Lynne Cooper – Get Top Dollar When You Sell Your Home

All Home Sellers want the best price for their home, and here are some helpful ideas to help you get top dollar.  The first step is to look at your home, from a Buyers point of view.  Walk out to the end of your driveway and survey your property objectively.    First Impressions are important, so your yard should be tidy, uncluttered and well manicured.  Your house exterior may need to be painted, or a piece of siding replaced.    Look for obvious signs of age on the roof, such as if there are curled or missing shingles.  Make notes as you survey your home.

Take notice of the entrance itself – check the front door for obvious nicks and scratches.  A coat of paint can work wonders.  Make sure door handles throughout the house are all tight.  If any handles are missing on your cabinetry’s replace them, ensuring they all match.   Make certain all light switch and electrical outlet covers are clean, in good condition and that none are missing.   When you go up the interior or exterior stairs, check the treads and railings and tighten or replace any loose boards.

If you find a leaky tap or if a toilet runs on, they are both usually easily fixed, but if they are beyond your scope, then call a plumber.  One hint of leaky plumbing can send Buyers running. Have the furnace and hot water heaters, as well as any other major equipment inspected and serviced if required.  Retain the receipts and display them to potential Buyers.  If the rooms in your house are a multitude of colours, you may want to repaint the walls a more neutral shade.

Once you have addressed the “meat n’ potatoes” of your home, it is time to pack away some of your clutter.  When potential buyers look at your home, they want to imagine their belongings in your space.  Put away most of you knick-knacks keeping only a few for accent.   If you have an excess of furniture, see if you can store any unnecessary items off property, perhaps at a friend’s home or in a storage facility.

Clean out all of the closets and store any out of season or unnecessary clothing items in tote-bins.   In the kitchen, if you have a clutter of pots, pans and utensils – sort through them.  Keep out what you use on a regular basis, but pack away as much excess as possible.  Think of this as a pre-pack in preparation for your move.  Maybe even consider buying a cheap set of matching dishware to display in the cabinet if you are living with an assortment of chinaware patterns. The linen closet also deserves your attention.  Display your best and pack the rest.

Most of the things I have mentioned are little things and can be easily and cheaply addressed. The more costly areas that you may not be able or willing to address – such as a new roof – should be factored into your asking price.  The key is for the potential buyers to feel there is a lot of space for their possessions.   You want Buyers to feel organized rather than overwhelmed when they view your home.  When people see how well maintained your home is they will view you as a quality home owner who knows how to look after things.

On the day of showing your home, make sure all the lights in the home are turned on so the Buyers can see how bright, clean, uncluttered and  maintenance free their new home can be.  Attention to details, can potentially add thousands to the final sale price.

LYNNE COOPER has been a REALTOR® since 2003. Lynne works for FIRST IMPRESSIONS REAL ESTATE INC., 1496 Bedford Highway, Suite 102, Bedford, NS  B4A 1B4