Imagine you’re viewing a home for sale. You venture to the basement, check out the furnace room, and notice the water heater. Is it owned or rented? As a potential buyer, you’d want to know.

Now imagine a property you’re viewing has a brand-new gas fireplace. Nice! Is it under warranty? Is that warranty transferrable to you if you buy the home? Again, you’d want to know.

So, when you’re selling, it’s important to pull together all the necessary records you will need in order to answer these types of buyer questions. After all, if a particular warranty transfers to the new owner, that’s a selling point.

Take the time to find receipts, warranty certificates, and other documents related to:

• Renovations (such as a bathroom makeover)

• Major repairs or replacements (such as a new air conditioner)

• Service prepayments (such as a lawncare service paid annually)

• Purchases of major appliances and other items

Keep in mind that you may have purchased extended warranties or maintenance agreements at the time of purchase. Those may transfer to the new owner.

Also note that some guarantees or service agreements transfer automatically while others require the new owner to initiate that transfer. These documents could potentially add a few more benefits to buying your home. So, it’s worth the time it takes to dig them out!

As you may know, a fresh coat of paint is an inexpensive way to make your home look great to buyers. But, what if you don’t have time to paint the entire place? Here are three areas you should prioritize—and one you can  potentially ignore.

1. Rooms with bold colours
A red bedroom and orange walk-in closet likely won’t appeal to everyone! Replacing personalized colours with a neutral colour scheme will present buyers with a “blank canvas” to which they can add their own personal touch.

2. Kitchen
When buyers view your home they linger in the kitchen, which makes it a key selling point. A new paint job will instantly make the space look cleaner and more inviting.

3. Interior doors
These become worn due to being touched multiple times a day, yet are often overlooked when painting. A new coat of paint on key doors, such as those for bedrooms and washrooms, can make a significant impact on the look of your home.

By the way, you may be able to pass on painting exterior doors. They’re often coated with a durable weather-resistant enamel and don’t usually need more than a good wash.

Like most homeowners, you probably don’t think of your property as just a building with rooms and a backyard. To you, it’s much more than that. It’s a home.

When you walk into your dining room, for example, you don’t merely see the table and chairs. You see memories. You recall laughter with family and friends. It’s emotional.

That’s what a home is all about.

However, buyers don’t want to buy your “home”. What they really want to buy is a property that has the potential to become THEIR home.

While you see memories of family dinners, they see room dimensions and what the dining room may look like with their furniture in it.

That’s why, when you’re selling your property, you need to keep emotions at bay as much as possible.

In fact, the best mindset is to think of your property as a product. The more attractively you present that product to prospective buyers, the more likely you are to get good offers.

That’s why cleaning, depersonalizing, and staging are so important.

It’s also why setting a price that aligns with your home’s current market value is important. You may have put your heart and soul — and many weekends — into landscaping the backyard to make it a summer oasis. It may, in fact, be a strong selling point of your property. But that improvement will only add to the selling price an amount that the market, not your emotions, dictates.

So keep emotions out of the selling process as much as possible. Save that energy for turning your next property into your dream home.

Want more tips on selling your property for the best price possible? Call today.

Where do buyers form the most lasting impression of a home for sale that they visit? On the main floor!

When buyers view a property, they often spend a lot of time on the main floor, thinking and imagining. They visualize cooking in the kitchen, having family dinners in the dining room, and entertaining guests in the living room. They even mentally calculate how their furniture will fit!

So, making the main floor look great to buyers is crucial when selling your property. How do you do that?

An effective technique is to walk your main floor the way a buyer would. Start at your front entrance. Stand there for a moment and look around. Get a sense of the impression a buyer is likely to get from that perspective.

Next, walk to the kitchen area, because that’s where buyers often venture next. Again, linger a while and look around. Does the kitchen look clean and seem as spacious as possible (given its size)?

Finally, check out the other rooms on the main floor, including the washroom, if there is one. Gauge how you feel and the impression you form as you visit these spaces.

Once you’ve done that mock tour, write down ideas that jumped out at you for improvements. Those may include uncluttering some areas, rearranging the furniture, adding or taking away items, etc.

This is a simple but powerful technique for improving how your main floor looks to buyers.

Call today for more staging ideas that will make your home sell faster and for a good price.

Staging is all about dressing up your home so that it looks its best to buyers. This can involve anything from rearranging furniture and doing some home improvements, to painting and redecorating, to even replacing existing furnishings and other items. The goal is to make key rooms look worthy of a magazine cover!

But is it worth the effort? Can’t you just clean and tidy and, perhaps, do a little painting?

Sometimes you can — especially if your home is in high demand and likely to get multiple offers.

However, in most cases, staging can help sell your property faster and for a higher price.

In fact, studies done by the home staging industry consistently reveal that staged homes sell for an average of 5-23% above list price. (That varies, of course, depending on the local market.)

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to do extensive staging. You may, for example, be able to focus on only key rooms on the main floor — where buyers tend to form their lasting impressions — and then simply clean and declutter the other rooms.

When it comes to staging, you have many options. Each home is different and will have different staging needs.

Want to find out how staging may impact the sale of your property? Call today.

When you think about selling your property, do you dwell on the possible work and stress involved? You're not alone. Many homeowners share the same concerns. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In fact, there are plenty of ways to add some fun, anticipation, and even a sense of adventure to the selling process. Here are just a few ideas:

• Plan fun things to do when your home is being shown. That can include walks, sports activities, or trying something you and your family have never done before.
• Declutter for your own benefit. Instead of thinking about decluttering as a chore required for the sale, focus instead on how much more comfortable your home will be after decluttering. Studies consistently show that less clutter reduces stress and increases a sense of wellbeing.
• Get everyone in your home anticipating the move in a positive way. Put pictures of your next home, including neighbourhood shots, on the fridge door. Sit together on the computer and explore your new neighbourhood's features and amenities.
• Celebrate milestones in the selling process. For example, when you're finished preparing your property for sale, go out to celebrate. Make a checklist of milestones and how you'll celebrate each one.
• Get the help you need. A big part of the stress of selling is the anticipated work involved. Remember, you don't have to do it all yourself. Much of what needs to be done can be handled by contractors and other professionals.

There are many other ways to make selling your home a positive and turbulent free experience. Give me a call if you'd like more ideas and suggestions.

Your front walkway is one of the first sections of real estate a buyer will set foot on when coming to see your home. So, it makes sense to make that pathway to your front door as appealing as possible.

The obvious way is to make it as clean and clear as you can. Ensure there are no obstacles in the way, such as overhanging branches, kid's toys, or potted plants. What you want is a clear, unobstructed and pleasant walk to your main entranceway.

If your walkway needs deeper cleaning, consider a power wash. There are special detergents available that are designed specifically for stone, asphalt or cement walkways and other outdoor surfaces.

A deep cleaning isn't a major project. In most cases, the job can be done within an hour. Yet, the result can be stunning.

If you're selling in the spring or summer, another way to make your walkway look better is to add flowers or other plants along the sides. Don't overdo it. You only need a few flowers or a couple of shrubs to make a big difference.

The great thing about adding a few flowers or shrubs is the impact they can have on your entire frontage making it more attractive, and adding to your home's overall curb appeal.

Making your walkway look better may seem minor, but keep in mind that when buyers make their way to your front door, they're forming their first and often most important impression of your property. The walkway plays a small but important role in making it a good one.

Want more ideas for making your home show better, so it sells quicker and for a higher price? Call me.

If you’re going to be out-of-town but need to sell you home, you might be concerned about listing your property while you’re away. After all, you won’t be around to show your property, schedule viewings, consider offers, etc.

While it’s ideal that you be close to home when you’re selling, there’s no reason why you can’t list your property, even if you’re going to be out-of-town.

When it comes to communications and document sharing, technology is a wonderful thing! While you’re away, you can utilize phone, email, file sharing apps (such as Dropbox), e-signing apps (such as DocuSign) and, online meeting apps (such as Zoom).

For viewing appointments, a secure lock box (with your key inside) can be installed so buyers can be shown your property.

Even services such as staging, painting, repair work, and cleaning can be done while you’re away.

Sure, the selling process can become a little more challenging if you’re going to be out-of-town, but certainly not impossible. In fact, homes are sold all the time under these circumstances.

So, if you’re thinking of selling but worried about being away, give me a call. I’ll show you how to make it work.

If you’re thinking about selling in the spring, don’t wait until the new year to start planning. In fact, you’ll save yourself a lot of work and get ahead of the game if you start planning now.

What’s that old saying? The early bird gets the worm! In this case, by starting the process this month, you’ll be in excellent shape when you’re ready to list in the spring.

Here are just a few examples of what you can do in December to get the process started:

• Walk your property and note any maintenance issues that need attention.

• Decide which items to stow or sell to declutter your home.

• Determine what improvements you’ll need to make in order for your home to look great to buyers (i.e. painting.)

• Find out approximately how much your property will likely sell for in the spring market.

• Clarify the kind of new home you’d like to move into, including ideal neighbourhoods.

• Look into your financing options, so you’ll know the price range you’ll be shopping within.

• Connect with any professionals you may need, such as contractors, a mover, and a real estate lawyer.

• Take advantage of any December shopping deals for products you may need, such as home improvement project materials, packing supplies, etc.

As you can see, the more prepared you are this month, the more stress-free and successful the home selling process will be for you in the spring.

And one more tip: contact me to get the conversation started about selling your home in the new year. It’s coming fast!

If you need to sell your home in the next month or two, you might be worried. After all, aren’t spring and summer the ideal seasons to list your property? If you list in November or December, you might have difficulties attracting buyers and getting the best price for your home. Right?

Not necessarily.

While it’s true that spring and summer are traditionally busy periods in the realestate market, properties do sell every month of the year.

So, if you’re thinking of selling, you’ll need to know two things:

• What comparable homes are selling for at this time of year.

• How long homes are taking to sell, on average.

There might be a local seller’s market this month. That would mean there are more buyers looking for homes like yours than there are sellers. If that’s the case, your property will likely sell fairly quickly; perhaps you’ll even get multiple offers.

But, even if there’s a buyer’s market at this moment, that doesn’t mean your property won’t sell. It just means your home will need to be staged and marketed effectively to attract the right buyers and pique their interest in making an offer.

Regardless of the market, chances are, there are buyers out there looking for a home like yours. They just need to find out about it, become interested in viewing it, and be wowed when they see it.

So, don’t be too concerned about the month. If you’re ready to sell, there’s a way to make it happen.

Call me for more details.

When you’re selling your home, you want it to look its best. You want buyers who view it to say, “Wow, I love this place!” However, what if you have a stubborn stain in the carpet, or a cracked floor tile? An unsightly issue like that can be distracting in your otherwise beautiful property.

You have a few options.

First, try to get the issue fixed. There are specialty cleaners on the market designed to lift even the most stubborn carpet stains. The same goes for hardwood and tile. A flooring contractor might be able to

find a matching piece and then replace the damaged section. Contractors also know other tricks-of-the-trade to repair damaged flooring or, at least, minimize the damage. For example, there are fillers and stains available that can make a crack or chip in a hardwood plank look almost invisible.

Home staging can also make damaged flooring less of a focal point in the room. An effective arrangement of furniture, area rugs, and other items puts more of the focus on the overall decor and less on that carpet stain.

In addition, making other more affordable improvements, such as painting, can have a compensatory effect. A buyer may notice the chipped hardwood, but will also notice the walls, which look like new.