How to get your home ready to sell

In July, the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) resale market experienced a 40% drop in sales, and in August sales slipped nearly 35%. There was also a drop in sales in the new home market. This shocked everyone, but the truth is the summer is always slow in the real estate game. Now that it’s September, sales activity will pick up, which is why we’re sharing a few tips on how to get your home ready to sell!

1) Curb appeal is important

Over the last couple years, low-rise homes have been selling with no conditions and there were bidding wars for derelict properties. Those days are in the past. Curb appeal is important again, so you actually need to pay attention to what the exterior of your home looks like if you plan on attracting a buyer. Here are some great ways to make your home really stand out!  

2) Pay attention to the details

Minor repairs can go a long way. Touching up your baseboards with a fresh coat of paint, giving your bathroom tiles a good scrub, and filling in any dents and holes in your walls can really bring a home together. If you take on a larger home repair project, make sure you’re hiring a qualified contractor. Here are a few signs that your contractor is NOT qualified.  

3) Empty closets

Okay, don’t completely empty your closets, we understand that you need this space, but if potential buyers are touring your home, you can bet they’re going to open your closets. Consider getting some large storage bins for non-essentials and placing them either in a storage locker or somewhere out of sight. People need to be able to picture their own stuff in the closets and the space needs to look large!

4) Hide personal items

No one wants to see photos of your family on vacation at Disneyland. Take down all your personal photos, hang some generic art, and make sure there are no other personal items lying around that may attach your identity to the home. Buyers need to picture themselves in the home, don’t distract them.

5) Just let it go  

For some people, selling the family home is difficult. Even if you want to move, the memories made in that home make the process emotional. If you’re going to sell, you need to make the decision to just let it go. It’s not your home anymore, it’s just a house. You need to sell for a reason and you’re doing it because it is the best move for your family. Accept it and keep your eyes on the future.

6) Walk into every room with fresh eyes  

Once you’ve done all of the above, step into every room in your home and ask yourself if you would want to buy this house. Use fresh eyes, the eyes of someone seeing the room for the first time. Open doors and windows, look at the baseboards and ceiling, walk the floor to get a feel for the space. If you feel good about every room in your home, then it’s time to show it to prospective purchasers!

We hope these tips help you get your home ready to sell! An extra step you can add to your list is to start looking for a new home (that’s the fun part).