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WHAT NINE THINGS SHOULD YOU HAVE READY WHEN I LIST YOUR HOUSE?
1. Survey. Have you got a copy of the most recent property survey? If so, I will want to have it available to show prospective purchasers. A survey, will help the buyer situate the house and may, in future plans and discussions with the city or neighbours, be helpful in resolving.
2. Floor Plans. If you bought from a builder, had your home designed or had some reconstructions done, you may have copies of floor plans. Buyers find these very handy when planning the furniture placement. It will also help me when I am measuring the rooms for the listing.
3. Tax Bill. Maybe you are paying your taxes with your PIT (Principle, Interest and Taxes) and don’t have a copy. I would like you to contact the city and get a copy of the bill. This is an essential piece of information for the MLS listing. Buyers are very keen to know the taxes.
4. Energy Bills. While a family with babies and toddlers is likely to keep the house warmer and use more water than a couple who are at work all day, your energy and water bills (gas, water, hydro, oil, etc) will give the prospective buyer an indication of what it cost to run the house. This is interesting information to have handy. I am often asked about the cost to heat a home.
5. Photos. I hope that you have some recent pictures of your house and yard - when it wasn’t beneath 4 feet of snow. I want the buyers to see how lovely the yard is, where the pool is located and how your gardening efforts have enhanced the property. I will have additional photos taken for the listing but some of your best photos will help sell the house. Do you have any photos from the time when the house was built? If so, I will make copies of these for purchasers to see.
6. Receipts. If you have had some major house work done in the past 3 - 5 years, we will want to let the buyers know. The receipts will prove when the work occurred, who did it and if there is a warranty. The receipts that you should find -new shingles, new porch, floors/carpets, furnace, windows, septic tanks and wells (more about this next), any room renovations and extensions. We want the buyer to know that you have had work done on the house and that it is move-in ready. If you have the building permits, even better.
7. Water Wells and Septic Tanks. If you live in the city, you are off the hook for this one. However, if you are outside of the main part of the city and not on city sewer and water, then we want to show the buyers your well record (when it was drilled, what quantity of water, etc.). The buyer is going to want to have the water tested. Run your taps and clean out the filter at the end of each tap. We are not going to know where the buyer will take the sample. I hope you have the septic use permit and any receipts for work done on the tank (such as having it recently pumped).
8. List of Positives. Jot down the reasons why you have enjoyed living in the house. Buyers will be interested in the park that you love, the wonderful block party every Canada Day, the proximity to Starbucks, how easy it is to clean the tile floors and why you built such a high fence to keep out the deer. Whatever it is that you love about the house, let me know.
9. Key. I need a key to your house to put in the lock box. Please have a spare key ready for me. If you are like me, it is likely on a key chain somewhere in the house. If you have an alarm system, I will need the code.
Be Prepared - We Are Going To Be Selling
WHAT ARE FIVE THINGS TO DO TO YOUR OTTAWA YARD BEFORE LISTING AND SHOWING?
Here are five things that you can do to your yard to make your home more attractive to buyers looking for homes in Ottawa.
1. Sweep - It is so simple to get out the broom and sweep the front steps, veranda and driveway. If there is a lot of mud, then you might want to hose these areas. However, be friendly to the environment and try sweeping as your first method.
2. Wash - Wash your windows so that they gleam. Wash the front door and anywhere where people will touch - the railings, the door knob, front flower pots, and other things in your yard that the rain will not cleanse.
3. Open the windows - Not only will this air out the house but it will ensure that when the buyer tests the window cranks that they will indeed work. Driving up to a house with open windows gives a nice sense of freshness.
4. Put away the toys and tools - If you have kids toys, a plastic basketball hoop, the winter shovels and the garden rake all in the front yard, don’t be surprised if buyers just drive past your home. The thinking is that the front yard is an indicator of the care and attention in the house. Finally,
5. Buy a couple of baskets of flowers - Baskets are usually already blooming and will give instant curb appeal. I know, you don’t want to plant before the May long weekend but this is part of making your house attractive. Buy the plants already grown and colourful.
Make your home as attractive on the outside as it is on the inside.
FIVE THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU CALL A HOME STAGER
You are going to sell your house and have seen all of those TV shows about getting your house staged before putting it on the market. What should you do? I will meet with you and provide an opinion of the amount of work that may or may not be required.
We are all sensitive to criticism. It is tough to hear that your house isn’t perfect. Before spending money on the services of a professional stager, you can do the following five things.
1. Tart up the yard and your front door. The front of your house gives buyers their first impression of your house. As you know, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. So…. if there is snow - shovel; if grass - mow; if you have flower beds - weed; windows - wash (inside and out); front door - paint. You can take a picture of your house to a paint store such as Randall’s and the staff will help you pick an accent colour for your door.
2. Clean your house. Start scrubbing. This is not the 3 hour blitz that you do every week or two but a thorough top to bottom clean. If you have the money, bring in a cleaning service and work with them to get the job done. Wash your windows to let in the light. You want to watch out for mould in the grout in the bathroom. This area bothers people - a lot. Sometimes buyers will love your house but be looking for every single fault just to justify their first offer. Reduce the reasons and increase the offer.
3. Remove clutter. Think - clutter is taking up valuable real estate. Your house will look smaller if every nook and corner is stuffed. To make the house look bigger, remove unnecessary things. Think of this as your first round of packing for the move. One caution, don’t strip your house so much that it looks artificial. Over-staged homes are beginning to bother buyers almost as much as homes with too much clutter.
4. Be selective on personal items. Buyers are curious. Remember, they are out looking and by the nature of this function they start getting curious about who lives in the houses that they are visiting. Do you want people to know where and when you graduated by the degrees hanging on your walls, how the family enjoyed Disneyland by the photos everywhere, what medicine you take by the bottles left in the kitchen cupboard, what items you purchased at an ’adults only’ shop? Hopefully, not. Yes, you live in the house but some things are just better left private. Look at your house and see what it will tell strangers about you. If things are too revealing, remove them or store thme out of sight.
5. Fix the broken bits. You don’t need me or a professional stager to tell you that the leaky faucet, the broken window, the running toilet, the missing knob on the cupboard door and the broken air conditioner all need to be fixed or replaced before the house goes on the market.
Now that we have the ‘bones’ done, we can consider the services of a stager. There may or may not be a payback on getting the house painted, furniture rearranged and furniture leased for the duration of the sale. We may want a stager to give us his or her most valuable advice. Telling us to clean the house or fix the tap is just something that we can do without being told.
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