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Are you having trouble selling your house? You’re not alone — the market is tough and potential takers are few and far between. Now, more than ever, it’s vital that those interested in your home see it at its finest.

Barring essential, major renovations don’t spend a fortune trying to make your house more attractive. In a buyers’ market you probably won’t get a return on such an ‘investment’.

The importance of realistic pricing cannot be overestimated. However, don’t short-change yourself — you can sell it quickly at the price you’d like.

Here are some simple tips on how to spruce it up without breaking the bank:

Does your house have ‘curb appeal’?

A house without ‘curb appeal’ is a house without sex appeal. First impressions last, so it almost goes without saying how important it is what your house looks like from the street.

Go outside and face your house from the road. Try to imagine that you have never seen it before and attempt to think like a buyer would. Be as objective as possible and ask your friends and family to do the same. Does anything draw your attention? Can you plainly see your house’s number? Is the pavement clear? Is the paint peeling or are there weeds growing through cracks in the driveway?

A great ‘introduction’ is the first step to ensuring a quick sell at a fantastic price.

• The garden. Keep your grass short and the edges neatly trimmed. Grass as green as grass sells houses, so water your lawn regularly and apply compost or fertilizer high in nitrogen. Reseed or replant if there are any bare patches.

  Remove weeds from the flowerbeds and trim shrubs and other plants so they don’t block any windows or entrances. Also, take out dead plants and trees.

  Planting colourful flowers and adding mulch to the flowerbeds are cheap and effective ways of cheering up the yard.

• Gates and fences. Fix your fence and repaint a rusty or dirty gate. Replace broken hinges and make sure it opens and closes properly.

• Gutters. Unclog blocked gutters and re-attach the places where they might be sagging. Ensure that the soil where the water runs out isn’t eroded.

• Pathways and driveway. You need your home to be alluring so keep these areas free from toys, bicycles or anything that clutters and remove oil stains.

• Clear the clutter. Remove all junk and loose items like car parts, lawnmowers, toys, etc. from your yard.

• Exterior lights. Ensure that all exterior lights are working.

• Clean the windows on the exterior and interior and check that they all work properly. Paint faded window sills.

• The outside walls. Do they still look clean and crisp? It’s not always essential to paint, but they should at least not be dirty.

  According to Wendy Reay, a Fine & Country estate agent, one has to consider the neighbourhood when deciding whether or not to paint. “You have to budget according to the market, so it depends on what area you are in. Is the house less the R1-million? Or more than R3-million? This factor should have a huge impact on your decision to paint or not”

  You’re going to sell the house anyway, so don’t buy expensive paint and stick to a conservative colour — white is usually best.

• A great entrance. The entrance to your house should be very well lit, clean and free of any clutter. A fresh paintjob is called for if your front door looks dull or uninviting. Remember, this is where all potential buyers enter your house, so skimping on its renovation if it’s even remotely needed makes no sense. Tighten doorknobs, apply oil to squeaky hinges and make sure the doorbell works.

  Providing a rug to sweep your feet as you enter the house will help cement the idea that the house is tidy and therefore a good buy.

  Be creative when making the entrance as alluring as possible. “Simply having some fresh flowers at the entrance to your house can add great value,” says Reay.

  Do you normally use a back or side entrance? If so, it’s important to pay particular attention to the front entrance as you’ll be less aware of its condition. By hanging a mirror, the front entrance will appear bigger and brighter.

Article continues on page two.