You might have been wrestling with the idea for a while. Especially over the past few years, there won’t be many homeowners who didn’t think of selling their home based on the record increases in real estate prices. However, finally making the decision to sell your house is a huge step, but it’s just the first of many steps, large and small, that’ll you’ll need to make before your home is sold.
From adding a fresh coat of paint to staging the house, most homeowners are familiar with many of the things they need to do to make their home more attractive to buyers and help it sell faster. But there are some steps for selling your home faster that homeowners aren’t so familiar with. While they may not be as crucial as a coat of paint, it’s these sorts of steps, the ones that not every homeowner takes, that can help set your home apart from the rest.
1. Rent a Storage Unit
If you could manage to make the interior décor of your home look like those in the architectural magazines, it would probably sell faster. If there is one single difference between your décor and those in the magazines, it is the number of things in the room, including extra pieces of furniture, family pictures, and holiday souvenirs. But where do you put them?
You can’t use the usual spots, like the basement or garage because buyers will check out every inch of your house. Renting a storage unit might seem a little extravagant, but with average house prices still around a million dollars in the Markham area, it’s a small price to pay.
2. Look at Your Home from Across the Road
Really. Walk across the road and look back at your home. What you see is what’s called ‘curb appeal’. It’s very important because many homeowners can make a decision about a home within minutes of first seeing it from the road.
Look at the overall appearance of your home and the landscape around it. If there’s anything that can be done to improve what potential buyers will see and the first impression they get, do it.
3. Look at Your Front Door
The look of the entryways to the home are important for creating the right first impression. You may have beautiful doors and lighting, but take a closer look. Are the doors dirty and/or scuffed? Is the glass clean? Is the entryway littered with leaves? Again, do everything you can to make the entrance to your home look its best.
4. Look at Every Room from the Doorway
Inside the home, the first image of any room a buyer sees is the one they have from the doorway. Look into every room in your home from the door and assess what you see. Would a piece of art on the wall straight ahead make a better impression?
5. Clean & Organize Your Garage
When preparing to sell your home, you work on every room in your home, except you might not pay any attention to one of the largest rooms the house. Buyers notice the garage too and it’s one of those places that can help make your home stand out. In addition to thoroughly cleaning and organizing it, consider painting the floor with an epoxy coating.
6. Go to Open Houses
One of the best ways to get an idea of what works for staging and what doesn’t is to visit open houses, both in your neighbourhood and elsewhere. It’s also great to get an idea of what’s out there and how your home compares to the competition.
7. Become a Marketing Expert
Finding the right Realtor to sell your home is crucial. The best Realtors will know how to promote your home to attract more buyers and offers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help spread the word too. Use your social media accounts to let people know that your home is for sale, especially in any neighbourhood or community groups you belong to. Talk to family, friends and coworkers and let them know your home is on the market.
Maybe the best part of looking for different ways to help sell your home faster is that you have nothing to lose and lots to gain. If you’re looking for more ideas to make your home more appealing in a competitive real estate market, call The Stephen Tar Team. We can help.