When it comes to selling that all-important investment, your home, there are many factors to consider. In addition to freshening up the paint \u2014 a must before you list \u2014 here\u2019s what savvy real-estate brokers across Canada recommend.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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2958 W 45th Avenue, Vancouver West, BC<\/a><\/div>\nVancouver<\/strong><\/p>\n
Deciding whether to stage, update or renovate areas of your home before you sell depends on the type of property you have, says Will McKitka, a senior vice-president of sales at Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada. \u201cIf it\u2019s an older property where the land is 90 percent of the value, then staging and d\u00e9cor [are] less important. If the property is a $2,000-a-square- foot condo, staging is key because it can strategically make a small space seem larger and show how it can be maximized.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you can\u2019t afford to do a full-stage, opt for a mini-stage. Remove clutter (strollers, toys, personal items, anything pet-related), use the right scale of furniture, paint walls and clean every horizontal surface. \u201cA coat of white paint on the walls freshens them up, no matter the age of the home,\u201d notes Kevin Hardy, McKitka\u2019s business partner and a senior vice-president of sales at Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada.<\/p>\n
Another smart paint trick is to spray-paint dated aluminum windows from the inside, which will not require permission from the strata corporation. For larger projects such as an outdated kitchen or bathroom, McKitka recommends renovating both if you can, and at the same time. \u201cIf you renovate only an outdated kitchen and not the bathroom, it\u2019ll make the unfinished room more noticeable.\u201d Do it fast and do it right. Hardy adds, \u201cIf you\u2019re selling a $300,000-to-$600,000 home, you can get away with painting only the cupboards and new hardware. But if it\u2019s a $5-million-to-$7-million home, people\u2019s expectations will have to be met. You\u2019ll lower the value of a high-end property if you do a cheap fix.\u201d Buyers make up their minds within the first 60 seconds of viewing the home, according to Hardy. \u201cFirst impressions can end up being their last impression, and improving areas like the exterior, front yard and outdoor space doesn\u2019t have to be costly,\u201d he points out. \u201cThey just need to look fresh, relevant and tidy.\u201d Cut back overgrown plants and repaint the stairs, deck and front door, adds McKitka. \u201cPatios and sundecks, any outdoor spaces, even if they aren\u2019t used a lot \u2014 you need to make them relevant again because there is value in that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
14624 93 Avenue, Edmonton, AB<\/a><\/div>\n
Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n
Even more important than the architectural style is the d\u00e9cor, which should match the identity of the home, notes Ron Dickson, a senior vice-president of sales at Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada. \u201cToday\u2019s buyer relies on the Internet and great photographs \u2014 even 4K videography for their information. When we arrive for a viewing, the home has to maintain that excitement that the buyer felt when they viewed it online,\u201d Dickson says.<\/p>\n
He advises sellers to concentrate on minimalizing and depersonalizing your home. \u201cYou want to make the home appealing in a blank canvas sort of way, so [apply] a fresh coat of paint and remove clutter and unnecessary furniture, personal photos and artwork,\u201d he says. \u201cEven if the property isn\u2019t the most stylish, you want it to look like it\u2019s been lovingly cared for and well maintained.\u201d This means fixing cosmetic issues that buyers will notice, like cracked tiles, a broken window, burned-out lightbulbs, carpet stains and cracks on the walls. If you\u2019re including items like the washer, dryer, air conditioner and stove with the house, make sure they\u2019re all in working order. \u201c[These] all add up to a long list of problems that [buyers] can use to renegotiate the price of the house or cause them to choose another [home],\u201d Dickson points out.<\/p>\n
If you think the kitchen or bathroom \u2014 key rooms that sell a property \u2014 need an update, keep the price of the home in mind. \u201cIf the price point appeals to first-time buyers, you may want to leave things alone, so the buyers can put their own stamp, especially if the rest of the home is clean and [well] maintained. If you\u2019re at an upper price point, do the renovation to create unison in the house and [to] command more money.\u201d And if you do renovate, leave it to the pros. \u201cIf you\u2019re not handy, now is not the time to DIY,\u201d Dickson cautions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
22 Birch Avenue #D, Toronto, ON<\/a><\/div>\n
Toronto<\/strong><\/p>\n
In today\u2019s market, buyers either want a place they can transform themselves or they\u2019re looking for a finished home, especially buyers from overseas who may not have the resources or contacts to have renovations done, says Andy Taylor, a Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada senior vice-president of sales. When it comes to condominiums or model homes, Taylor recommends giving them some character and swapping out items like basic builders\u2019 light fixtures for customized ones or installing built-in shelves in the living room. \u201cIt should look like care and thought have been put into the home,\u201d he says. However, if a bathroom or kitchen has to be updated, there\u2019s no need to put your own personal stamp. Keep these rooms as simple and neutral as possible. Taking the time to renovate these key areas will make your home easier to sell and open yourself up to a greater number of potential buyers.<\/p>\n
Along with the requisite decluttering and fresh paint, it\u2019s also advisable to know what challenges your house could pose to the buyer. Providing your own home inspection is good for you, the seller, as well as for the buyer. \u201cRemember that the buyer\u2019s perception of issues is usually exaggerated,\u201d notes Taylor. \u201cThere may be a small cost to repair something like a broken door handle, but the perception of the buyers is that it\u2019s going to cost them a lot more, as well as their time.\u201d If you do your own home inspection, you\u2019ll know what the house\u2019s deficiencies are and what needs repair, along with potential costs. Fix the problems now before buyers discover them, as they\u2019re more discerning nowadays. \u201cYou want to take away as many [buyers\u2019] objections to the property out of the equation,\u201d says Taylor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
1842 Ch. St-Clare, Mont-Royal, QC<\/a><\/div>\n
Montreal<\/strong><\/p>\n
In today\u2019s market, the success to selling a house starts even before the buyer steps through the front door. \u201cBuyers are looking online and these pictures are the most important tool when it comes to selling homes,\u201d explains certified real-estate broker at Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Quebec, Cassandra Aurora, who is also a registered home stager. \u201cIt starts with one image, and in that photo, you have to sell [buyers] on not just the home but [also] the [natural light], the d\u00e9cor, the floors, the ceiling height. And if they like it, they\u2019ll scroll down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trick is to keep everything simple, even the d\u00e9cor, so buyers look at everything and not focus on, say, that one couch or the wall colour. \u201cI try to use what the seller has, as long as it\u2019s not overwhelming. Then I\u2019ll bring in brighter cushions, a throw, change a floral couch or Persian rug to something neutral,\u201d says Aurora. \u201cWhen it comes to tackling updates to a kitchen or bathroom, the investment depends on the quality of the material. \u201cIf [the area is] well maintained, in wood or in good condition, then it may only require a paint job. If it needs a bigger update, then I\u2019m [in]. It may cost you $15,000 for a new bathroom, and while it\u2019s not a guarantee you\u2019ll get that $15,000 back, your home will sell faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
For photos, visits and on open-house day, Aurora recommends removing all personal items, including anything pertaining to pets, so buyers feel like they\u2019re walking into a model home and not someone else\u2019s space. When people find out that a dog lives in the home, they\u2019ll inspect the floors and walls more closely for scratches and dirt, she reports.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also need to create a certain lifestyle. If the home has a hot tub or outdoor fire pit, for example, capitalize on it. Remove the cover and turn on the hot tub, and position [skewers] with marshmallows next to the fire pit,\u201d she says. \u201cI even place rolled-up towels next to the bathroom sink, reminiscent of a spa experience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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