prepare your house for resale

What makes one house sell faster than another? Well, there are a number of factors - location, size, price, to name a few but I would like to discuss preparing your home for resale. Real Estate agents talk about homes that “show well”, these homes are shown by agents more often and typically sell faster. So, if your home is on the market - you need to make sure that it “shows well”. If there is one thing that I have learned in my business it is that people in general lack the ability to visualize. It is difficult for people to enter another’s home and visualize it as their own. Your goal as a seller is to sell your house within a specific time period and to get the most money possible for it. People selling their homes do not appreciate the value of “staging” or “fluffing” a house for resale. If I told you that by spending a couple of thousand dollars today, you would sell your house faster and create a bidding war, you’d jump at the idea. Well, the statistics are that good. Staging focuses on simple steps to make your house show like a model without spending a whole lot of money. As housing prices go up staging becomes increasingly important because you have to keep making people feel comfortable about spending more and more money. Although you have to live in your house while it is for sale - you need to think of your house as a PRODUCT - you need to prepare, present and package it better than the competition.

First things first though, if your house does not appeal to a potential buyer from the curb, it’s possible that they won’t even go through the front door. You need some CURB APPEAL. There are a number of things which need to be done, here are some:

repaint any surfaces that are faded or chipping
paint the front door to coordinate with the exterior of the house, a fresh coat of paint will help with that first impression as they prepare to enter the house.
make sure the outside of the house is clean, free of spider webs and hornets nests, a power wash may be a good idea
clear any clutter - kids toys, lawn mowers, garden tools, garbage pail, and recycle bins
repair or replace anything that is broken, like the fence or the deck
in the winter make sure snow is shoveled and in the summer tend to gardens, remove any dead plants, shrubs or trees
throw out the welcome mat and invite potential buyers into your home.

Sounds pretty simple but the house needs to be CLEAN - I mean really clean. If you don’t have time, you need to hire someone to do it. Clean the ceiling fans, and the blinds. Carpet should be professionally cleaned, kitchen cabinets polished, and bathrooms scrubbed - I’m sure that you are all lovely people, but there is no worse turn off than other peoples dirt - especially in the bathroom. Clean or replace the grout in the shower and make sure the shower curtain or shower doors are free of mildew. Make sure the windows are clean, inside and out. If you are including appliances - they should be as spotless as possible and in good working order. Remove all the magnets, photos and notices from the fridge. If you have pets or you smoke or you love curry, do your best to neutralize any offending smells. Weather permitting, open windows, and light a scented candle - stay away from sharp floral scents but rather choose a low key scent like vanilla or eucalyptus.

REPLACE OR REPAIR anything that is broken. If the faucet drips - fix it, if the banister on the stairs is loose - tighten it, if the front door squeaks - oil it - you get the picture.

Think of a showing as an opportunity to show off your home - pretend the potential buyers are your most important guests.

I believe it is a good idea to DE-PERSONALIZE your home for showings. Make your home somewhat anonymous so that potential buyers can visualize it as their home. Put away family photos, sports trophies, large toys etc.

Look at your house with a critical eye and imagine what a potential buyer would see.

PAINT will always freshen up the look - repaint trim that has damage, ceilings that are dingy and walls that are dated. Choose up to date colours that will work with what you have but be neutral enough to appeal to most. Painting gives you bang for your buck.

FLOORING is very important. If it is damaged or stained or dated, consider replacing it. Remember it is possible that you could spend a few thousand dollars and get more than that back when you sell, especially if the owners of the house for sale down the street did not make the investment or take the time stage their house. It is all about perceived value.

Now, I understand that you still have to live in this house while it is for sale but it is imperative that you GET RID OF CLUTTER. Instead of having that yard sale after you sell, have it now. If that is not possible consider renting a storage unit and purge your house. That’s easier than throwing it out right away - put it in storage and you’ll soon realize you don’t need it anyway. That means the closets too - no place is sacred, buyers are interested in storage space so they will look- the less jammed packed the closet is, the bigger it will look. Just think how easy it will be when you move - all the hard work will be done. If there is too much furniture in a room - put some in storage, be sure to maintain a comfortable living space. In the kitchen - put away small appliances such as toasters and kettle, leave the counter space completely uncluttered, adding to the feeling of spaciousness. De-clutter overcrowded book shelves, overflowing magazine racks, and pack most of the knick-knacks for the move. Buyers want to see your house - not your stuff. Make the beds and clear the dresser of debris - even if it means putting it all in a basket under the bed. If bedding or window coverings are faded, dated or damaged remove or replace them.

If you have an “extra” room in your house - set it up so that it appeals to the buyer as a space they could use. My parents had a room in their Toronto house, which we had always called the den or TV room but later my Mom turned it into the antique room, it displayed her treasured antiques, including the red velvet Queen Anne Sofa. When they tried to sell their house, this room made no sense to potential buyers until we made it look like a home office - brilliant, a home office right beside the kitchen - SOLD.

UPDATE THE LOOK OF THE WHOLE HOUSE - retro is in but not if the wallpaper is actually from the 60's. Fresh paint, current colours and if your sofa looks like it belongs at the cottage, slipcover it. A somewhat minimalist look will appeal to buyers and visually make the rooms look larger. Highlight special features in a room by making it the focal point, like a fireplace in the living room or a jacuzzi tub in the master bath. The key is to make a potential buyer fall in love with your home – in order for that to happen, the basic principles of design need to be adhered to. Hiring a design specialist to help update the look of your house may be a good option - especially when I recently read a poll that said 75 percent of Canadians would classify their homes as current or somewhat current while the experts maintain that the majority of homes need to be updated prior to selling. Assuming your house has what the buyer is looking for in size, number of bedrooms, location etc. then, the fact that it shows well will be the icing on the cake – or the SOLD sign on the lawn. Good Luck.