There are several ways to make the selling process easy and relatively stressfree. One way is to create a selling timeline that fits your needs, lifestyle, and capabilities.

Say you’d like to list your home in four weeks and expect it to be on the market for an additional four weeks. That’s an eight-week timeline. How do you create a manageable schedule that works for you? Try these steps:

1. Determine what you need to do to get your home ready for sale.

2. Assign who will be doing what. For example, if you need to paint, will you hire a contractor? Do it yourself? Make a family day out of it?

3. Estimate the time it will take to do those tasks. Then add 50% as a buffer. (It’s easy to underestimate time on tasks.)

4. Look at your current schedule and block out times on your calendar so you can complete those tasks at a comfortable pace.

Go through these same steps for other selling activities, such as finding and meeting with a real estate lawyer, having buyers come to see your property, etc.

When you create a manageable — and realistic — schedule, you may find that most of the stress and worry of selling evaporates. A manageable schedule also ensures you won’t miss anything and then have to scramble.

When prospective buyers visit your listed home, the room they tend to check out most closely is the kitchen. So, it pays to ensure it looks its best.

However, no matter how tidy, clean, and well-adorned you’ve made your kitchen, there are some issues — which can seem minor — that can distract a buyer from appreciating those positive qualities.

Here are just a few to watch out for:

1. Stained sink. Use a specialized cleaner for the type of sink you have. (For example, Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner.)

2. Garbage in the garbage bin. Buyers don’t mind seeing the bin, just not garbage in it! Don’t forget to also empty the organic waste bin.

3. Left-over cooking scents. Avoid cooking anything prior to a viewing that may create lingering odours. For example, not everyone appreciates the aroma of spaghetti sauce!

4. Cluttered countertops. You want the countertops to look spacious to buyers. So remove any items that don’t absolutely need to be there.

5. Old or worn mat in front of the sink. Replace it.

6. Cluttered or disorganized cupboards. Declutter and organize your cupboards. Buyers are most likely to open upper cabinets.

7. Poor lighting. You want the lighting in your kitchen to be bright (but not blinding) and evenly distributed.

8. Damaged or stained countertops. Replacing your countertops can improve your kitchen's look considerably, so it might be worth the investment.

Would you like more suggestions on how to stage your home so that it gains the interest of buyers? Contact us today!

A total of 705 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this June, 15.2 per cent more than the 612 properties sold in June 2022 and a 9 per cent decrease from May 2023. Sales of condominiums were up 19.8 per cent from June 2022 with 242 units sold. Sales of single family homes increased 6.6 per cent from June 2022 with 322 sold.

“As we consider the first half of the year, we see a return to a more traditional sales trend which follows the seasons,” said Victoria Real Estate Board Chair Graden Sol. “During and shortly after the pandemic, we couldn’t rely on our usual comparisons to explain the market. This year we have seen a return to a seasonal pattern, where the sales are slower through the winter and may peak in the spring. This seasonal trend is generally followed by a summer market which remains stable but is not as highly active.”

There were 2,342 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of June 2023, an increase of 7 per cent compared to the previous month of May and a 13.7 per cent increase from the 2,059 active listings for sale at the end of June 2022.

“We have seen a small increase in inventory over the month of June,” adds Sol. “This inventory is very welcome, as we are still low on available listings for sale compared to historical counts. If inventory continues to rise, we may see prices stabilize further – another reminder of how important it is to add supply to the marketplace where possible. Well-priced properties are still selling rapidly while benchmark pricing remains reasonably level. In terms of pace and stability this is good news for sellers and buyers and hopefully heralds a summer of positive real estate transactions. To ensure that your transaction goes smoothly, engage a local REALTOR® to assist. Your Realtor knows the up-to-the-minute information for Victoria and how to navigate the market.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in June 2022 was $1,408,500. The benchmark value for the same home in June 2023 decreased by 7 per cent to $1,310,100, which is up from May’s value of $1,297,600. The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area in June 2022 was $615,200, while the benchmark value for the same condominium in June 2023 decreased by 9 per cent to $573,800, which is up from the May value of $569,300.