Preparing Your Home For Sale

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

When you decide to sell your home, many details come into play. One of the most important will be making your home as attractive as possible to potential buyers.

A REALTOR® will help you look after all the ins and outs of selling your home including a plan to give your home strong "curb appeal" and improve its "saleability." Your REALTOR® can provide many tips and low cost suggestions to not only attract more potential buyers, but to sell your home faster and for the best possible price.

It's true that first impressions count and the outside of the home speaks volumes about what the inside may look like. Often potential buyers won't get past the front door if the outside of a home looks run down or shabby. Your REALTOR® may suggest some simple "quick fixes" like a fresh coat of paint, flowers or shrubs and clean windows. Many of these suggestions are worth the minimal costs involved as they not only increase the saleability of your home, but could potentially add value equal to the money spent on paint for example.

With that in mind, your REALTOR® will likely caution you to stick to minor improvements. Bigger, more expensive renovations or repairs are probably best handled by adjusting your price to reflect the cost of the repairs.

A home that looks well-cared for is most attractive to potential buyers. Take a close look around the outside of your home and assess whether you need to tidy up, paint, trim bushes, repair ripped screens or clean the windows. Consider renting a pressure washer for the day - these do a great job on dirty siding and eaves.

Lots of minor repairs can be done by the "do-it-yourselfer." Things like fixing window screens, replacing the odd loose roof shingle, repairing door hinges and such are relatively simple. Advice is available at your local home improvement centre on everything from caulking windows to removing peeling paint to replacing screens.

Where to begin

Take a tour of your entire home to see what needs to be cleaned, what needs to be cleared out and what needs to be repaired. The following is an excerpt of a comprehensive checklist that can be found in the Ontario Real Estate Association's booklet, "How to Sell your Home." For a free copy of the booklet, contact OREA at 1-800-563-HOME or check with your local REALTOR®.

Tips to prepare your home for sale

Inside your home:

• Floor coverings
• Walls and Ceilings
• Doors
• Windows
• Window Coverings
• Lighting
• Pet Areas
• Entryways and hallways
• Closets and storage areas
• Kitchen
• Living room, dining room, bedrooms, den and study
• Bathrooms/powder room
• Basement, furnace room, garage, attic storeroom

Outside your home:

• Exterior surfaces
• Front door
• Eaves troughs/downspouts
• Gates
• Fences
• Sidewalks
• Driveway
• Yard and environment