How to Sell Your Existing Property!
Tips and tricks on neutralizing the senses, removing personal memorabilia, and creating a beautiful blank canvas for your potential homebuyers. Our how-to-guide on moving into your new home faster!
Curb Appeal
Your homes’ curb appeal sets centre stage, it’s the first impression. Ensure your home is impressive from the inside out, or in this case–the outside in. The idea is to impress your potential homebuyers when they drive up to your home! Their first impression sets the tone for the entire viewing! With that said, sweep the walk, weed the flowerbeds, introduce planters and definitely Windex the glass!
Depersonalize
Create a blank canvas for your potential buyers to imagine their lives in your home. The easiest way to tackle this task is by removing family photos and replacing memorabilia with generic artwork. It’s a little sad at first, but you have to trust the process! Put everything away neatly in a storage bin, (not a closet) where your potential buyer could peek into next!
Deep Clean
This is not optional! To get the best results, you absolutely need to invest some time or money in a deep clean. We’re talking about a kitchen cabinet detail, a sparkling fridge & freezer, steam cleaned carpets, dry cleaned sofa covers and window coverings. Bathrooms with glass should be free of water and soap scum, CLR those plumbing fixtures and get rid of calcium build up! Replace your shower curtain liners and light bulbs that are burned out. It’s the little things that go a long way!
Availability
Keep your doors open! Think about how many properties a real estate agent will take their purchase-ready clients. You want to be an option on that list every time! The more available your home is to show, the better chance you have to sell faster. Keep your space clean, and ready to show as often as possible.
Repaint
Paint is the easiest and most cost-effective way to refresh your interior space! It’s afforable, with a massive visual impact. Clean neutral walls with un-scuffed baseboards will instantly pay off. You want to give your buyers a blank canvas to imagine their homeownership. If you’re looking at only painting the walls, focus on eliminating personal style. And, depending on the condition of your baseboard replacing them is sometimes a better option. Switching a 3” traditional board out with a 4” – 5” flat contemporary baseboard will totally up your resale game.
Declutter
It’s in our nature to snoop! As invasive as it seems, wouldn’t you want to see how big the closet in your new potential home is? Or what kind of shelving the pantry hosts? It’s hard to envision your home without the clutter you’re used to. Even if the pantry is an organized mess, we suggest you take care of clearing out as much clutter as possible! So grab those totes and fill them with all the dry food you haven’t touched since last Christmas, de-junk, and revisit the closets with a judgemental eye. Everything you don’t need can be taken to a second-hand store, or local food bank.
Odourless
You know that nostalgic scent when you open a pine scented candle over the holidays? Or how crisp September air smells like the first day of school? These are good memories, for some–but they’re not for everyone. Here’s where we’re going with this–your great sense in fragrance or room scent may not sit well with everyone. It doesn’t matter what kind of cookies you throw in the oven, or how much lavender air freshener you spray–sense of smell is totally subjective. Our suggestion us to keep your home as fragrance-free as possible, no smell is a good smell!