Do you ever buy products that say, “some assembly required”? If you’re like most people that statement makes you worry that you’ll end up spending hours struggling to put the item together. In some cases, you might even decide not to buy it, just to avoid the frustration!
As a homeowner, you might have a similar concern when it comes to selling your home. You may be thinking of selling but the process of getting your property ready and putting in on the market seems overwhelming. It may even make you hesitate.
Those listing jitters are understandable. Fortunately, there’s a cure. You simply need to get informed about the process. You need to get the facts about:
Exactly what you need to do to prepare your home for sale;
What your home is worth on today’s market;
How long it will likely take to sell your property;
How viewings will be handled;
What the ideal strategy is for selling your home quickly, and for the best price.
Once you have all this information, you’ll know what to expect and the selling process will be easier and less stressful.
For some homeowners, the process of listing, showing and selling their home can be stressful. Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to make it much less nerve-racking—and even exciting and enjoyable. Here are some ideas:
Make a plan. Decide when you’re going to show your property, search for a new home, view listings, etc. Block out these times in an agenda book or calendar. That way, you and your family can see what’s coming up.
Be flexible. Few things go exactly as planned! So, it’s important to build in flexibility. For example, you may plan to see homes for sale on Saturdays, but if an opportunity comes up on a weeknight, give yourself room in your schedule to jump on it.
Eat well. There are numerous studies that connect poor nutrition with increased stress. When people are selling and moving, there’s a tendency to rely on quick fixes, such as hot dogs and pizza! Try to plan more nutritious meals that will keep everyone healthy and energized.
Get stuff done early. Doing things last minute, such as finding a real estate lawyer or getting rid of clutter, can quickly lead to stress and frustration. Whenever possible, get tasks done early. That way, you won’t have to worry about them.
Hire the right professionals. By far, the surest way to a stress-free move is to get the right professionals working for you: everyone from contractors to mortgage brokers to movers.
By the way, a big part of what I do for clients is help make every aspect of buying, selling and moving go smoothly. Contact me to learn how I can help you.
“Staging” is about setting up and decorating each room of your home so that it looks as attractive as possible to potential buyers. Studies show that a property is more likely to sell quickly and for a better price if it is effectively staged.
Even if you haven’t heard of staging before, you probably already know the basics, such as eliminating clutter and making sure everything is clean and “guest ready”. However, there are also some home staging “secrets” staging professionals use that you may not know. Here are a few examples:
Increase horizontal surface space
Make sure desks, countertops, coffee tables, end tables, etc. are as free of items as possible. Give the impression that there’s lots of room available on horizontal surfaces.
Flowers
Fresh flowers or flowering plants placed in a couple of rooms, such as the kitchen and living room, can have a dramatic impact on how inviting that room looks. Just don’t overdo it.
Don’t be daring when you paint
You may love the idea of a bright yellow and green combination in the family room, but not everyone will share your daring sense of style. If you paint, stick to neutral colours.
Less is more
Be brutally honest about the amount of furniture you have in each room – including wall hangings. Is there a desk, side table or other piece you can put away in storage? Think about ways to make each room more spacious. Space is king!
Ultimately, the best staging advice is to use your common sense. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer as you walk through your home. Ask yourself, “What changes will make this room even more attractive?”
You’ve shopped around and attended a few select viewings. Now you’ve found the home of your dreams. It’s yours – as long as you make the right offer!
How do you make that right offer? That’s a very important question to consider.
If your offer is too low, you risk the seller turning you down. You may not get a chance to make a second offer, especially if there are already multiple offers for the property.
If your offer is too high, you’ll leave thousands of dollars on the table… money that could have been used for other important things, like renovations or a family vacation.
So before you decide how much to offer for a home you want, we need to talk. We will discuss what goes into a good offer and other ways to strengthen your offer, such as getting a pre-approved mortgage certificate.
Lifestyle is a very important criterion when shopping fora new home. After all, a home and it’s surrounding neighbourhood are the places where much of your lifestyle is going to be experienced.
So when considering a new home, think about the lifestyle to which the property is going to lend itself. Ask yourself:
How much entertaining do we do?
How important is it to have good schools located nearby?
How long will the commute to work be?
How big of a backyard do we require?
Do we need a rec room?
How easy will it be to get to golfing, dance lessons, baseball practices, movies and other activities my family and I enjoy?
How important is it to be in a quiet area?
Do we want to local park nearby for jogging, playing with the kids, and walking the dog?
This list is just an example. Ideally, you’ll create your own list of questions to ask yourself when considering a particular home.
Do you ever buy products that say, “some assembly required”? If you’re like most people that statement makes you worry that you’ll end up spending hours struggling to put the item together. In some cases, you might even decide not to buy it, just to avoid the frustration!
For some homeowners, the process of listing, showing and selling their home can be stressful. Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to make it much less nerve-racking—and even exciting and enjoyable. Here are some ideas:
You’ve shopped around and attended a few select viewings. Now you’ve found the home of your dreams. It’s yours – as long as you make the right offer!