Sellers Tips

Alright you have come to the right place, you are considering selling your house and want to know what the best tips are to obtain the highest price possible on your home. I will outline for you here some proven, easy to accomplish tips that will help you achieve that goal. Don't scoff at some of them, companies have spent allot of money researching the psychological benefits of appealing to all the senses not just sight. As always I am here to help, and will assist you by providing recommendations of minor changes, that will make your home appeal more to potential buyers.

How we decorate our homes has more to do with personal tastes and items of sentimental value, for which the potential buyer will have no emotional attachment. Try not to take things to personal, after all the potential buyer is not going to consider all the time you spent looking at decorating books, shopping for the perfect accessories not to mention all the physical labour that went into making your home look like it was a picture out of House & Gardens. You need to have a good look all around your house inside and out, and try to look at it as a potential buyer would and make a list of things to fix or change. Consider getting the opinion of a friend they might be able to be more objective. "Don't know what your house is worth"? call me to do a free market analysis with no obligation.

I will work for you and with you throughout the home selling process. It is my business to help you sell your home with minimum delay and to help you realize every dollar of its worth.

On my initial interview, as you take me on a tour around the house and I have a look at the list you prepared earlier, I will advise you on what I think are necessary repairs, which would be unnecessary expense and any you might have overlooked that independent eyes with no emotional attachment might notice.

Here are some key points, do's & don'ts and proven methods for you to consider in your evaluation and in preparation of listing your home for sale.

• The Asking Price is the single most important factor and is key to selling your home quickly and getting a good price for it. List it too high and you may scare away potential buyers. Listen to your agent, this is his business and he has the experience to best advise you. This will likely be one of the biggest decisions you will make, so do your homework, have a look at similar type houses in your area in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) listings and visit a few open houses. In the end this is your decision, so consider all the facts and make one you are comfortable with.
  
  
• Curb Appeal, the house in the neighbourhood that catches your attention each time you drive past it. It doesn't have to be the most expensive house on the block, but it is probably immaculate, has well manicured lawns, neatly trimmed bushes, a nice garden, and you know that the owners likely take great pride in their home and the attention to detail. Now I am not suggesting you make any drastic life style changes, just to be aware it is noticed and the small improvements you make could attract more prospective buyers. When you are selling your home you need to make it as presentable as possible. Potential buyers may do a drive by the home before making an appoint to view, so it is important for your home to be visually appealing and inviting from the street. You can accomplish this by ensuring your gardening and lawn is maintained regularly. Ensure there is no unsightly clutter. Potential buyers will develop a first impression on how the home looks from the street, and it may determine if they come back or want to see more.
  
  
• Do clean out the clutter, go around and take inventory and get rid of all those items you put away long ago thinking you would find a use one day for them. Have a yard sale and involve the whole family in your efforts, they likely have items themselves that they are willing to part with, that if you erroneously select to dispose of they would otherwise object, if it is your idea and not theirs. Not up to a yard sale, then find a charity to give your cast offs to. Not only will your home be more presentable for selling, but you will also not be carting these unused items unnecessarily to your new home.
  
  
• Repairs pay off, take care of all those jobs you have been meaning to do even if you have to hire someone in to do it, you will re-coup the cost in the price you sell the house for. Not doing them may steer away potential buyers simply because if they see things needing done, they may think there is more hidden and that the home has not been properly maintained. In addition the offers you do get may be substantially lower than the asking price, because the buyer may view it as a fixer upper that he will need to invest additional monies into the home before moving in.
  
  
• Now that you have taken care of the sense of sight and your home looks bright, clean and maintenance free and it has that all important curb appeal, lets appeal to some of the other senses. Set the scene, play some soft music in the background burn some scented candles, put out some fresh flowers, have some fresh coffee brewing it will help set the mood and will make an impact on that ever important first impression.
  
  
• Do list your home with a MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and work with many other realtors to ensure you have a wide range of prospective buyers. The main point about having your house listed in the MLS is that you expand your sales force by the number of local MLS members. Instead of having just one agent working for you, now you may have hundreds or more, depending on the size of your community.
  
  
• Don't its not worth it! Some homeowners decide to sell their homes themselves in order to avoid the commission on the sale. The commission rate may vary but generally it is approximately 6% of the sale. Handling your own sale means you will be responsible for placing ads, answering phones, qualifying buyers and showing your home to strangers. In addition you will miss out on the advantage of using a Multiple Listing Service, and your home being seen by many more potential buyers. What's more, buyers who know you are saving on an agents commission may offer less for your home, wiping out the financial incentive to do it yourself. Consider this, of all the homes sold in Canada approximately 98% use an agent and a Multiple Listing Service, this combination has a proven track record at obtaining results.
  
  
• Don't be a victim, choose your agent wisely. Some agents aggressively seek new listings, concentrating on this area of the job. The reason for this is the listing agent will earn his commission on the sale, irregardless of how little he/she does to obtain the sale. He/She will likely be unavailable for your phone calls, spend little to no money on advertising in the local paper, nor will he/she hold frequent open houses that attract potential buyers.
  
  Be careful of agents who promise you only a "quick sale" as you may be presented with offers well below the market value of your home. At the same time be leery of agents that promise to get you a higher price than what your home is worth, this will only steer potential buyers away and take a lot longer to find a buyer for your home. He/She will repeatedly be coming back to you with pleas to reduce the price, wasting valuable time and causing you unnecessary stress.
  
  
• Do be choosy in finding an agent. He will be representing you on the largest financial transaction you will likely ever make and you need to be comfortable that he/she can be trusted with that responsibility. If you really don't know any agents, then talk to your relatives or friends and ask if they can recommend someone. Failing that, ask a professional such as your lawyer or banker if they can recommend someone to you.