Advice for Sellers

10 Smart Tips for Selling Your Property

You have decided to put your property up for sale. Now, what can you do to ensure it finds a buyer and at your desired price? Here is some advice you can follow to make your house a real charmer.

Carry Out Repairs and Complete Renovations

Well-maintained house inspires confidence in potential buyers.

You may have become blind to the incomplete renovations all over your house, but visitors are likely to notice! Look around: uninstalled mouldings, holes in the wall, visible cracks, a sticky doorknob, a creaky front door, a half-painted wall, etc.

Declutter and Depersonalize

To want to become its new owners, visitors must be able to imagine themselves living in your home. To help them do this, remove photos, kids’ drawings, and all other overly personal items. Think about recreating the neutral decor of a hotel room or model house in a new development.

Additionally, clear the surfaces, organize your storage spaces, and stow away extra furniture. A minimalist space is the objective!

Make Everything Spotless

Similarly, make sure each room is impeccably clean for every visit. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathroom: the surfaces, floor, bathtub, and countertops must shine!

Even items that won’t be in the house anymore after the sale must be shown to advantage and not be an eyesore.

Air Out the Rooms or Turn on the Air Exchange System

Our homes take on a unique smell that we don’t easily detect since we live in them: the occupants’ individual odours, cooking fumes, etc.

Ideally, you should air out the house before every viewing, either by activating the air exchanger or by opening the windows. Alternatively, you can light a subtly scented candle during visits, which is often appreciated.

Remove Signs of Pets

It is recommended that you eliminate all evidence that you share your home with animals (litter boxes, chewed-up toys, etc.).

Furthermore, during tours, take the dog out for a walk or have your pets babysat. It isn’t just a question of allergies and smells, but also of fear. Remember that you want to charm all potential buyers, not just animal lovers.  

Make the Most of the First Impression

You won’t get a second chance to make a great first impression! If your house’s exterior looks neglected, visitors will notice, perhaps leaving them wondering if the property has been taken care of over the year.

Is the paint on the garage door peeling? Are there weeds growing between the concrete pavers? Are toys and bikes left lying around? Tidy up and fix things before the pictures are taken and viewings are held. Plus, don’t forget to shovel the snow in winter, especially on the stairs leading to the front door.

Revamp Every Room

While the kitchen and bathroom require particular care (two important rooms for potential buyers), the other rooms of the house must also be made to look their best.

Even those you might thick are secondary, like the attic, storeroom, and garage. Put things away as much as you can and add lighting so as not to appear to be hiding anything in these spaces.

Set the Scene

Make your home more inviting and brighter with appropriate lighting.

For example, evening visits are a perfect occasion to have all the light fixtures on whether it be the ceiling lights, floor lamps and main lights. Make sure no televisions or speakers are creating background noise. Silence is golden!

Stay Out of the Way

Your RE/MAX broker will guide the visitors, answer questions, and highlight the property’s strengths. On your end, you can leave the house or wait outside.

Your main aim should be to be discreet and not butt in. Be patient if you have questions!

Set a Realistic Price

Your property’s value is not some randomly assigned number: it is determined through supply and demand as well as by studying comparables sold on the market. It should also be noted that the municipal evaluation is not considered when setting the price.

On the one hand, too high a price might work against you; on the other, you will lose financially if you go too low. Your broker has the expertise needed to advise about market value.  

Thanks to their experience, your RE/MAX broker can guide you through the sale preparation process to make sure your home will appeal to buyers. They can likewise help you avoid the stress of visits and of having to deal with all the legal paperwork. They will also be proactive in looking for future buyers who might be interested in your property.

Good luck with your sale!

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