• Gardens - are they neat and attractive?
• Trees - are they away from power lines?
• Front entrance - does it look welcoming?
• Pathways - will they trip someone over?
• Lawns - are they recently cut and healthy?
• Roof - are there tiles missing?
• Garage - will it fit in a car plus have storage space?
• Driveway - do cars bottom out?
• Drains - are they clear of debris?
• Outside seating - is it clean and look good

• Floors - are they clean and presentable?
• Walls - are there nicks and faded areas?
• Lighting - light up all dark corners?
• Bedrooms - are they clean and accessible?
• Kitchen - does it look functional?
• Bathrooms - have you put in clean towels?
• Curtains - are they open to show the view?
• House plants - are they healthy?
• Garbage cans - have you emptied them?
• Smell - does your home smell nice?
• Pets - Keep them outside for inspections!

There are several methods available for selling your home. The following is a brief outline of:-

For Sale by Open Listing:

When you list your home with more than one real estate company it is known as an 'Open Listing'. Each company deals with the seller and basically work against the others to sell the property. Only the selling agent is paid commission on the sale of the property.

Many real estate companies will not advertise or market open listings because of the need to make a quick sale rather than a well negotiated sale to the most suitable purchaser.

Many sellers feel that by listing their home with more companies, they will access more buyers. This, in fact, is not the case. Buyers 'shop around' for houses. If your home is marketed correctly, the buyer will find it.

Exclusive marketing arrangements give best results to sellers because the real estate consultant has the exclusive responsibility for the sale and can invest time, expertise and money into the marketing effort for your home. (Note an exclusive marketing package may be sale by Auction, Tender or a No Price method of marketing. All are exclusive arrangements).

At present, most homes in your area sell within 90 days. Often they sell much more quickly but sometimes it is necessary to give enough time for persistence to pay off. We usually suggest a marketing programme be put in place for a 120 day exclusive agency.

A tender invites buyers to put in an offer for your property in the form of a written contract before a specified date. A tender is normally accompanied by a high profile marketing plan to attract more attention to the property than is normal for a private sale programme. One of the very important differences in tendering a property is that nobody else knows what anyone else is offering. Whereas by the auction method you can see that somebody is bidding over the other side of the room and then bid in response.

The 'by negotiation' strategy is a very successful strategy and positioned between ' for sale' and 'auction'. It does not set a selling date, but it does maximise the price because of its strategic approach. Instead of putting a price on the property that includes a negotiating buffer, which often deters the target buyer, a price range is used.

You as the owner are always in control of the decision to sell. There is no possibility of selling for less than the property is worth. In most cases, the price achieved by this method exceeds private sale expectations.

Auction has been around for hundreds of years as a way of selling all sorts of things. When it comes to Real Estate, auction is gaining momentum as the preferred way to sell across Australasia. When there is an identifiable excess of demand, an auction has no peer.

Auction can attack the market both in a buyers market or a sellers market. In a sellers market where there are few homes to sell and many buyers, it will give sellers a high price. In a buyers market where there are many homes for sale and fewer buyers, you may attack the market and therefore save valuable time.

Use this checklist as a guide to help you move house. Print off then tick the boxes when you have completed the task.

You should be disconnected from your utilities. Notify the relevant services at least 48 hours in advance. You may be able to redirect these services to your new address, is it's all ready when you arrive.

• Gas
• Electricity
• Water
• Telephone
• Pay TV

• Newspaper/Magazines
• Bread/Milk

• Mail

Advise friends, business & associates of your new address
Go through your address book and send out change of address cards.

• Friends
• Family
• Work
• Sporting Groups
• Doctor
• Dentist
• Banks
• Accountant/Solicitor
• Tax Office
• Road Authority for Drivers Licence & Registration
• Insurance
• Credit Card(s)
• Club Memberships etc
• Others

• Get quotes from removals and book the one most suited to your needs
• Arrange insurance for goods in transit (your removals may cover this)
• Prepare floor plan of your new house and number rooms for boxes
• Pack Jewellery and valuables and take them yourself or arrange a special carrier
• Don't forget your pets!
• Pack fragile items yourself
• Mark each carton with the room number it's intended for
• Mark items to be handled with special care
• Defrost the fridge and freezer
• Throw out rubbish in sealed bags
• Water the garden for one last time

• Prepare to have the carpets cleaned
• Prepare to clean cupboards and bathrooms
• Prepare for utilities to be connected
• Arrange house and contents insurance

• Turn off the water, gas and electricity
• Lock up securely, leaving some ventilation
• Check all cupboards, storerooms, sheds and under the house
• Hand over the keys to agent

• Enjoy your new home!

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