh summer colours into your home then consider adding subtle splashes through things like flowers, pillows, ornaments or linen.
5. Make the effort to fix up any odds and ends that have been bothering you. Potential buyers will likely test things like light switches, fans, taps and toilets so make sure that everything is in working order. You don’t want to turn a buyer off over something as simple as a light not working properly.
6. You should clean and tidy up your property before an inspection, no matter what time of year it is. Go through each and every room of your home and do what you can to make sure that it’s presented at it’s very best so that buyers get the opportunity to see it in its best light.
7. Last but not least, don’t forget to ask your Professionals Real Estate agent for advice. Every property is different, and what might work when presenting one home might not work for another. Ask your agent for their expert opinion and if there’s anything else that can be done to make your property more appealing to buyers.
