There are several ways to make the selling process easy and relatively stress-free. One way is to create a selling timeline that fits your needs, lifestyle, and capabilities.
Say you’d like to list your home in four weeks and expect it to be on the market for an additional four weeks. That’s an eight-week timeline. How do you create a manageable schedule that works for you? Try these steps:
Determine what you need to do to get your home ready for sale.
Assign who will be doing what. For example, if you need to paint, will you hire a contractor? Do it yourself? Make a family day out of it?
Estimate the time it will take to do those tasks. Then add 50% as a buffer. (It’s easy to underestimate time on tasks.)
Look at your current schedule and block out times on your calendar so you can complete those tasks at a comfortable pace.
Go through these same steps for other selling activities, such as finding and meeting with a real estate lawyer, having buyers come to see your property, etc.
When you create a manageable — and realistic — schedule, you may find that most of the stress and worry of selling evaporates. A manageable schedule also ensures you won’t miss anything and then have to scramble
There’s no doubt about it. Buying a home that is “move in ready” is a real convenience. All you need to do is get your belongings in place, and you’re ready to enjoy living in your new home. You don’t even need to paint. That’s why move-in-ready homes tend to attract more buyers.
However, there are advantages to buying a property that needs work. And, if you’re currently shopping for a new home, a listing that requires some repairs, upgrades, or renovations might be worth considering.
Why?
Properties that need work tend to be priced lower than comparable move-in-ready listings. Depending on market demand, the price savings can range from modest (just a few thousand dollars) to substantial.
Also, homes that need work tend to attract fewer buyers and offers, so there’s less competition.
Another advantage is the opportunity to get into a desirable area you otherwise might not have afforded. It might be worth the extra work you’d need to put into the home to live in your dream neighbourhood.
But, while there are advantages, there are also important caveats.
The first caveat is you must know the scope of work that is required before making any decision to purchase. How will you get the work done? How much will you need to budget for the improvements? Are you prepared for the realities of living in a property during renovations?
The second caveat is you must anticipate any issues that can’t be seen during a typical viewing. The last thing you want is to pay for a major repair you weren’t expecting. That’s why getting a professional home inspection as a condition of your offer is often a good idea.
There’s a lot to think about when you’re buying a “needs work” property. But, I can help you make an informed decision. Call today.
When you read or watch the news about the real estate market, it may seem reasonable to make the assumption that the information applies equally to your street or community.
But, that isn’t always true.
In fact, the characteristics of your local real estate market can differ in many respects from the regional or national market.
Say the regional real estate market is most active during certain months of the year. That might be true of your neighbourhood, too. But, there may also be some caveats. If, for example, buyers are eagerly awaiting listings to come up in your community, then that micro market might heat up faster than other areas in the region.
Knowing how your local market works and how it differs from the larger regional market is crucial when selling. It helps you decide when it’s best to list and helps to ensure your home sells quickly and for a good price. That’s a strategic advantage.
Understanding the local market also helps when buying. Imagine acting only on regional or national market statistics without knowing the unique market characteristics of a neighbourhood you’re hoping to buy into. You could end up missing opportunities. You don’t want that!
So, pay attention to the local real estate market. Get the latest information on what’s happening.
Imagine you have a growing family, and you want to trade in the small sedan for something larger. So, you visit the dealership and come back with a bus.
Well, that would be upsizing a bit too much – unless you have a really huge family!
That’s the challenge of upsizing or downsizing. You need to be careful not to take it too far and end up with something that isn’t suitable.
This often occurs in the real estate world. For example, homeowners might decide to sell their home and find a smaller one. But, if they go too far, they end up with a property so small they feel claustrophobic.
How do you avoid a similar scenario happening to you?
If you’re thinking of upsizing or downsizing, the best place to start is in your own home. Think about how you use the space. Do you and your family spend a lot of time in certain areas? Are there rooms and other spaces that are rarely used? Or, conversely, do you wish you had more room — such as an extra bedroom, wider driveway, separate living and family rooms, etc.?
Do a thoughtful analysis of how you’re using your current property in order to reveal clues about what you’ll want in your next home. If you’re upsizing, you might find that all you need is an extra bedroom. If you’re downsizing, you might realize that one family room, rather than separate living and family rooms, would work better for you.
So, whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, carefully decide what type of new home you need. Be as specific as possible. Consider criteria such as the number of bedrooms, entertaining space, bathrooms, driveway size, etc., that you need. Doing that will help ensure your upsizing or downsizing move will be successful.
There are many reasons homeowners may need to sell their property — fast. Work relocations, changes in family makeup, and financial needs are among the most common.
If you find yourself in a position where you need to sell quickly, you don’t necessarily have to go to market with a temptingly low price. Here are some other ways to accelerate the sale of your home:
Make your property as move-in ready as possible. Get any needed repairs done. Ensure everything is tidy.
Hire the help you need. Getting a professional to do some or all of the prep work, will save you time. And, the cost may be offset by a boost to your home’s sale-value.
Use the latest staging techniques to make your home look great to buyers. Staging is proven to help sell a property faster.
Remove as many impediments to a quick sale as possible. Consider offers with conditions. Be flexible when it comes to a buyer’s need for a particular closing date.
Accommodate as many viewing appointments as possible in the early days of the listing. They may be inconvenient, but the more buyers see your property, the more likely you are to get a quick offer.
Make sure your home is marketed in a way that attracts qualified buyers, quickly.
These are just some of the many ways to list and sell your property, faster, while still getting a good price. There are other techniques that can be employed, depending on your listing and market conditions.
When preparing your property for sale, you want to make it as attractive as possible to buyers. After all, the more buyers like what they see, the higher the probability you’ll get good offers.
That’s why it’s advisable to clean, declutter, decorate, fix, and improve as much as possible.
But, how far should you go with fixing and improving? For example, should you tear down the old deck and build a new one? Or, should you leave it as is?
Should you paint the main floor? Or is it okay to leave the faded finish and few wall dents just as they are?
Those can be difficult questions to answer because many factors come into play.
What is the traditional return on investment for that home improvement? (In other words, how much will you get back when you sell?)
To what degree will the fix or improvement help sell your home faster and/or for a higher price?
If you don’t make the fix or improvement, will those deficiencies be likely to dissuade buyers who would otherwise be interested in buying your property?
What are the current market conditions? Are there other listings in the area competing with yours?
How much will the fix or improvement cost? Is it affordable, given the benefits of having a listing that’s more attractive and move-in ready?
Once you have answers to those questions, you’ll have a clearer idea of whether to fix it or leave it as is.
Imagine you’d been keeping your eye on a desirable neighbourhood over the years. You had hoped that one day you could buy a home there. But, then you saw prices creeping up — to a point where they became unaffordable.
“Oh well,” you’d thought. “I guess we won’t be moving there!”
That scenario is familiar to many homeowners. In fact, you too may have been keeping your eye on a neighbourhood you’d love to get into but have decided it’s become too expensive.
If that’s so, it might be worth taking a second look.
The real estate market changes. One year an area might be a red-hot seller’s market with prices soaring. The next year, things may have cooled, and prices stabilized.
That means the desirable neighbourhood you’ve been coveting might, today, be more affordable than you think. Prices might have become more reasonable. There might be more inventory (more homes for sale), giving you, the buyer, a competitive edge.
And, don’t forget that your own property may have gone up in value, perhaps considerably. That means the money you make from selling your home may make buying in the desirable neighbourhood doable.
It’s something to think about!
So, if you’re dreaming of getting into a particular neighbourhood, don’t make assumptions about affordability. At least, not yet. Find out the current state of the market. You might be delighted to learn that the “un” has been dropped from the previously unaffordable for that area!
Are you thinking of selling your home this year? If so, you might be paying extra attention to housing market news covered by the regional and national media.
While that news can be helpful information, it can sometimes say little about what’s happening in your particular neighbourhood. In fact, it’s possible for there to be a balanced market nationally or regionally, while at the same time your street may be experiencing a hot seller’s market!
That’s why it’s important to understand what’s happening in your local “micro” housing market when you’re selling your home.
What do you need to know about your local real estate scene? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Is our neighbourhood a seller’s, buyer’s, or balanced market right now?
If we list our home this month, will there be any competing listings in our area? If so, how many?
How long is the average listing in our area taking to sell? A week? A month?
How much are properties like ours in the neighbourhood selling for?
How desirable is our neighbourhood? How many buyers are actively looking to move here? Are there currently buyers eager to purchase a home like ours?
What are the demographics of buyers looking to buy in our neighbourhood?
How important is it to fix up and stage my home if I decide to sell?
Getting these local insights will be far more helpful than the national news when you put your property on the market. So, find out what’s happening right here, in your neighbourhood.
There are many ways buyers can find out about your home for sale. Some will see the lawn sign. Others will notice the listing on MLS. Still others might find out via an advertisement or social media post.
But, there is one other way buyers will discover your listing — and it can be pivotal to the success of your sale.
The agent can make sure they know.
In some cases, buyers shopping for a particular type of home, or those who are targeting a specific neighbourhood, will get on an agent’s alert system. The agent will arrange for the buyers to be alerted as soon as an ideal property comes up on the market. That’s why being strategic when creating an MLS profile and other listing materials is so important. You want interested buyers to be notified of your listing!
Agents often also have a network of buyers they are in touch with regularly or who are actively looking to buy a home. They reach out to these contacts as soon as a desired property is listed. Say, for example, you put your property on the market. The agent you work with may already have qualified buyers in mind. If so, that increases the chances of your home selling quickly and for a top price.
Good agents also have a robust network of professional contacts — such as real estate lawyers, contractors, and even other agents — that they can potentially tap to find qualified buyers.
Overall, well-connected agents are more likely to be able to leverage their networks to attract ideal buyers to your listing.
Want to discuss how I can attract high-interest, qualified buyers to your listing? Call me.
Unless you’re selling in a strong sellers’ market, you should take advantage of every opportunity to show your home. Say, for example, an interested buyer would like to see your property tomorrow evening. If you say no, they might see another listing in the meantime — and make an offer!
So, being prepared to show your home at the drop of a hat is important.
That doesn’t mean you should agree to be inconvenienced constantly. However, if you can put up with some disruptions in your plans now and then, you’ll increase your chances of selling your property.
Consider these tips:
Avoid restricting showings to a particular weekday, such as Monday evening and Saturday afternoon. What if an interested buyer isn’t available those days?
Try to keep your home clean and tidy. That way, you can accommodate a short-notice request to see your listing more easily. (Consider temporarily hiring a cleaner.)
Make a list of places you can take your family (including pets) on short notice. For example, a park or movie.
Want more tips for selling your home quickly and for top dollar? Call today.
Unless you’re selling in a strong sellers’ market, you should take advantage of every opportunity to show your home. Say, for example, an interested buyer would like to see your property tomorrow evening. If you say no, they might see another listing in the meantime — and make an offer!
So, being prepared to show your home at the drop of a hat is important.
That doesn’t mean you should agree to be inconvenienced constantly. However, if you can put up with some disruptions in your plans now and then, you’ll increase your chances of selling your property.
Consider these tips:
Avoid restricting showings to a particular weekday, such as Monday evening and Saturday afternoon. What if an interested buyer isn’t available those days?
Try to keep your home clean and tidy. That way, you can accommodate a short-notice request to see your listing more easily. (Consider temporarily hiring a cleaner.)
Make a list of places you can take your family (including pets) on short notice. For example, a park or movie.
Want more tips for selling your home quickly and for top dollar? Call today.
Are you thinking about selling your home this spring? If so, one factor that may be holding you back is time. You might be worried that you won’t find the time in your busy schedule to sell your property successfully.
If so, here are four strategies that will help:
1. Understand what needs to be done
Do you know what you’ll need to do to sell your home? Do you understand the steps involved? Do you have a clear idea of how long it will take to complete various tasks, like getting repairs done and doing some “staging”?
The more accurately you can anticipate your tasks and how long it will take to complete them, the better you’ll be able to plan and schedule.
2. Keep a “moving” calendar
It’s a known time management fact that using a calendar and blocking out time for tasks will ultimately save you time. So, use your calendar, or create a new one just for moving-related items. With an up-to-date calendar in place, you’ll always have a view of what needs to be done and how those tasks fit into your weekly schedule.
Maintaining a moving calendar also reduces stress.
3. Ask for advice
How should you stage your main floor? Should you make any home improvements? How should you prepare for a buyer coming to view your property?
You don’t need to guess or Google. Get professional advice. Doing so will expose you to the most current best practices and will save you time.
4. Hire help
You don’t need to do everything on your own. Instead, consider hiring professionals to do at least some of the work for you. For example, hire a painter, a lawn mowing service or a dog walker.
Hiring professionals during the selling period can save you countless hours. And, those costs may be offset by the sale of your home.
Unless painting a room is a passion, you probably want to finish the task as soon as possible — while still doing a quality job. Here are some tips for doing just that:
One-coat paints. Having to do a second coat is time-consuming. Fortunately, there are several “one coat” paints that can get the job done, well, in one coat! They don’t work for every type of project. But, if your walls are in good condition and you’re not dramatically changing the underlying colour, a one-coat paint is worth considering.
Leverage various-sized rollers. Most people use rollers for the main wall surface and switch to brushes for the tight areas. Instead of a brush, try a smaller roller. That can speed up the painting considerably.
Use quality brushes and rollers. Cheap brushes tend to not hold paint evenly and can also shed fibres – which you then have to pick off the painted surface. Good quality brushes and rollers may cost a little more, but the paint will be applied more smoothly and evenly — saving you time.
Wear your painter’s tape. When running painter’s tape to prep a room, wear the roll on your wrist. That way, you won’t constantly be reaching for it.
Wrap rollers and brushes in plastic. For longer painting jobs, wrap rollers and brushes that are not in use in plastic wrap or baggies (the kind you use in the kitchen.) That will keep the brushes and rollers wet while you take a break.
Start in the middle. Most people start at the end of a wall and work their way to the center. You’ll paint faster if you do the opposite. In addition, you’ll avoid applying too much paint in the corners (which people are apt to do when they start there).
Want more tips for preparing your home for sale? Call me.
The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB.
The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB.