Selling Tips

So, you're thinking about selling you home. It's a big step for most people as it normally comes at a turning point in our lives. Whether you are looking to sell and upsize, retire and downsize, or sell it all and run away to the Bahamas, we're here for you. (We'd also visit you in the Bahamas if you had a spare room...) It's just human nature that we all become emotionally attached to our homes. It's our nest, our biggest investment and something we worked hard to get. And as such, we all have a tendency to be very prejudiced towards it, and sometimes lose our ability to be impartial. The stakes are high when selling you home, and having someone guide you along the path to achieve the best price and best conditions of sale is important. It's a hard road to go alone and can leave you totally exposed in liability, overwhelmed with partial information, and jeopardizing your all important final sale. As Realtors who have sold thousands of homes and properties over the years, here are our Top Tips for getting your home Sold.

1.) De-clutter, and Stage your home.

Now I know what you're saying. "Everyone knows that!" But the reality is, so many homes come on the market with little to no effort put in from their day to day state. We all live in a house one way, but it's not typically the way we want to see a home look when we are shopping for a new place. Thanks to endless TV programs showing Buyers beautiful homes staged and fixed up, or places that aren't staged being ripped apart and renovated to all new in a 30 minute segment, Buyers have VERY high expectations at any budget. De-cluttering your home is free, it just takes your time. If the goal is to move, you will be packing up stuff anyways, so start now and pack it away to be moved, or pack it to the thrift store to be donated.

• First is to have your Realtor help you hone in on your target Buyer profile, and really cater to them. Kids toys need to be paired down and tidied up. Remember that not every Buyer has kids and may not want to have to visualize every room without a coating of brightly colored play sets all over.
• Also, when you have tons of little items all over every counter and free surface, Buyers start to tally up that a home hasn't got enough storage. Go through the closets, make room, pack up the things you don't need this season and move your excessive things into storage. Leave out only the necessities.
• Next is your furniture. Do you have too much? Are some rooms dwarfed by huge bed sets and dressers, are things blocking walk-ways or hallways? Time to move it out. Take what you can apart or away to make your furniture fit the space it's in. Don't let hallways feel narrow by placing extra furniture in them. Make sure your living room has good flow, that no chairs are blocking a view or a fireplace just to see a big tv, and make sure your electronics are tidy and well contained.
• Use the furniture you do have to show off the features of a home. It doesn't have to be brand new furniture to sell your home. Use what you have to highlight the features of a place and make sure none of your stuff is exaggerating any of the homes drawbacks (like a lack of storage or an oddly shaped room).

2.) It's Fix it Time!

Almost every single homeowner has a list of things that need to be done around the house. There's the big must do's, the annoying little maintenance things that drive us crazy day to day, and then there's the stuff we've totally overlooked and forgotten about in the reality of how busy life can be. Well, sorry folks, it's time to get these things done. Maybe you have an old home, or maybe it's only a couple of years old, either way, there are always "things" to be done. Now is the time. Buyers, even at the most entry level price point, want to know that they aren't buying something that is broken. Aesthetics aside, the home needs to be in good working condition. This can mean different things for every place and of course your Realtor should be telling you what is worth doing, what money you will get back if put in, and taking a look at your personal situation. BUT as a guideline, here are some things you should be checking on and checking into before you are ready to put your home on the market.

• Is the paint in good condition, and are the colors offensive and bold or neutral enough? If rooms are scuffed up and paint is chipped and old and bold colors are fighting the décor, you should consider re-painting, or at the very least doing touch ups to existing paint. Fresh walls make such a huge difference and for the $ it costs to paint it yourself, can have the biggest return.
• Do a walk about and take note; are there any places where baseboards are missing? Any spots that need to be re-caulked? Taps or door handles that are loose or hanging off? These little things may not mean much to you in the over all scheme of a home. But the perception they give a buyer is that things get neglected, and if the things we can see are neglected, what about the things we cant see? It sends the wrong message and can have a Buyer focusing on the little details while missing out on some big features your home may have. Call a friend or fix-it service and make sure all little maintenance items are remedied.
• Clean the house. Sounds obvious doesn't it? Well it doesn't always end up that way. This needs to be the most thorough clean ever done. If you have pets, seriously consider having your carpets shampooed. Not all Buyers think little fluffy is a charmer, some have allergies or just don't like animals. You don't want a buyer to think of your home as the "animal house". Scrub the bathrooms, wipe the baseboards, clean those areas you can't see but you know are dusty. Make sure any crawl spaces or basements are tidy, that they don't smell like mildew, and that important things like electrical panels, furnaces, and hot water tanks are easily accessible and in working condition. If you have a smoker in the family you need to be diligent about no smoking in the house or indoor spaces at all. Clean out outdoor ash trays regularly, make sure all fabric surfaces in the house are cleaned (carpets, drapes, bed spreads). It's tough to do, but for the Buyers who don't smoke, have allergies, or have kids, it can be a deal breaker for buying a place. And homes that have odors tend to sell for less. The older the home or its fixtures are, the cleaner it needs to be.