When you’re selling your home, you may find buyers who want to see it later in the evening, when it’s dark outside. In that circumstance, effective home lighting becomes more important. 

• The best place to start is with exterior lighting. If you have soft ground lamps on the walkway, make sure those are turned on. That will make for a more pleasant and inviting trip up the walkway. 
• Do you have motion detection lighting? Make sure those are set to continuous lighting. It can be jarring for a buyer to be hit with an unexpected beam of bright light when walking to your door.
• Also, check the brightness of exterior lights. If they are bordering on blinding, replace the bulbs with lower wattage options.
• Inside the home, keep curtains and other window coverings open. Although it may be dark outside, an unobstructed window will help make the room seem more inviting and spacious.
• Turn on your full lighting system in the backyard. Make that outdoor space enticing for buyers to check out.
• If you have dark areas in your home, such as a basement room or walk-in closet, explore ways to light it better.
• Overall, you want the lighting to help buyers see and appreciate the best qualities of your property.

Want more advice on selling your home? Call today.

There are numerous reasons why you might need to sell early in the year. Perhaps you even need to sell this month! Whatever your reasons, preparation is key. Make the right moves now and your sale is likely to go smoothly and successfully.

Follow these tips:

1. Make a list of what needs to be done around the property to prepare it for listing. That includes decluttering, cleaning, getting needed repairs done, and so forth. 
2. Schedule those tasks. On a calendar or planner, block out ample time to do everything on your list. Give yourself a time buffer because things can often take longer to do than expected.
3. Get help. You don’t need to do everything yourself. Consider hiring a painter, contractor, cleaning service, and other professionals. Outsourcing can reduce a lot of the stress of selling while ensuring your property is prepared in time.
4. Dispose of unwanted items that may have accumulated over the years in the garage, basement, and closets. You can have a yard sale, sell stuff online, donate items to charity, or take them to your local recycling centre.
5. Free up your schedule during the period you expect your property to be on the market. You want your home to be accessible for showings as often as possible, giving prospective buyers a lot of flexibility when scheduling. 

The idea is to get your property as “sale-ready” as possible — as early in the year as possible. That way, when it comes time to list your home, you won’t have to scramble to get it ready. The hard work will be done and you’ll be able to focus on selling your property quickly and for the best price.

Want more tips on preparing your home for sale? Wondering if you should sell first or buy first?  Call me today.

When preparing your home for sale, you need to fix things up, declutter, perhaps slap a fresh coat of paint on a few walls. That’s all part of getting your property ready for buyers. 

But there’s another type of preparation that you also need to do. And, the sooner you do it, the less stressful your move will be. 

You need to get all your paperwork together.

Here’s what to gather:

• Property documents such as deeds, easements, surveys, liens, etc.
• Mortgage documents, plus any other loans (i.e., line of credit) that use the property as collateral.
• Maintenance and service agreements that may continue with the new owners.
• Warranties and guarantees that are transferrable to the new owners.
• Recent utility bills, such as water, electricity, etc.
• Rentals (i.e., water heater rental.)
• Home security agreements and codes. 
• Contracts for any work done on an ongoing basis. For example, lawn maintenance. 

Getting these records together early will ensure you’re not scrambling at the last minute to find them. Some of these documents, such as warranties, also make for attractive selling features.

When considering whether or not to sell their home, many people think about market conditions. They consider whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. They look at trends. They try to time the sale to get the best price for
their property. 

While market conditions certainly can play a role in deciding whether you should sell now rather than later, many other factors can influence that decision too.

For example, you might have outgrown your home and need more space. Perhaps you need an extra bedroom or a larger kitchen. If you wait until market conditions are perfect, you may languish for months — or even years — in a home that’s too small for you.

The same can be said for downsizing. 

Another “non-market” reason you might want to sell your home sooner rather than later is the neighbourhood. Is there another community more suited to your lifestyle that you want to get into? If it’s a particularly desirable area, you don’t want to wait too long to make a move. If you do, you might lose some good opportunities.

There’s also the emotional side of the decision to consider. You might simply want to move for no other reason than you need a change. That’s as good a reason as any to put up the For Sale sign and find your next dream home.

Other non-market reasons for selling include:

• Wanting a shorter commute to work.
• Desiring a different style of neighbourhood. (Rural rather than urban.)
• A change in family situation.
• Living closer to relatives and friends.
• Wanting a particular property feature, such as a backyard with
  mature trees.

The point is, don’t just consider market conditions when deciding to sell. Look at all the reasons and then move forward with confidence. After all, you can sell and buy in any market.

What is it about your property that stands out? What will buyers like most about it? What are your home’s most enticing features?

Answering those questions will help you determine which features to emphasize when selling your home. After all, you want buyers to notice and appreciate your property’s best characteristics.

But here’s the challenge…

It can be difficult to determine which features of your home are particularly desirable to buyers. You live there! So, there might be a fantastic characteristic of your property that you’ve gotten used to. You might not even realize its value.

One way to gain perspective is to ask friends, “What is it about our property that you like most? What stands out to you?” Ask them to be candid. Often, they’ll reveal characteristics about your home that may surprise you. You’ll definitely gain insights that will help you when listing.

Another technique is to compare your property to others in the neighbourhood. Buyers often target neighbourhoods, so realizing how your home stands out can be helpful when marketing it. For example, your property might have a larger backyard than most others on the street, or it might have a lot of recent upgrades.

Another way to discover your home’s most attractive features is to talk to me. I can tell you what buyers will like most about your property.

When prospective buyers view your property, you hope they will think it’s the perfect fit for them. It might well be. However, there are things that can get in the way of a buyer recognizing that perfect fit and making an offer.

Take a look at these common reasons why some buyers will walk away from an otherwise ideal property:

Poor staging. Is staging really that important? According to several studies, an effectively staged home will usually sell faster and for a higher price. Staging not only makes your home look good to buyers, it also shows off all the positive characteristics of your property.

Clutter. Psychologists tell us that clutter often makes people uneasy. That’s definitely not the feeling you want to convey when showing your property! Also, clutter is more apparent to visitors than it may be to you. So, if you have a room that seems a bit cramped to you, imagine how it feels to the buyer.

Maintenance issues. Just as clutter does, maintenance issues make buyers uneasy. If they see a dripping faucet in the bathroom, they may worry there are more serious issues lurking elsewhere. Also, maintenance issues are distracting. (Buyers will notice the faucet leak rather than the beautiful tiles.) So, get any needed repairs done when preparing your home for sale.

List price. Setting the list price is both an art and a science. You want the price to attract as many qualified buyers as possible. If it’s set too high — or even too low — buyers who might have otherwise made an offer won’t even bother to see your property. Make sure your home is priced right.

The good news is, these situations are easy to avoid. So don’t give buyers reasons not to like your property, especially if it may be ideal for them. Make sure your home shows its best.