The preparation you put into getting your property ready for sale can be the difference between getting a standard price and getting a great price. And, the best part for you is, it's not hard, time consuming or expensive.

The process, or indeed the art, of presenting your property for sale is an important one to master. For most, the sale of a property comes around every 5-7 years. For others it has become a more regular event, choosing to capitalise on the opportunity of upgrading the family home and make substantial tax free gains in the process.

Whatever your motive for selling, the process can either be stress free and lucrative or tense and disappointing. The good news is that you have the ability to choose.

Buyers for good quality property can be found all year round. With the marketing process having become far more sophisticated than in previous times, the issue of timing is less critical today than in the past. However, there are some important points you may wish to consider. 

If your property is located near Portland's beachside our research indicates that the Spring and Summer months produce superior results, particularly October and late January and Early February.

The time required to sell your property that is accurately priced will typically vary between four to eight weeks. Prior to placing your property on the market, allow an additional two weeks to prepare both the property and the marketing material. 

Presentation of your property is a critical factor in achieving the highest possible price. This is similar to detailing a car before you sell it. The emotional appeal required to stir the spirit of the buyers is unlikely to be generated by a poorly presented property. And a neglected building sends out 'warning signals' to prospective buyers.

So it is important to do whatever is possible to have your property looking its absolute best on inspection day. Some of the turn offs for buyers include:

Animal odours in the house

Evidence of damp or moisture in the walls

Cigarette or strong food odours 
Doors, windows or gates that stick

Cracked glass

Too much furniture or personal belongings cluttering the space

Stained carpet

To improve the presentation, seek an outside opinion, as many of these problems can be fixed over a weekend for little expense. We believe the process is so important that we offer our clients the services of our sales agents Property Stylist to help in preparing the property.

When it comes to selling your property, there are three popular methods to choose from: