The Systems Junkie Sells a House. AKA wanna see my bedroom?

Okay so it hasn't sold as yet, but it will. I thought I'd share some tips and ideas for getting your home ready for inspection at a moment's notice and keeping it that way for those looking to sell. Or for those who just like to keep their home close to immaculate.

The first thing I did when we decided to sell was declutter. I wanted our place to look as big as possible. I removed a heap of miscellaneous furniture from the kids' bedrooms along with about two thirds of their toys. They haven't even noticed which speaks volumes! We've stored them at my parents place for the moment and it has made a huge difference to how those rooms present. Maximising space with minimal furniture and light colours can really change how a room is perceived. Also the less 'stuff' you have around the quicker it is to clear up for a snap inspection!

Things I love: fish channel and a fire burning. This photo is hilarious to me.
Also yes, we have an enormous couch. It fits all six of us!

Our dining/family area. All surfaces cleared and pretty fruit on the table. Noice.
Also that is a Tupperware tablecloth turned upside down so you can't see the logo.
Because that's how I roll.

I spent a few days washing walls. Not my favourite I'll admit, but I did find random names in odd places on walls (good on ya kids) and it was very satisfying once it was done.

We've rearranged furniture to try and demonstrate the flexibility of the rooms in our house. We only have one living area, but it's quite possible to move things around and create another. We want people to see not only the actuality but the possibilities of this property.

What will eventually sell this house I suspect is the lifestyle it represents. To that end I cleared off the deck area and washed our couch covers out there. I bought some cheap potted colour from Bunnings and some funky pots and placed them around the perimeter so it now looks like a great place to relax at the end of the day. I've been doing that a lot more myself too, should have done it ages ago! It is a lovely space with a great view.

How's the serenity? If you ignore the four kids screeching around the back yard.
They don't come with the house though, so that's okay.

We slogged our guts out did a bit of yard work as well. All the garden beds are freshly mulched with terracotta coloured pine bark and the colour and defined areas have given the whole yard a much needed lift. It was a relatively inexpensive way to change the way our large yard looks and we've had some great feedback about it.

I will admit that with each inspection I move our king size bed (which is on wheels) away from the wall and take down the bedrail so it looks like normal people live here rather than hippy la la co-sleeping types. I want people to be able to envision how their own furniture would place and I suspect not many would be sharing their beds with a couple of little buggers snugglers.

Yes, the bed is as big as it looks. It needs to be!

The key rooms I focus on polishing pre-inspection are the bathrooms and kitchen. I have a beautiful kitchen, only two years old and cleverly designed for both function and form. The right person will see that kitchen and fall in love with it I think. I will miss it a lot! Mirrors and surfaces are cleared and polished every day but deep cleaning regularly means that this actually doesn't take all that long. The sinks are sparkling whenever I walk out the door.

I adore my kitchen. Adore. Who wouldn't?

Kids bathroom. The laundry is the same colour. Happy :)

I've taken away a few of our photos too, just to increase the visual space. I have left a number because we are a family and we live here and it is still our home, but by just removing those few the rooms do look a little bigger again.

Our entry way is clear of clutter and I've been putting fresh cut flowers both there and in the living room once a week. I love cut flowers anyway and it's a habit I'd like to continue regardless, but I like that they add a splash of colour and make a welcoming first impression.

All this has made me think about the things we do to improve a house for sale. We did the same with our last place and it seems a bit wasteful that we don't do it for ourselves. I'd like to try and do this kind of 'upgrading' more often so that we can enjoy the benefits!

What are your hot tips for house presentation? And what do YOU look for in a property? Kitchen and storage space are my big sell points, what are yours?