Sellers - Why List with Us?
* Tamara is a registered broker with additional training and experience in real estate transactions.
* Two full-time Realtors, Larry & Tamara, work together to market your property and provide service to buyers and cooperating agents.
* Our independent office allows us to focus on you, our clients, not on the volume of transactions completed.
* We focus on our own database of clients and excellent relationships within the real estate community to target potential buyers.
* Tamara has an Accredited Staging Professional designation and offers staging advice as part of our service.
* Potential purchasers can access our listings through Realtor.ca and TamaraCulham.com.
* Larry is Stayner Chamber of Commerce president and can utilize extensive contacts in the business & investment community.
5 things to do Before you sell your home
Putting your home on the market isn’t as simple as placing a
FOR SALE sign in the yard
There are several steps to take prior to listing your home that will make the transaction smoother and quicker
one Hire a Real Estate professional
It may be tempting to try and sell your own home to avoid paying sales commission, but selling your own home is a full time job in itself. As real estate professionals we can recommend the best listing price, provide current local market insight, market your home effectively and organize showings of your home. We are also aware of what buyers in the area are looking for
two Let it go
It is time to think of your home as a house and your house is a product for sale. Prepare to let go of any emotional attachment and make plans to take your memories with you.
three Make repairs ahead of time
A long “honey do” list of repairs is a major put off for most buyers, who may choose another house rather than deal with the headache of fixing up your home
four Set the stage to sell
Curb appeal and first impressions are valuable assets when selling your home. Clear and tidy the yard and maintain the landscape to welcome visitors. As part of our service to sellers, Tamara is an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) and can provide guidance with the staging of the interior and exterior.
five Price it right
The original asking price of your home has a huge impact on the ultimate sales price. If you price to high, buyers will look for better values and your home will remain on the market longer. The longer your home is on the market, the less desirable it becomes to buyers – even if you eventually lower your asking price – because most buyers will avoid a home that others are avoiding
For low cost ideas to update your home in preparation to sell call us today
Setting the stage toSELL!
We stage houses not only for the benefit of the buyers, with whom we want to create a positive image, but also their realtors to make a good impression as they may think of other buyers they would also like to show the property to.
Staging a house for sale is very visual
It is all about presentation and aims to make things pleasing to the eye
Buyers have to mentally “move in” to your home in order to buy it
Location, Price and Staging
It is important to note that buyers determine how much a product will sell for. Most sellers believe that they set the price for their home when they sell it but actually it is the marketplace that sets the price. A property is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. A house really has two buyers, one is the buyer who eventually purchases the house and the other is the seller who must continue buying the property by paying the mortgage until it sells. Most sellers would never want to buy back their house for the price they are asking because they paid so much less than that when they bought it in the first place. Yet as long as a house sits on the market, for whatever price, without a buyer coming forward the seller will continue buying the house until someone agrees to take their place.
Get in the mind set to SELL!
Before you put your house on the market make sure that you really want to sell. You must begin to think of your home as a house and your house is aproduct for sale. It is time to let go of any emotional attachment and make plans to take your memories with you. Like the sale of any other product we want buyers to be attracted to your house because it shows better than the competition. Give us a call
The way you live in your home
and the way you sell your house are two different things
So let’s get to work staging your “HOUSE FOR SALE”
Staging your home...
…is living with less around, put away extra things, throw pillows, afghans etc.
…is using items, accessories and furniture in different ways
…is decluttering the house and property. You’re moving anyway, so why not start packing?
…is about the colors you use inside and out
…is about being committed to getting your house “ready” to SELL!
…is clearing rooms so that buyers can envision themselves living there with their family and their stuff
…is about selling your house not your things
…is cleaning, a clean house is more appealing to buyers
…make sure all light fixtures work properly. Replace broken switches, burned out bulbs, increase wattage in hallways and corners. Turn on lamps in dark corners.
…pack up all valuables, collections, and books.
…remove family photos, buyers want to envision their family in this space. Remove magnets, photos and artwork from the fridge
… Reduce the number of pieces of artwork in a room to one large one or a small grouping of three
…to make a room look more spacious consider removing a chair or a large piece of furniture
…repair anything that is broken; it shows that your home is well cared for
…carports should be cleaned out completely and garages should be swept and organized
…walkways and driveways should be clear; sweep away leaves or remove snow
…replace missing handles or knobs on cabinets or appliances
…hide wastepaper baskets/garbage cans
…trim hedges, bushes and trees so buyers can drive by and see the house
Adding Curb Appeal
Shutters
Shutters can stretch the size of a window and are an inexpensive way to add class to a property. Make your own using one-by-fours crossed with one-by-twos, painted white, black or slate blue. Such a small investment can make a huge impact on the curb appeal of a property.
Window Boxes
A window box adds personality to a window. Paint them the same color as shutters; keeping the same color going around the window like the mat of a picture. When window boxes and shutters do not match it cuts the window visually in half. Matching window boxes to the shutters can visually stretch the size of the house making it look larger.
Note – Adding greenery to the front of the house by putting a shrub into a planter at the front door adds instant elegance to an entrance. Make sure the front door is in good condition. It’s not just the entry to your house; it is going to be the gateway to the buyers’ new home! Red and black are the most recommended colors for the door.
Rub-a-Dub Scrub
Buyers assume that a clean house is well cared for. Many buyers will walk out of a dirty house without even considering what is underneath the dirt because they feel so uncomfortable. These days we all lead such busy that we often don’t even see the dirt. But when selling your house it will show better to buyers if it is white glove test clean!
Don’t forget to clean…
· Baseboards
· Blades of ceiling fans
· Inside and outside of tubs
· Exhaust hood above the stove
· Bathroom exhaust fans
· Cold air returns
· Top of refrigerator and stove
· Wipe away cobwebs in corners of ceiling
· Deep clean bathrooms till they shine
· Shampoo carpets
· Windows
· Under furniture
Buyers have to mentally move in to your home for it to sell
If they can smell it you can’t sell it!
Give your house the sniff test. Smells from pets, old carpet, mildew, smoking, and cooking must be eliminated. We often become accustomed to the odors that we live with and don’t notice them anymore even though they are still there. Buyers and their realtors will notice them when they view the house. Houses with smells will quickly earn a reputation and unfavorable labels such as the “cat pee house”, “wet dog house” etc…
Hints
Curtainscan be removed altogether. Dark colors and heavy fabrics can overpower a room. Sheers provide privacy, let in light and give the room a fresh new looks
Dirty windowsare difficult to see through and give the house a poor image
Fireplaces:Get rid of ashes, close screen during showings. If fireplace is not in use put a lush plant in the firebox
Doorway test: Stand in the doorway of each room, where a buyer would stand before deciding to enteri a room. You need to see what they will see so that you can make changes to get them to enter and discover the space. If a buyer will not go into the room they will not be buying your house. Look at every room from the buyer’s point of view and make it inviting for them
Color
Each room should have a simple color scheme, and the whole house should be cohesive. If wall and flooring colors are intense and change from room to room your house will feel smaller than it really is. The best wall color is so subtle that you don’t even notice it, but something in the room just feels right. Neutral walls are best. Taupe walls with white trim look fresh. Other neutrals like putty or moss work as well.
Clutter Eats Equity
A cluttered home feels stressful. It has to go. We don’t want to sell your things we want to sell the space. Pack up anything smaller than a football.
What is clutter?
Clutter is the things that your friends say are “SO you” and “show your personality” “Less is more”
“Buyers only know what they see, not the way it’s going to be”
