When you own real estate in Australia it feels like there is always something to do. Whether it's the gutter that needs fixing or the lawn that has to be mowed, the to-do list seems to always be growing. While you still have a bit of holiday left, don't forget to do these things to tidy up your property after all the Christmas and New Year's festivities.
Homes for sale
if your property was on the market over the holiday break it's quite likely your real estate agent advised that you keep the decorations to a minimum to make the house seem as free of clutter as possible. If you did put up a few decorations or Christmas lights, make sure to take these down. When you don't put up that many ornaments and have them around for about a month, it can be easy to forget that they're there - but potential purchasers won't.
For buyers that walk through your property in the first open inspection for 2015, Christmas decorations will stand out like a sore thumb. While this may not have been an issue a couple weeks ago, it could be now. People looking at property tend to pick out faults and see these as signs of larger underlying problems. If a home is messy (including left over Christmas lights and wilting trees) buyers may see this as an indication of a lack of maintenance or care in the home.
Save your decorations
One of the key aspects of packing away the seasonal decorations is making them last another year. The Aussie summer can be a harsh one, so if you have decorations outside or near windows, you may find them fading quicker than you'd like. Once stashed away they will also be less likely to be broken by accident as well. Tidying these up when they're not in use will save you money on decorations next year.
Some decorations do require more care than others. For example, if you used live poinsettia plants as part of your Christmas display, a significant amount of maintenance is needed to get them to flower again next season.
Lastly, cleaning the house can also provide great catharsis. When you feel you may have indulged a bit too much over the holiday break, getting active and doing some house cleaning can be just what you need to get yourself out of that holiday funk.
