SPRING into ACTION: Sellers
Now’s the time to spring into action if you’re a prospective home seller. Getting your home prepared for the spring market now, will help you move quickly and efficiently when the time comes to list. Spring is the optimum time to sell a home, as the largest numbers of buyers are actively searching for a new home during the months of April, May, and June. If you’re looking for tips, tricks, and ideas to get your home market ready, then you’ve come to the right place!
What better way to clear out the winter blues, than to clear out the clutter in your home. Take this as a reason to stay warm inside, as you begin to go through attics, closets, basement, and/or garages to determine what to keep, what to donate, and what could be packed away early. Decluttering and depersonalizing are both important steps in preparing your home. Boxing up items will make your space look larger, and neater when it comes time to putting your house on the market, and will stop you from unnecessarily moving unneeded clutter from your current home, to the next.
Major renovations aren’t necessary to sell your home, however small, DIY projects around the house can increase value, while also making your home look more appeal to potential buyers. Some quick fixes can include, but aren’t limited to: replacing old doorknobs, replacing stray cabinet handles to ensure consistency across your kitchen, replacing the caulk in your bathroom (tub, shower, around the sink), updating light fixtures and ensuring all bulbs have been replaced, or even repainting the trim throughout your house. These small projects and many others can deliver big returns in the end. For more small DIY home projects/renovations that you could use in your home, check sites like Pinterest, for details.
Let yourself be stung by the “spring cleaning” bug early, and start looking at the “overlooked” areas of your home. Open the windows to let the fresh air circulate, make sure your baseboards are clean, and your heaters are dust free. Adding that bit of sparkle is free, and goes a long way when it comes to selling your home. Wash the inside and outside of all your windows, and be sure to polish up all mirrors, as that extra attention both brightens your home, and makes it more inviting for buyers. Once you’ve cleaned all those hard to reach places, prepare yourself for the staging of your home.
The most important part of selling your home, is to set the stage so potential buyers can fantasize, and envision your home as their own. Once your home is on the market, you’ll need to be keeping it as clean as possible, almost encouraging the idea that “no one lives here”. Home staging is about creating an illusion, to create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere, that allows potential buyers to feel at “home” in your home. Use towels, throws, and pillows in light, soft spring colours (such as yellows, pinks, lavender, blues) to lighten up a room, and set up fresh flowers (such as lilacs) to add a gentle, natural fragrance to your home.
Realtors are professionals when it comes to the processes of both buying, and selling homes. Your choice of a listing agent can make a big difference in the time it takes to sell your home, and the profits that you may see from that sale. Ensuring that you select a realtor with a great marketing plan, and local knowledge is important for you to get the most out of your home, and during your search for a new one. Realtors have a wealth of knowledge, and experience, so while you are in search, take the recommendations that come from friends and family into consideration, and interview those that have the right experience with homes in your price range. Finding a good realtor is a vital aspect of listing your home, and knowing you’ll have their support and dedication leading up to, and throughout your listing, and well as during the final sale and paperwork is always a relief.