Selling Your Home

Selling Your Home

Selling Your Home

Selling Your Home

Choosing a REALTOR®

As a seller, your relationship with a REALTOR® is vital so meet with several before making a final decision. A good place to start is right in your neighbourhood. Check FOR SALE signs to see which REALTORS® are doing business in your area. Ask them about their track record, their knowledge of neighbourhood selling prices and other reasons why you should list with them. Choose a REALTOR® you feel comfortable with; one who will handle the sale of your home as if it were his or her own.

What to Expect

Your REALTOR® will help you understand the selling process. He or she will provide you with a full explanation of what to expect so you are not faced with any surprises along the way.

Getting to know you

One of the first things your REALTOR® will ask is, why are you selling your house? Your REALTOR® will also explore any time constraints you may have, your financial situation and any future plans. It's all part of getting to know you so the sale will be handled to your complete satisfaction.

Setting the Price

Setting the Price

Arriving at an accurate estimate of value for your home is one of your REALTORS® prime tasks. It involves analyzing your home and comparing it to other, similar houses for sale or recently sold in the neighbourhood. It may also include a broader market survey, using sales statistics available only to qualified REALTORS®. In the end, you will be sure the price you set reflects the true value of your home under current market conditions.

Interested in Selling Your Home?

If you are interested in selling your home or would like information on selling your home please call me at 416-459-5505

"The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license."

 

Being Prepared To Get the Highest Price for your Property



It's always a good idea to spruce up the exterior and interior of your home before listing it for sale. But that doesn't mean you have to undertake major and/or expensive project.
Just a little effort will greatly increase the perceived value of your home. After all, if you wanted to undertake a large-scale project, you probably wouldn't be selling!
Here are some simple steps you can take to increase the perceived value of your home and make a great first impression.
Exterior Appearance

Keep lawns cut
Trim hedges and shrubs
Weed and edge gardens
Clear driveway and clean up oil spills
Clean out garage
Power wash
Touch up paint
Plant colourful, inexpensive flowers in pots if necessary
At the Front Door

Clean porch and foyer
Ensure door bell works
Repair any broken screens
Fresh paint or varnish front door
Repair door locks and key access
Create a Buying Mood

Make sure your home smells fresh and clean
Turn on lights
Turn on air conditioner/heater
Open the drapes
Light the fireplace
Create Space

Clear halls and stairs of clutter
Store surplus furniture
Clear kitchen counter and stove top
Clear closets of unnecessary clothing and stuff
Remove empty boxes and containers
Put away personal photos so buyers can envision the house as theirs
Maintenance

Repair leaking taps and toilets
Clean furnace and filters
Tighten door knobs and latches
Repair cracked plaster
Apply fresh coat of paint or touch up where necessary
Clean and repair windows
Repair seals around tubs and basins
Replace defective light bulbs
Oil squeaking doors
Repair squeaking floor boards
Squeaky Clean

Clean and freshen bathrooms
Clean fridge and stove (in and out)
Clean around heating vents
Clean washer and dryer
Clean carpets, drapes and window blinds
Eliminate pet odors and stains

Holding a Successful Open House



Most sales representatives will suggest a number of ways to market your home; however, if your agent has decided an open house would be advantageous, here are some suggestions to help make your open house successful.
There are four steps to follow for a successful Open House. The first three are planning, promotion and presentation. Once you've done all that, the only step remaining is to cross your fingers and hope for good weather!
As with most things in real estate, planning is critical to your success. Check your calendar and pick a date that won't conflict with other events that could divert your potential visitors. You won't get many home browsers on Super Bowl Sunday or Mother's Day! Ask your real estate professional for advice on how to showcase your home to its best advantage. Remember, when it comes to showing appeal less is more. You want to create an atmosphere of spaciousness. Get rid of the clutter to maximize your space. Have a garage sale, empty the closets and take the time to give those things away to charity. Besides making your home look great for showing, it'll give you less to do on moving day.
Holding a Successful Open House
Remember that a home that looks well kept will create favourable impression. Make sure you cut the grass or shovel the sidewalk as the season requires. Plan on doing a little spot painting to perk up problem areas, oil squeaking hinges, tighten loose screws, and all the other little things that show a home is cared for.
Then it's time to start promoting. Your real estate professional is the expert here, and can advise you what marketing techniques will be used to promote your event. Whether it's direct mail, advertising in Home Guides or the newspaper, or website promotion, your representative will effectively promote your event. However, you can add to the process by partnering in the promotion too. Post notices on bulletin boards in supermarkets, libraries or community centers. Anyway that you can spread the word will add to the process.
For your Open House day, your representative will also counsel you on how to present your home to its best advantage. Leaving on all the lights, having a fire burning in the fireplace, soft background music playing, and coffee brewing all add to the ambience and make a welcoming impression. But as any real estate professional will tell you, the best thing that you can do to make your open house a success is to get out and stay out! All joking aside, you'll get better results when your visitors feel free to poke about, linger, and ask very direct questions of your real estate agent. If you're present, they'll feel more constrained, and your sales representative may not even get an opportunity to identify any concerns they may have, and attempt to offer them options and solutions. So pack up the dog and the kids, and enjoy your day away trust your real estate professional to do the job right. After all, they're the experts!

Pricing your Home



The single most important decision you will make with your Real Estate Professional is determining the right asking price for your property.
Once you've achieved a realistic sales price, you can count on your property being professionally marketed and promoted to bring more buyers to your door. You can also expect to sell your home for the best possible price in the least amount of time.
The Benefits of Pricing Right

Your property sells faster because it is exposed to more qualified buyers.
Your home doesn't lose its "marketability."
The closer to market value, the higher the offers.
A well-priced property can generate competing offers.
Real Estate Professionals will be enthusiastic about presenting your property to buyers.
Find Out What Your Home Is Worth

For a current market analysis of your home please feel free to take advantage of a free home evaluation.

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SHOWINGS

It is critical that buyers have a good first impression when arriving at your property. Although we will provide
advice and help you achieve this for your particular property, here are some general guidelines.

EXTERIOR, ARTWORK
• Keep porch area clean
• Hide/store garbage and recycling bins in an orderly fashion
• If house numbers, mailbox, and/or exterior lights are old or tarnished, replace them or have them painted
• Clean decks – power wash and/or paint/stain if noticeably warn
• Place a new ‘Welcome’ mat at the front of the door if yours is worn
• Landscape appropriately for the season – keep walkways shoveled/salted in the winter, mow lawn and place
 potted flowers on steps in the summer
• Have windows cleaned inside and out
• Have eaves troughs cleaned
• Doorbell and door hardware in good repair
• Outside of freshly painted walls, artwork can have the biggest effect on the overall appeal of a room
• When hanging art, think about placing the piece in the most focal area. Centre art with beds, bedside
 tables, etc.
• Keep artwork low. The biggest mistake we see is artwork hung too high. As a general guideline, artwork
 should be hung so that the frame sits approximately 57”-60” from the floor, 6”-8” above the top of a sofa
 and 10“-12” above a table
• Chipped plaster and paint touched-up
• Doors and cupboards properly closed
• Leaky taps and toilets repaired
• Burned out light bulbs replaced
• Squeaky doors oiled
• Mirrors, fixtures, and taps cleaned and polished
• Seals around tubs and basins in good repair
• Floors clean
• Garbage containers empty
• Inside of closets and cupboards neat and tidy
• Appliances clean
• Countertops neat and polished
• All lights turned on
• Air conditioner turned on in warm weather
• Fresh air in house
• Fireplace lit in cooler weather
• Drapes open during daylight hours
• Carpets freshly vacuumed
• Valuable property (such as jewelry) out of reach, out of sight, or locked away
• Pets absent, where possible, or contained during the showing and litter boxes clean

GARAGE/LOCKERS
BATHROOMS
LAUNDRY ROOMS
• This area can be full, if organized correctly. Designate areas for specific items e.g. sporting goods, tools,
 lawn accessories, potting/gardening, and extra boxes
• Clear off work surfaces
• Organize tools
• Buy bins to house large items
• Hang hooks for brooms, racks, bikes, and additional tools
• Tuck away tissue boxes, toilet bowl scrubbers, garbage pails (if you have a really fabulous garbage pail, keep
 it out for display but ensure it is empty
• Leave top of toilet tank bare
• Use fresh towels always – avoid using these towels during the selling period
• Replace liquid soap (the pump variety) with a new soap dish and bar of fresh soap (white is best)
• Lay a fluffy bath mat that coordinates with towels
• Remove toilet seat covers, toilet mats (the variety that wrap around the front of the fixture)
• Invest in new cotton, waffle-weave or linen shower curtain and stainless hooks
• Select neutral colours for your towels and curtain and pair with a white fluffy mat, matching accessory holder
 and fresh flower/plant for the perfect bathroom display
• Vases filled with sea sponges, cotton balls or seashells will add visual interest
• If you have a glass shower stall, remove all products
• If you have a bare or worn concrete floor and/or walls, have them painted
• If you have vinyl floor that is discoloured or stained, have it replaced
• Clear all items from the floor
• Remove any hanging clothes – leave one clothes line, remove any additional lines
• Place detergents on a shelf near the washer/dryer or store in baskets
• Tuck away drying racks, ironing boards and hampers
• Give all items a proper home – show the buyer that your laundry room is functional and friendly

ROYAL LEPAGE REAL ESTATE SERVICES, PATRICIA CONNELL 416-459-5505 PATRICIACONNELL@ROYALLEPAGE.CA