While I’m responsible for the marketing, preparation, staging, and negotiating during the listing period there are some very simple things YOU can do to help. Here are 6 tips on how to get more for your home.
1. Always be “show ready”
Your property needs to be “show-ready” at all times, you never know when the right buyer is going to walk through the door. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, make sure the bathrooms are sparkling and there are no dust bunnies in the corners. Be aware of odours from cooking dinner and/or pets. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will help in getting your property sold. Also, leave all your lights on at all times, first impressions are very important and you want to “wow” the buyers and their Realtor instead of having them spend time looking for light switches.
2. Leave during showings
The presence of your family can make prospective buyers feel like intruders so if you can, leave the home during showings. If you cannot leave the home during showings, try to be very low-key. If you have pets, it’d be a good idea to have them out as well. Should you not have family members who can take care of your pet, there are low-cost alternatives. Check out Rover.com
FAQ’s
I’m worried about safety if I’m not present during showings, what can I do? A cooperating Realtor will be present for all buyer visits to your property. They will have access to your property using a key that will be stored in a secured lockbox. The lock box code will only be given out to Realtors once we have confirmed their appointment. During open house events, we will keep track of who enters the property by asking each visitor to complete a registration form. We will also limit the number of visitors at one time, or bring an assistant to ensure that all visitors are escorted as they tour the property. While thefts of valuable items are extremely rare, we strongly recommend keeping your valuable items locked away in a safe or kept off-site for the duration that the property is on the market.
3. De-clutter & de-personalize
If you have personal stuff in your property, it’s less likely potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Remove family photos, memorabilia collections, and personal keepsakes and put them in storage.
4. Avoid bad odours
Bad smells are one of the biggest turn-offs for prospective buyers. Don’t just cover them up, fix the source of the smell. Clear drains, wash bins, open windows, air the kitchen from old cooking smells, and wash any dirty bedsheets.
5. Fix the small stuff
Repair or replace broken or outdated hardware throughout your home. You can install new door handles, faucets, towel bars, and curtain rods – fixtures that are readily visible to homebuyers – rather inexpensively. New hardware in the bathroom, kitchen, windows, and doors also improves the functionality and safety of these components.
6. Fresh paint
Giving your property a fresh coat of paint before putting it on the market is the best return on investment when it comes to doing any upgrades or renovations. As per a study carried out by Zillow, paint colour is one of those changes in your home that you should certainly consider. The organization analyzed thousands of listings of homes that have been sold to come up with a list of colours that did best. For example, ‘greige’ (a shade between beige and light gray) was very popular, and homes painted in this colour had more positive feedback.
Want to read more about the home selling process? Check out these posts for sellers:
Would you like a FREE, no-obligation home evaluation? Get in touch!
Don’t like filling out forms? Feel free to call, text, or email me. My cell phone number is 647-830-5210 and my email is info@igorveric.com
