Rahul Jindal
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It’s that time of year again. The temperatures are rising. Finally, after months of terrible snow storms, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in High Park. Cherry blossoms symbolize hope and are often associated with a warrior spirit. Trust me – if you’re a prospective home buyer (or seller), you need a warrior spirit to transact in Ontario’s real estate market – especially in the spring! You don’t need to be a Canadian Real Estate Association board member or a real estate professional to understand that spring officially kicks off the selling season in Ontario’s real estate market. Buying a home in the spring/summer is a great idea. The real estate market is flooded with new listings, giving prospective buyers plenty to choose from. However, real estate bidding wars are still very common due to a lack of supply. As a seller, there are many things you can do to make your property stand out from all the competition. If you are someone who wants to move fast in the market and settle on time, then this guide is for you. In this blog, I share some ways on how to prepare your home for sale on a small budget
I would like to say everything, but that might not be very helpful. If I had to prioritise, I would say focus on your bedrooms, kitchen, living room and bathrooms. Once the interiors are checked – you can look outside at your curb space, garage, etc.
You can start preparing your home to by creating a work-back schedule for the time-frame to sell. That means, if you want to list your home for sale on budget, what do you need to do to make that happen? Once that's done, start checking boxes off the list: schedule your handyman's services, book a call with a real estate professional, book a professional cleaner, etc. The best way to get a home ready to sell as quickly as possible is for you, as the homeowner, to get as much done as quickly as possible. If you're overwhelmed by all the things you need to organize, consider hiring a professional organizer to help make this step more efficient.
Getting your home ready for sale involves five main steps. You can do them in any order, but below I share a budget friendly way to do it.
Repairs:
When selling your home, you'll want to make sure everything is in good condition. From loose light bulbs to a screen door that doesn't close properly – anything that might deter potential buyers should be addressed.
Work on repairing major appliances first. Then, slowly turn your attention to smaller repairs that you think need attention.
Put yourself in the shoes of a home inspector and audit your home. Think like a potential buyer. After that, call in a handyman to do all the major and minor repairs. Use this opportunity to fix any holes in the wall or seal your bathtub. These small improvements will come in handy in upcoming showings.
Clean Your Home
Depending on the size of your home, how long you've lived there, and how many things you've accumulated, you'll want to start cleaning your home as soon as you have the idea to sell.
This is a great opportunity to get rid of many of the things you won't need in your new home. Need a little inspiration? Turn on Marie Kondo on Netflix and start finding things in your home that don't make you happy. You'll definitely want to organize those shelves, too. Don't be tempted to hide everything in there; buyers will definitely be looking at your shelves when they come to see your home.
Decluttering not only helps you get rid of stuff, which makes moving to your next home much easier, but it also helps when you're ready to list your home. Even if you're not planning on decorating your home - although you definitely should - it will help reduce excess clutter and free up space.
One of the best ways to get your home ready for sale and attract buyers is to increase your home's curb appeal. Once that for sale sign is up on your front lawn, you'll want to make sure your property is looking its best.
Paint your front door
Fix and repaint your front porch
Clear your lawn of debris and unnecessary clutter
Plant new flowers or shrubs in your gardens
Add fresh mulch to gardens
Clean your gutters
Once you’ve made repairs, removed clutter and staged, call your local cleaning service and give your home a thorough cleaning. This is a very important part of the process that you don’t want to overlook. You can do it yourself, but you’ll have a lot of other things on your mind when getting your home ready to sell. Treat yourself and hire a professional cleaner.
The best way to sell your home for the best price is to stage it professionally. Staging your home will increase your property’s visual appeal, attract attention and resonate with buyers beyond the front door.
Your staging designer will bring in contemporary furniture and decor that accentuate the best features of each room and give potential buyers a home they can visualise themselves living in.
As part of the staging phase, you may want to paint your walls a more neutral colour. Not only will this give your walls a clean fresh coat of paint, but by choosing a neutral tone, you are more likely to attract a wider range of buyers.
Getting your home professionally staged will make your listing photos magazine worthy and attract buyers from the moment they see your listing on the MLS.
First impressions matter and home staging gives you – the owner – the unique opportunity to highlight what is absolutely unique about your property and why it is the perfect home for your potential buyer.
Let me explain this for you with some numbers. Staged properties can sell 4% – 20% more than the listing price and 2x to 8x times faster.
On average, the cost of home staging in Ontario ranges between $2000 – $10,0000. However, if you choose to work with a Realtor who offers complimentary staging with their listing services , you’ll have no hassle, just a sigh of relief! See what our team is really capable of!
At the risk of sounding repetitive, here are 10 little things you can do to get your home ready for sale without spending a fortune!
Mow your lawn, trim the hedges, cultivate your garden and get rid of any weeds or hanging foliage obstructing or making your outdoor space look dirty.
Buy some nice flowers or any other foliage such as herbs to bring some colour/utility to your outdoor space.
Ventilate your property thoroughly. Open all doors and windows to get rid of any unpleasant odours. Pro tip: use an air freshener with natural oils. Sweep the floors and dry clean/steam clean your carpets.
Sweep the floors and dry clean/steam clean your carpets.
Brush all your furniture – make sure to remove all stains and cobwebs.
Put a fresh coat of paint on all surfaces – interior and exterior – that looked washed out and dirty. Pro tip: Use neutral colours to repaint shiny surfaces that attract too much attention.
Fix all leaky pipes – whether they are in the kitchen or the bathroom. If you are not sure where to start you can use the services of your local plumber.
Get a new doormat to create an inviting enterance.
Give your washroom a ‘hotel makeover’. Buy some plush towels, some fancy soaps and a special lavender air freshener.
If you cannot give your entire kitchen a makeover, focus only on the cupboards, splash backs and make sure to thoroughly clean the bench tops and flat sources.
Avoid rescheduling open houses/virtual tours. Always be available and show that you care about the transaction. Try your best to adhere to the schedules of your potential buyers. If a potential buyer raises a question about a particular repair, avoid refusing immediately. Listen to the buyer and hear their troubles. Do a cost-benefit analysis. Be empathetic to their problem. After all, we are all human, and being human can make or break a real estate transaction.
Avoid making deals with potential buyers who are not qualified. Even if it is an attractive offer that is higher than other offers – I suggest you negotiate with a buyer who has a pre-approval letter from his lender.
Avoid making changes that cost more than the value they add to your property. For example: If you are spending $1000 on repairs, make sure it adds at least $2000 – $3000 to your final selling price.
Expand your property to the extent that it is worth the price Very receptive to a home that looks and smells like a man cave.
Avoid ignoring recommendations made in a home inspection. If in doubt about anything specific, ask the home inspector or your real estate agent and clarify all confusion to protect your real estate transaction.
Unless you are good with cameras, avoid using photos of your personal property for listing. I highly recommend that you use the services of a professional photographer to show potential buyers the best version of your home.
This is a summary of how you can prepare your home for sale on budget. If you feel overwhelmed at any step in the entire process, consider working with a professional. You can follow the all steps as per your requirements to prepare your home budget friendly.
You can also contact a leading realtor of Homes for Sale in Mississauga Ontario to prepare your home for sale on according to your budget.
Also Read- Know Before Buying A Commercial Kitchen
How to prepare your home for sale on budget
Tips for an Effective Home Inspection
