10 things you can do to prepare your home
1- Fix all the small stuff. Consider the benefits of having your home inspected BEFORE you list it for sale - it is the best way to ensure you know any and all quirks about your home that could be alarming or a potential deterrent to a buyer!
DID YOU KNOW that if you choose to have me represent you with the sale of your home/property, I ALWAYS PAY to have your home pre-inspected prior to listing it?? This ensures, there are no surprises FOR YOU after negotiating an offer with a buyer!! Should a buyer still wish to proceed and have their own inspection completed on during a conditional period they can do so, but we won’t be blind-sided!
I always suggest that you tend to or address any minor updates or address and safety issues prior to putting your house on the market! It is the easiest way to ensure that the buyer feels confident your home! The more confidence a buyer has, the more likely you are to sell it quicker, and for more money!
2 - Get rid of oversized and excess furniture. The less furniture you have in your house, the larger it will appear when buyers are touring it. Sell or donate pieces you don’t plan to move to your new home store large pieces or any items that don’t fit aesthetically. You can rent storage pods, fill them yourself and have them delivered to your new home or a storage facility until closing.
3 - Clear out all the clutter. That can be everything from magazines on a side table to the kids’ boots in the hall to your blender on the kitchen counter & magnets on the fridge. Ideally, the home should look sleek and minimalist in order to appear inviting in photos. Put everything you can away, but don’t overfill closets because prospective buyers will look there, too! Organize those closets and under the counters so that a prospective buyer can see all the storage available & examine the condition of plumbing/fixtures
4 - Depersonalize. Your home may reflect your life, but you want new people to visualize themselves living in it. That means removing family photos, trophies and any political or religious décor items. Strive for a clean slate! As sterile as it feels it will help you achieve more in the long run!
5 - Deep clean your home. Everything needs to be cleaned thoroughly inside and out. You’ll want to clean out closets, wash all the windows and have the carpets cleaned. Kitchens and bathrooms should sparkle as these are typically the most important rooms for buyers! Also be mindful of pet smells & hair/damage from pets (like torn screens, chewed trim etc.). Avoid heavy perfume scents, candles or “plug ins” - some people are extra sensitive or even allergic and you don’t want them to have a negative response as soon as they walk in the home!
Quick tip: Moving your out-of-season clothing elsewhere will make your closet look twice as big!
6 - Update and freshen your décor. Many of today’s home sellers are baby boomers, while the buyers are millennials looking for a more updated/finished home. Wallpaper, salmon-colored décor and heavy drapes all appear dated to the younger generation who tend to prefer minimalist and modern. An easy fix is removing any wallpaper, swapping out curtains, updating or at least removing old flooring & replacing bulbs with consistent bright white lights in all your fixtures to create brighter living spaces.
7 - Focus on curb appeal. Most buyers drive by before they ever ask to come inside. It’s time to trim trees, clean gutters, clear out dead landscaping and add new sod and flowers where necessary. Consider resurfacing your driveway, getting a new mailbox and numbers and painting your front door. It’s a huge first impression. Make sure your home is also lit up at night in case prospective buyers drive by after work.
8 - Repaint in neutral colors. Builder white and beige look dated, with warm neutrals such as soft gray or pale taupe preferred. Everybody likes their red dining room, but the buyers cannot picture themselves there! If your home is already painted in neutral colors, consider a fresh coat of paint or at the very least touch ups! This goes for trim too!
9 - Get professional photographs. If your home doesn’t show well in photos, people won’t bother to visit. Photos taken with a phone or tablet aren’t acceptable! You may even want to consider getting a stager in to help pull the decor pieces together or even fill empty spaces! Great photos don’t happen by accident!
Professional photos are KEY to helping get a home sold quickly & for top dollar! I ALWAYS for professional photos & a virtual tour to be completed on every one of my listings!! Drone footage & video is sometimes needed to help capture the space & complete the marketing package!
If you are thinking of selling within the year but not sure when exactly reach out to me! We will ensure to have your home, professionally photographed outside when it showcases best! It’s always a good idea to have multiple seasons documented to share with prospective purchasers.
10- Create a story. Write a paragraph or jot notes about why you love your home and share it with your Realtor. Put together information about improvements you’ve made over the years and share all of the positives including your utility bills! The more information you supply the buyer with upfront the better off you will be!
Selling Your Home
Advice for Sellers!
1. Choosing a REALTOR®
Selling your home isn’t a simple procedure. It involves large sums of money, stringent legal requirements and the potential for costly mistakes. A REALTOR® will spend the time it takes to help you sell your home in the least amount of time and for the best possible price.
It’s important that you’re comfortable and confident with the agent you choose.
2. The Listing Agreement
A Listing Agreement is a contract between you and your agent’s brokerage company. It provides a framework for subsequent forms and negotiations. It's important the agreement accurately reflects your property details and clearly spells out the rights and obligations of all parties.
Generally, in the agreement you appoint the brokerage company as your agent and give its representatives the authority to find a purchaser for your home. The Listing Agreement will outline:
• The duration of the agreement;
• Your REALTOR’s® compensation
• The listing price and an accurate description of the property;
• Financial conditions of the property, including the mortgage balance, mortgage monthly payments and the mortgage due date;
• Information about annual property taxes; and
• Any easements, rights of way, liens or charges against the property.
Disclosure
Ask your listing REALTOR® about disclosure, which is a seller's obligation to disclose facts about properties for sale. The buyers will need to know material facts about the property; that is, anything that could materially affect the sale price or influence a buyer's decision to buy it. A major cause of post-sale disputes and lawsuits relate to defects and disclosure, but most disputes can be avoided if proper disclosures are made. Intentionally withholding information about a property when selling it can have serious legal consequences.
3. Setting Your Price
How much should you ask for? Although you may have an idea of how much your house is worth, it's important to have your home valued on its own merits by a professional. Be careful not to price your property too high or too low. If it's too high, there's no sale; too low and you lose on your investment.
A REALTOR® has the information and expertise to assess at what prices similar properties in your area have sold, and may be able to help you in this regard. She can also provide information on market history, such as the number of properties sold in your community the previous month or year.
4. Listing and Marketing Your Property
If your listing is an MLS® listing, your REALTOR® will place your listing on a real estate board’s MLS® System. Through the board’s MLS® System, all other REALTORS® that are members of that board can find and view information about your property, and all have the opportunity to sell your property. Your property gains more exposure, because it reaches the majority of the real estate professionals in your community. And through REALTOR.ca the national property website that gets more than a million unique visitors per month, your property is advertised to potential buyers across Canada and around the world.
Open Houses
Your REALTOR® may recommend an open house. There are two types. First is an agent's open house, where sales representatives from the listing company will be invited to view your house. Each of these REALTORS® may have a prospective buyer.
The second type of is a public open house, where members of the public are invited to walk view your home. It's an efficient way to show your home to many potential buyers at once. Your agent will act as host, answering any questions.
5. Waiting For the Right Opportunity
Sometimes a home doesn't sell right away. Avoid the urge to pull your home off the market. Be persistent! Generally, there are three reasons why a home may not sell as fast as others: location; condition; and asking price.
Obviously, you can't change your home's location. However, you can improve the condition of your home and you can, of course, adjust your price. Throughout the listing process, you need to be constantly comparing your asking price against those of similar properties in your area. Review your selling strategy regularly with your listing agent, who may help you answer the following questions:
• Is your house being shown regularly?
• Are you receiving the feedback from prospective buyers?
• Are you in touch with the marketplace?
• Is your property competing well? If not, what else can you do?
6. Accepting an Offer
Once a buyer is found, you'll receive an offer that will:
• Detail the buyer’s price
• Specify any conditions that may apply or be attached
• State desired date of possession
• The date the offer expires
As an act of good faith, the buyer will make a deposit with the offer. You don't have to accept the offer as is. You may wish to make a counter offer that meets the original offer partway. The counter offer is one more step along the way to negotiating the final terms and conditions of the sale.
The offer, once signed by everyone, is a binding contract. Make sure you understand and agree to all of the terms in the document. Before signing, you may want your lawyer to review it. Your lawyer should also ensure that you receive compensation for prepaid expenses such as, property taxes, electrical or gas bills, or if applicable, any heating oil left in your tank.
After these are paid, you will receive any money you have coming from the sale.
Other Possible Requirements
Before closing, if the buyer insists upon any conditions of sale, you may be asked to provide a number of things.
• A current survey, or a "real property report," showing that the house sits on the property that you own; that is, that there aren’t any encroachments onto other properties.
• Title to the property (the buyer's lawyer will check this out when he or she conducts a title search to see if there are any liens on the property, easements, rights of way or height restrictions)
• Especially in rural areas, a certificate for a well or septic system, stating the system meets local standards
• Access to the property by a qualified engineer or inspector
Why a REALTOR?
Whether you’re buying or selling, a real estate transaction can be complicated. A REALTOR® helps by making it easy for you!
Click Here to Learn the Power of Century 21 For Listing Your Home
The power of Century 21®
Global Exposure
Your listing gets ultimate global market exposure to promote your property - both to the neighbourhood next door and to the other side of the world. Every CENTURY 21® listing gets included on Century21Global.com which is available in 36 countries and 18 languages. In addition, it is automatically listed on Zillow.com, the largest real estate and rental marketplace in the U.S.
Customized Marketing Plan
I work closely with you to create a plan to reach the broadest market for your property so you can secure the best offer. With CENTURY 21® we can better market your listings and stand out from the crowd.
Working with a Real Estate Agent
As a licenced REALTOR, we are regulated under the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) to ensure a safe and informed real estate marketplace for the consumer.
RECO essentially, has 2 jobs:
1 - To protect the consumers in the public interest by promoting a safe and informed marketplace
2 – To administer the rules the real estate agents and brokerages must follow.
As of December 1st 2023 the industry has adopted the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA) which is a consumer protection legislation governing the conduct of real estate agents and brokerages trading in real estate in the province of Ontario. This replaces previous legislation (REBBA) that essentially did the same thing however there are some changes enhancing professionalism & consumer protection.
Moving forward, all individuals looking to receive information about properties of interest or real estate services are required to receive, read and acknowledge having reviewed
RECO’s Information Guide
highlighting everything you need to know about working with a realtor and explaining the changes to the act.
The purpose of the Information Guide is to ensure that the general public completely understand the benefits of working with a realtor, the risks associated with choosing to not work with a realtor, the contract, understanding multiple representation and what to do if you have concerns.
As a real estate agent, we are required to walk you through this information guide BEFORE answering questions. providing assistance or any form of service to ensure you understand your rights, options, and the terms of your representation agreement.
Click on the link below to access the Information Guide - don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!
Take the next step in your journey
I look forward to working with you and helping you reach your home ownership goals. Reach out to get in touch and start the process today. I offer:
CENTURY 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage
INFO & SERVICES
CENTURY 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage
387 George Street South (PO Box 178), Peterborough, ON K9J6Y8
(705) 743-4444
INFO & SERVICES
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The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos identify professional services rendered by REALTOR® members of CREA to effect the purchase, sale and lease of real estate as part of a cooperative selling system. The trademarks REALTOR ® , REALTORS ® and the REALTOR ® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license. This listing content provided by REALTOR.ca has been licensed by REALTOR® members of The Canadian Real Estate Association. Not intended to solicit properties currently listed for sale or buyers under contract.
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