Selling

Preparing your Home to Sell

How to get your house ready?

The house that smells clean and looks clean will sell quicker than a shabby neighbour,
regardless of the fact that both are maintained and structurally similar.

It is a well known fact that a “sparkling-house” appeals to many more buyers than a shabby one. It is documented that a house with a high shine will fetch a higher price. When you are getting ready to sell, you should think about doing the following things.

“How much should we spend fixing and polishing?”

Rule of thumb is to spend as little as possible in order to get your house sold. Even though buyers will be happy and impressed that you spent a bundle to get a new roof they are unlikely to want to shell out any extra for it.

So there is a big difference between new paint and doorknobs and installing an entirely new kitchen. A good realtor can help you determine the difference. If you are ever in doubt, please contact Zeena Taghvai and find out what is too much or too little to spend.

 

What should I do to the exterior?

There are many small and fairly inexpensive exterior things that you can
do to increase the resale value of your home. Here are some tips to increase your homes value.

  • Make sure that your lawn is freshly cut, watered and healthy looking.
  • Weed your lawn and flowers, trim your hedges and prune the trees.
  • Patch any cracks in the steps, walks and patio.
  • Make sure that your doors and window moldings are freshly painted.
  • Maintain your gutters
  • Have your chimney cleaned
  • Repair any damaged roof shingles
  • Check your siding and caulking.
  • If it is winter in the north, keep your walk shoveled neatly.
  • Put out fresh flower pots or other “nice-looking” items
  • Check the e-seal on an asphalt driveway.
  • Make sure your Garage door is closed
  • Make sure that you aren’t storing messy items while the house is for sale. (old cars, broken motorcycles etc.)

 

How do I prepare the interior?

Give every room a very thorough cleaning with a nice fresh smelling cleaner. This will give your home a roomier feel and make the viewer appreciate the home more. If you have a cluttered space you may want to have some things moved out to accommodate a larger feel.

Buy some decorating books and evaluate how your home ranks and what you could do to improve it.

  • You may want to hire a professional cleaning service to come in every week or two weeks for a few hours while your home is on the market. If you are a busy professional couple this could be a good investment.
  • In order to facilitate a neater cleaner area you could remove some of the less used things from counter tops. Put away some of the less attractive things all around the house to give a neater inviting feel. You may consider a garage sale to get rid of some items that have been stored all winter.
  • Give your walls a nice neutral color that is non-offensive. They can always change it but it has been proved that lighter paint and more neutrals give a larger, cleaner feel to a home.
  • Check for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
  • Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
  • Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspect and repair the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.
  • Repair dripping faucets and showerheads. Buy showy new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way.
  • Sprucing up a kitchen in need of more major remodelling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral