Advice from the Antenna Man: 10 Tips for Selling Homes

Get ready to call your antenna man! What’s more embarrassing than when you’re trying to sell something with a demonstration, and it doesn’t work? Not much. But if you’re a real estate agent selling a home, that is exactly what a house showing is – a demonstration.

Follow these 10 best practices and tips to make sure that the homes you sell are in tip-top shape when potential buyers come through – from TV antenna equipment to kitchen appliances. That way, your property sales will go as smooth as possible.

1. Plan in Advance

An open home is an event that requires proper planning and preparation. So, make sure you give yourself and the owners or tenants a few weeks to get everything in order. You’ll likely need some time to book in contractors (like an antenna man, a painter, or a gardener) to get the home in shape. Plus, you’ll need to prepare your signage, marketing materials, and get the word out to prospective buyers.

2. Know Your Market

Different features of the property will matter more, depending on the types of buyers you’re targeting, and the location the property’s in. For example, in some areas, it’s all about the pool, and a sparkling, modern pool is enough to draw attention and close the deal. But for other markets, it’s much more important to have a modern kitchen, a big entertaining space, and a multi-media TV room. If you know your market, you can play up these features in your listing, plus draw attention to them on your open day.

3. Get the Facts Straight

Talk to your client and find out what their TV setup and antenna looks like so you can update your listing with relevant info. Like whether there’s a Pay TV connection, any extra audio-visual features, and other things like that. A TV antenna is a standard inclusion with all homes, so you won’t need to mention that in your listing. Knowing the facts will also mean you can confidently answer any questions about the home during inspections.

4. Stage the Home

Staging a home is all about making it look its best, while capturing the imagination of potential buyers. That way, they not only notice the home’s features, but they can start to picture their own furniture and family in the space. Here are a few home staging tips:

• Update window coverings – For a budget update, replace heavy curtains or old blinds with light and breezy floor-to-ceiling curtains
• Update linen – Dress the bathroom with crisp, fresh white towels and carry the look through to bedrooms with white sheets and coordinated doonas
• Cut the clutter – Hide away old mail, trinkets, family photos, and the grandkid’s artwork, because this stuff is personal and will stop buyers from imagining their own stuff in the space
• Check appliances – Make sure all the appliances are working, including the TV and antenna
• Think of the aromas – Make sure the home is clean and avoid anything too strong smelling, like incense or bleach

5. Hire an Interior Designer

If your client is willing to invest in an interior designer, you can really take their home staging next level. An interior designer will create a more cohesive look to suit the home, the location, and the type of prospective buyer you’re hoping to attract. They might go as far as updating the wall colours, flooring, and fixtures. Or simply find a way to improve the home’s styling with gorgeous cushions, accessories, and wall hangings. Some current interior design trends they might pull inspiration from include:

• Scandinavian
• Country chic
• Contemporary
• Industrial
• Minimalist

6. Get Great Photos

Once the home is staged to perfection, it’s time to book a photographer to capture it at its best. The best real estate photography tells a story that appeals to your target market, showing how each room can be used, and maximizing its potential. That’s why it’s so important to showcase a fully dressed home – not an empty one. And that’s also why real estate photos include plenty of features that won’t get sold with the home (like the TV and lounge chairs), along with features that will (like the pool, gardens, and even the antenna).

7. Get the TV Room Right

As you probably know, we’re experts on all things digital and antennas here. So, what does an antenna man have to say about staging this (very important) part of the home?

There’s a belief that the kitchen is the heart of the home. And that might be true for some families, but in our experience, the TV room is just as important, if not more so. It’s where everyone hangs out, relaxes, and (often) eats their meals these days. A poorly staged TV room can let you down, even if the rest of the home is beautiful. But a nicely presented TV room will help a prospective buyer settle in, feel comfortable, and start to relax. That’s a great opportunity to appeal to their emotions and hopefully help them see themselves in the space, long-term.

So, turn your TV area into a selling point. Draw attention to its unique features, especially if you have a whole home theatre setup. Use the TV and sound system to add to the vibe at your open home. You probably won’t want to put on a standard free-to-air TV show as that might be distracting to buyers. But you might put on a calming or upbeat playlist, or something like SBS Slow Summer.

8. Get an Antenna Man In

As we already mentioned, it’s important to make sure all your appliances work before your open home. So, check with the homeowner or tenant to see if they’ve experienced any issues with their TV reception, TV wall points, or other tech. These are standard inclusions with the home, so you want to make sure they work well, or it could give prospective buyers the wrong impression about the rest of the home. Get a trusted antenna man to come out to the home and assess the TV setup and adjust the TV antenna if needed.

That way, you can…

9. Sell with Confidence

Building a trusted relationship with potential buyers is key to selling the home. When you have the confidence that everything in the home works well, you can reassure potential buyers and prove to them that you’re selling a great product – no hidden secrets or potentially expensive problems! Plus, if you’ve booked an antenna man, building inspector, or other professional before conducting the open home, you can add another layer of credibility to the sale. Demonstrate (with receipts or certificates) that you’ve done your best to check that everything in the house is in prime condition, including the TV antenna, appliances, structure, pool, and more.

10. Capture Details and Follow Up

One last thing – every good real estate agent knows that the sale happens in the follow-up. So, use an app or go low-tech with a clipboard and pen to capture the name, phone number, and email address of every party you show through the open home. That way, you can follow up later and answer their questions. This is especially important if you’re bringing a lot of people through the house in a short period of time – you’ll be able to give them one-on-one attention and make sure they have all the info they need to decide.

Book Your Antenna Man Now

Ready to book an antenna man to come and assess your client’s setup? Call us on 1300 800 123 for a free quote or to book in for your antenna inspection today. With fast and friendly service, you’ll be ready to confidently demo and sell your next property in no time.