How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

When it comes time to sell your home, getting the best possible price is often the primary goal. 

Although the final selling price will largely depend on the state of the market, the experience of your realtor, and other external factors, there are a few things you can do to help increase your home’s value before putting it on the market. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

Stage your home

Staging a home is getting your property in a sale-ready condition where its best features are highlighted to potential buyers. This is done by adding specific furniture, decor, plants, or even different paint colours on the walls to make a room seem brighter or more welcoming. 

Staging a property is used to help neutralize a space in a way that appeals to the masses. It allows people to visualize themselves living in your home, which can be helpful during a relatively short viewing. And that feeling of being ‘at home’ can spark an emotional connection, helping to sell it faster and for a higher asking price. 

In fact, according to the NAR, around 47% of buyers’ agents said that staging affected most buyers’ view of a home, and 82% say staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home.

The good news is that you can carry out the staging at a reasonably low cost depending on where you shop. You will need to do some research ahead of time to understand best practices, but it’s very doable if you have the time and a keen eye for interior design.  Don’t forget that your realtor can also help you with this by advising on the best places to start and what tends to work best. 

If you are running short on time, you always have the option to hire a professional stager who knows what people look for and how to bring out the best in your property. 

Regardless, it can be a worthwhile exercise, especially if you hope to sell your home quickly. 

Renovate your property

Undertaking renovations can be a great way to increase the value of your home. Some of the best renovations you can do are: 

• Kitchen renovations 
• Bathroom renovations
• New flooring 
• New light fixtures 
• Interior and exterior paint

Generally speaking, you should be able to get your money back when you go to sell (depending on the extent of the renovation and the market conditions). If you cannot do multiple renovations, prioritize a new kitchen and updated bathrooms above all others. These tend to have the highest return on investment, according to the AIC.  

Anything you can do to modernize or optimize your home will be one less thing a potential buyer needs to do when they move it, which can be very appealing.

While renovations can be beneficial, you should avoid overly complex renovations that might be too luxurious or high-tech for potential buyers. Remember, it needs to appeal to the masses. 

Make your outdoor spaces inviting 

If you live in a single-residence home, you want to spend time sprucing up your outdoor spaces before selling. This is especially important for the entryway, as this is a buyer’s first impression and can impact the rest of the viewing. 

A few things easy things you can do to boost that curb appeal are:

• Add plants and flowers 
• Maintain your lawn 
• Give your door a fresh coat of paint (a bright colour can work wonders on the right home) 
• Clean up unwanted weeds
• Clean the gutters
• Refresh old and rusty house numbers 

Just as the entryway is the first impression, you will most often end a visit to a property in the backyard or balconies, so you shouldn’t forget about these spaces either. 

Ending the viewing on a high note can work in your favour, as the buyer will have a positive memory of the property after leaving. Some simple ways to do this are:

• Clean up and highlight your BBQ space
• Tidy up and maintain your garden
• Set up an outdoor dining area
• Create an ambiance with decor and lights
• Add a heat lamp for those cooler fall and winter evening

Declutter and organize

Removing any unnecessary clutter is truly a win-win situation. Not only does it help a buyer see and move around your property better while viewing it, but it also helps you tidy up before packing up and moving.  

It will also help you take professional photographs for your listing, which is what all buyers will look at first before deciding to view the property. 

Start this process early, as it can be overwhelming to do it all at once, especially if you have lived in a home for several years. Instead, dedicate time to this well before listing your property and focus on one room at a time.  

You don’t have to give everything away right off the bat, either. Instead, start with three separate piles in each room – a keep, undecided and giveaway pile. 

Stage two of the decluttering can focus only on the undecided piles, which is much more manageable and allows you more time to think about whether you actually want to part with the items.  

Invest in a deep clean

Once you have decluttered your home and right before you are about to list it, hire someone to come in and carry out a deep clean. This step is important because potential buyers look at the fine details while viewing. 

They open cupboards and drawers, focus on the condition of the bathrooms, and tend to notice other small things we may not while living in the home. Hiring a professional cleaner allows the buyer to focus on the home’s features rather than the cleanliness.  

Hire a handyperson

Before you list your home, hiring a handyperson to carry out any needed repairs can save you a big headache. 

Potential buyers will pick up on these things, so it’s best to address them before you start. You want them to focus on the home itself when viewing it rather than all the repairs they will need to do after moving in. 

A handyperson could pick up on more significant issues that could affect your asking price or even the time your house is on the market. If this is the case, you will need to hold off listing your home until you can get it into a better sale-ready state. 

Are you thinking of selling your home?

If you are considering listing your home, you are invited to contact Michele Laurent.  She will guide you through the process and what you can expect during an initial meeting before you list your home.  

During this time, Michele will give tips on what is worth doing and what isn’t taking into consideration the current market conditions, your timeline and other important cost factors. 

To get in touch, email Michele at info@michelelaurent.ca or call her at 604-312-1266.