When we as homeowners make the decision to put our homes on the market, we hope that it won't take forever to complete the sale! We may have our new home picked out, we may be moving… none of us enjoy the wait! So how can we, as the seller, help speed up the process? How can we give our realtors a hand? I've identified some great tips below to help you get started on the right foot!
1. Price it right! We all want to make a good return when we are selling our home and we select real estate agents to help us accomplish this right? RIGHT!!! : ) Realtors are the experts. Relying on their expertise is the way to go. After all, it's the agent who completes the appraisal, it’s the agent who compares your property to others that are on the market and to others that have sold in your area. Realtors can give some excellent insight concerning a fair and reasonable price. The market in the St. John’s area right now is reporting 2700 homes in inventory and only 10% of listings are selling… you want to be in that 10%. Choosing the right Agency- like “RE/MAX Infinity Inc. *Team Burton* can help you with all your real estate needs and work with you to get the job done and complete the sale!
2. Clear out the clutter! One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-clutter and de-personalize it. No one wants to see 400 pictures of your little doll faced children or the family pet- no matter how sweet and treasured they may be! People like clean and fresh, people like space, people like the light shining in through clean windows and people like half empty closets, where they can see room for storage. If the walls are littered with pictures: de-personalize! If every counter and corner is ladened down with trinkets and keep sakes: de-clutter. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff– put it in storage. Arrange your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space. All of this is tried, tested and true!
3. Kitchens & bathrooms are more impt that you think! Buyers are tuned off by a crappy kitchen and bathroom. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen/bathroom updates include but are not limited to: painting and new cabinet hardware. Don’t go crazy and paint it all bright yellow!!! Use a neutral-color paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas, where they can start envisioning their own style. Also, make sure these rooms are spic and span… actually make sure the whole house is! People feel good about fresh, clean houses and you want them to feel good about your house- so they will buy it! :)
4. Curb appeal! Remember! you need to get buyers in the door, so make sure your lawn is in decent shape. Unless you are a “Martha” in disguise- less is more and people generally like landscaping that they can work with- a fresh canvas so to speak, so don’t go too crazy with the shrubs and flowers! Keep your lawn watered and mowed, sweep and spray down your decks and steps and make sure the paint/ stain is fresh on both!
5. Neutrals may be a bit boring but they work! If rooms are painted bright colours, you should consider a quick coat of neutral paint… it gives rooms a whole new feel of freshness! New blinds or inexpensive curtains can also help to brighten and freshen the room!
6. Hide Waldo… or Fido… or whatever his name is! Some people love pets, some people not so much! Some people are allergic to dogs/ cats and there’s nothing worse than leaving a home that you just viewed being covered in pet hair. Also, litter boxes and dog food bowls, with slobber all over them, doesn’t really do anything for most people! This might be a good time to send your pet on vacay to grandma’s or at the very least, make sure the house is clean from pet hair/ odour and take your little fur ball with you when you leave for the showing.
These are just a few tips to get you thinking and to potentially help you sell faster! The average home in the St. John’s market right now is listed for 84 days! Get yourself on the short list by implementing some of these changes.
*** Fun trivia! According to the Google-gods, the front door that gets the best results for the most attention from prospective buyers is RED! Red is bold, bright, fun and apparently very welcoming! Yellow runs a close second, according to one website I visited, it’s considered a happy colour and is very “feel-good”! Who am I to judge?! I have a black door!!!
Happy selling folks! Visit again soon!
1. Price it right! We all want to make a good return when we are selling our home and we select real estate agents to help us accomplish this right? RIGHT!!! : ) Realtors are the experts. Relying on their expertise is the way to go. After all, it's the agent who completes the appraisal, it’s the agent who compares your property to others that are on the market and to others that have sold in your area. Realtors can give some excellent insight concerning a fair and reasonable price. The market in the St. John’s area right now is reporting 2700 homes in inventory and only 10% of listings are selling… you want to be in that 10%. Choosing the right Agency- like “RE/MAX Infinity Inc. *Team Burton* can help you with all your real estate needs and work with you to get the job done and complete the sale!
2. Clear out the clutter! One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-clutter and de-personalize it. No one wants to see 400 pictures of your little doll faced children or the family pet- no matter how sweet and treasured they may be! People like clean and fresh, people like space, people like the light shining in through clean windows and people like half empty closets, where they can see room for storage. If the walls are littered with pictures: de-personalize! If every counter and corner is ladened down with trinkets and keep sakes: de-clutter. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff– put it in storage. Arrange your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space. All of this is tried, tested and true!
3. Kitchens & bathrooms are more impt that you think! Buyers are tuned off by a crappy kitchen and bathroom. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen/bathroom updates include but are not limited to: painting and new cabinet hardware. Don’t go crazy and paint it all bright yellow!!! Use a neutral-color paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas, where they can start envisioning their own style. Also, make sure these rooms are spic and span… actually make sure the whole house is! People feel good about fresh, clean houses and you want them to feel good about your house- so they will buy it! :)
4. Curb appeal! Remember! you need to get buyers in the door, so make sure your lawn is in decent shape. Unless you are a “Martha” in disguise- less is more and people generally like landscaping that they can work with- a fresh canvas so to speak, so don’t go too crazy with the shrubs and flowers! Keep your lawn watered and mowed, sweep and spray down your decks and steps and make sure the paint/ stain is fresh on both!
5. Neutrals may be a bit boring but they work! If rooms are painted bright colours, you should consider a quick coat of neutral paint… it gives rooms a whole new feel of freshness! New blinds or inexpensive curtains can also help to brighten and freshen the room!
6. Hide Waldo… or Fido… or whatever his name is! Some people love pets, some people not so much! Some people are allergic to dogs/ cats and there’s nothing worse than leaving a home that you just viewed being covered in pet hair. Also, litter boxes and dog food bowls, with slobber all over them, doesn’t really do anything for most people! This might be a good time to send your pet on vacay to grandma’s or at the very least, make sure the house is clean from pet hair/ odour and take your little fur ball with you when you leave for the showing.
These are just a few tips to get you thinking and to potentially help you sell faster! The average home in the St. John’s market right now is listed for 84 days! Get yourself on the short list by implementing some of these changes.
*** Fun trivia! According to the Google-gods, the front door that gets the best results for the most attention from prospective buyers is RED! Red is bold, bright, fun and apparently very welcoming! Yellow runs a close second, according to one website I visited, it’s considered a happy colour and is very “feel-good”! Who am I to judge?! I have a black door!!!
Happy selling folks! Visit again soon!
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