Welcome to Part 1
Selling the home you share with your loved ones, where you created memories can be a hard and emotional experience. Many questions come to mind, such as getting the best price possible, as well as enjoying a relatively smooth and timely sale.
Designed by Livia Drennan Interior Design
This is the first of a three-part series, in which we explore the most common questions home sellers have.
1) How much should I do before putting my house on the market?
Many sellers become nervous when thinking about de-cluttering their house, to the point that it can prevent them from putting it on the market in the first place. Very often, however, once the process of clearing-out starts, you soon realize that there is much less to do then initially feared. Also, if you are too busy or the task still feels daunting, there are professionals that help with de-cluttering and disposal (if needed), making the process less stressful.
Staged by Livia Drennan Interior Design
Walk though your house, and consider the items that are in need of repair. Potential buyers will often decrease the offer price by more than the actual cost of doing the repairs. Also they might think that there are more issues lingering under the surface, thus reducing the interest in your house and potentially moving onto the next one.
Staged by Livia Drennan Interior Design
Some important advice we give to homeowners is to start this process early, even if you are not thinking of selling immediately. By de-cluttering and repairing or renovating early you can enjoy the benefits for a few years. Starting early is recommended for several reasons: Less Stress – Better Pricing – Enjoyment of the final outcome!
Staged by Livia Drennan Interior Design
2) We heard that staging our house is important. Is that true?
Yes! On average, a staged house sells for more money and faster than a home that's left as is (*).
Staging presents buyers a stage onto which they can play out their future home-owning dreams, seeing themselves living in your house. Good staging involves imagining a certain type of family living in the house, or a certain demographic. For example, a child’s bedroom tastefully decorated with bins and toys gives the “future little owners” a taste of how playing in that room might feel like. An organized and bright laundry area makes the mother think, “finally I can enjoy doing laundry” ;)
Designed by Livia Drennan Interior Design
Choosing neutral paint colours and removing family photos gives the future home owners a blank canvass that they can mentally fill with their own loved ones making new memories. Each person is different, so the perfect colour for one family may be a turn-off for the next, so using neutrals on the walls allows buyers to better visualize what is possible in their case.
Staged by Livia Drennan Interior Design
First impression really matters and a great image requires a clean, well-maintained home. Hire a cleaning company to give your house a deep clean, or do it yourself. Strive to put your best foot forward, and you will enjoy better results from your sale. If you are unsure of your home’s condition, or if your home is older, consider a pre-sale home inspection. This way, issues can be fixed before the buyer’s inspection; helping the sale go more smoothly at the end. Being ready for a buyer's inspection will help eliminate that unknown and some stress in the house sale process.
If you would like help when you are ready to sell your house, give us a call!
We hope you found this information of value, stay tuned for parts 2 & 3!
Livia Drennan | Interior Design & True Colour Expert
(905)-484-0279
AND
Edward Drennan, Sales Representative, SRES, P.Eng.
Your Trusted Partner in Real Estate
(289)-838-5105
Not intended to solicit buyers and sellers currently under contract with another brokerage
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