Who knew that the first few weeks of January would have the real estate industry in Vancouver hopping. The common discussion among those in the industry is the lack of inventory for the number of buyers looking to purchase a detached home. So, if you’ve ever contemplated downsizing and moving into a condo or townhouse, now might be the perfect time to make the move and sell. We need more houses on the market for those families looking for more space and a backyard as the pandemic continues.
If you’re wondering where to start, check out the below checklist for selling your home.
Ultimate Checklist for Selling Your Home.
Selling your home can be an extremely stressful experience. Between thinking about moving logistics and financials, it’s easy to miss the small details in between the process.
With that in mind, we’ve built this checklist for selling your home to help you keep track of the things that will get a potential buyer interested. Turns out, it’s not as simple as just fluffing pillows or doing a light dusting. “Put your buyer’s hat on and walk through your home like it is the first time,” Marilou Young, an Accredited Staging Professional and an Associate Broker with Virtual Properties Realty in the metropolitan Atlanta area, told Forbes.
Below is the ultimate checklist for selling your home.
GET FAMILIAR WITH THE PAPERWORK
For home buyers interested in the history of the house, make sure you’ve got all the information handy; this can include paperwork on renovations, property tax receipts, deeds and transferable warranties.
GETTING THE PRICE RIGHT
According to HGTV, it can be helpful to do some market research on what homes in your area are selling for- then shave 15 to 20 percent off that. This way, you attract multiple buyers who can end up outbidding each other and bringing up the price. While that can seem like a risky move, it could work in the competitive markets of big Canadian cities.
DEPERSONALIZE AND DECLUTTER
You want potential buyers to see themselves in the space, which is hard to do if you have family photos on the wall or personal items around. This would be a good time to start putting items in storage or try to keep your personal items out of sight. At the same time, you’re also ensuring that you’re keeping your house tidy—a must if you want to make your home sellable. Check around the house for dirt, stains or small cracks you might be able to fix. And if you have pets, make sure their litter boxes and play areas are also clean and odour-free.
FIND A QUALIFIED REALTOR
Realtors can be helpful to take some of the processes off your plate, including marketing your home and arranging open houses. If you do go this route, none of this list will matter if you decide to work with a realtor that doesn’t know the market inside out. You can search their name on the Real Estate Institute of Canada to ensure that they’re qualified, and meet with them to see if you mesh and understand how they price your unit. At Proptalk, we also have this handy guide for more details. (Feel free to reach out to me directly as well as I work with an awesome team of realtors and happy to match you up with the right personality that fits your needs.)
Published by FCT.
