Top Ten Tips to Sell Your Home

A cost effective replacement option is carpeting.  Carpet is less expensive than vinyl, tile, laminate or hardwood.  Again, neutral flooring needs to be installed.  Today’s homebuyers are looking for hardwood flooring and generally these homes sell faster.

This means that you will need to pack away and store out of season items.  Go through every closet and remove 2/3 of your items you have stored there.  Do this for the kitchen and bathroom drawers and cupboards.

Yes, we have all heard this one.  It is more than just removing your family photos.  It is removing all the things that emotionally block a buyer from connecting to feeling it is a home they can picture themselves living in.  Buyers need to feel an emotional connection in order to buy a house.

Yes, we have all heard this one too.  Decluttering to live in is very different from decluttering to move.

If a buyer smells offensive odours they will immediately not feel that they want to live there.  You must eliminate all offensive odours.  This includes last night’s fish dinner, smoking odours, and pet odours.  Buyers make a decision about a home within the first few minutes.  Remember buyers buy based on an emotional connection to the home.

Upgrade lighting fixtures to what is the current trend.

If these rooms are not comparable to other homes in your area that are on the market then you can expect a lower price.  Buyers today prefer granite counter tops.  Consider replacing your 20-year-old tile and grout countertops with a new less expensive option than slab granite.  You can get a comparable look by using granite tile and it will not break your budget.  Finish the upgrade by adding a new faucet and hardware.  If your appliances are showing their age, then consider replacing them.  Your real estate agent can advertize that the kitchen has been updated and has new appliances.

Replace or paint the front door.  Painting the front door in a bold color will increase the overall curb appeal.  you want the front door to say “Welcome.”  Add a new welcome mat.  Do not buy a welcome mat that says “GO AWAY or WIPE YOUR PAWS.”  In the spring/summer place potted plants at the front door.  Place a bistro set at the front entrance.  Clean up the yard.  Remove any unhealthy and overgrown shrubs.  Keep the lawn trimmed and green.

Interview at least two realtors before selecting the best fit for you.  Never choose a realtor based on the highest selling price quoted for your home.