De-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter! Before listing your home you want to make sure that your home is as viewer friendly as possible. This also means taking down photos of you and your family as a buyer wants to imagine themselves in your home, not the previous owners. Potential home buyers should have as clean of a view as possible of your house so that they can envision themselves and their furniture in there. Buyers often get distracted by photos and other personal items, so start packing those things away for moving.
The second thing that is important is to make it as clean as possible. If you need a good overhaul and do not have a lot of time, it is a good idea to hire some professional cleaners to give it a good once-over, that way you just need to do the basics as needed.
Remember to remove anything that may be mistaken as ‘fixed’ as this can often be a disappointment to buyers. They may see an electric fireplace and not realize it is not attached and that you are taking it with you. If you have anything that is fixed in place, other than its own weight, make sure that we note it in the listing that it is not included, but to prevent any mistake, take it down and put it away. Pictures can be left up as they not ‘fixed’ however if you have a mirror that is anchored down (more than just on a nail) you should be careful as that would be considered ‘fixed’ and therefore included in the sale. If there is any doubt, consult with me and make notes to check the listing.
Another important factor in selling your Vancouver Island home is availability to show. You want to make it as convenient as possible for buyers and their real estate agents to come see your house. If possible, when it is first listed go away for the weekend so that buyer’s agents can bring their clients through without needing an appointment during that weekend.
Other things you can do to make your home easy to show is to remove pets and pet items. Keep the litter box clean. If you have somewhere you can take your pets during showings or somewhere you can board them while your home is on the market, even better. They are a distraction to potential buyers as well, especially dogs.
Don’t forget your yard! Clean it up! If it is summer when you list your home make sure the yard is well manicured. Sometimes spending a little bit of money to get some bark chips and a few small shrubs to add some colour to your yard will go a long way! It is easy to do and doesn’t cost much, but will add to the appeal of your home. If it is winter when you list your home make sure the yard is as clean as possible.
I will be sure to let you know if there is anything else I think you need to do to make your house as appealing to buyers as we can as I see houses from the perspective of both the buyer and the seller.
