Tips for Sellers
Getting your property ready to sell
Once you have decided to sell, even before you contact a REALTOR® you can work on getting your property ready for sale. The goal is to sell your property for the highest price in the least amount of time. Your property will be competing with other properties that are for sale in your neighbourhood and community. You want it to stand out from the others so that it is the most desirable.
Think of your house as a product to sell, like a car, jewellery, or food. There are lot of choices in the marketplace and your house needs to stand out from the rest. We need to merchandise, market, and package it to attract potential buyers.
People buy with their eye first. If they like what they see when they drive by or look at the photos on REALTOR.ca® their interest will be peaked. You want your property to be move-in ready to appeal to the highest number of buyers.
A good rule of thumb is to look at your property through the eyes of the Buyer. Walk across the road to the neighbours and view your property from there. Take photos. What do you see? As your REALTOR® I can arrange to show you other properties that are for sale in the neighbourhood to see how yours compares. What can you do to make your home outstanding?
Here are 5 tips for getting your property ready to sell
1. De-clutter
2. Clean
3. Update
4. Repair
5. Showcase
Get your documents together
Buyers want to know everything about your property so they can make an informed decision. As your REALTOR® I am trusting that the information you give me is true and the Buyer is relying on this information to make a major investment.
1. Survey
2. Tax Bill
3. Utility Bill
4. Contracts
5. Septic System Permits
6. Well Record
7. Construction Permits
8. Agreements
9. Invoices
10. Warranties
If you do not have these documents, don’t worry. Gather up what you can. I can help obtain some of them from Land Titles, the Municipality or Conservation Authority, and Provincial Government websites. If you know for sure that your septic system is not approved or you didn’t get a building permit for the addition, that’s OK too. We just need to let a potential Buyer know.
Honesty is the best policy
Is there something about your property that may deter a potential Buyer? Something that is not visible, but you know about it.
The best way to deal with this is to fix the problem or disclose it in writing to your REALTOR® so Buyers can make an informed decision. It’s true that if you choose to not fix the problem before the you list the property for sale, you may have to set a lower list price to compensate for the future repair.
Maybe the basement leaks in one corner every spring but now its fall and there is no evidence of it. Maybe your eaves encroach onto the neighbour’s property, but a Buyer would only know that if they had a survey. Maybe the well dries up mid-summer or the toilets are slow to flush in the winter.
You really don’t want the Buyer to have a surprise like this because they may take legal action against you after the sale which will be costly and will hurt your and your REALTOR’s® credibility.
Honesty, Transparency and Disclosure are the best principles and will protect you and your REALTOR®.
What to expect when selling your property