Sell your Edmonton home quickly and for the most money possible with the help of these seven home-selling tips.
1. Determine Your Reason For Selling (then keep it to yourself)
Your motivation for selling plays a crucial role in determining the overall sales process. Are you in a hurry to sell based on a new job or closing date on another property? This will call for a different approach than if you have more time to prepare before listing.
Once you have determined your reason(s) for selling, be sure to keep them to yourself to avoid giving anything away to interested home buyers. If they know you are on a tight moving timeline, they may be inclined to make a lower offer.
2. Get a Free Home Evaluation
Simply put, a home evaluation is the process by which a licensed Edmonton REALTOR® will help you determine your home’s value based on current Edmonton real estate market conditions. Unlike your assessed value, which is calculated by the city to determine your property taxes, market value indicates how much buyers will be willing to pay for your property within a 30-90 period.
Key reasons why an Edmonton home evaluation is necessary for selling your home quickly and for top dollar:
1. You’ll Price Your Home Correctly the FIRST Time: Otherwise, you risk losing valuable time and money as your home sits on the market.
See our previous post: 7 Key Signs Your Home is Overpriced
2. Improve Your Asking Price: Your evaluating agent will suggest easy and affordable value-add changes you can make prior to listing (more on that below).
3. Stand Out From the Crowd: Price your home competitively compared to other properties on the market to attract the right home buyers at the right time.
4. It’s a Free Service: Benefit from invaluable sale-boosting advice completely free of charge – no obligations or commitments.
3. Improve Your Home’s Resale Value
As we mentioned above, there are several easy and affordable ways to improve your home’s value before putting it on the market. The key is to know which renovations deliver the biggest return on your investment come sale time. Our top recommendations include:
Creating Curb Appeal – First impressions are everything. Be sure your lawn is debris and weed-free, and freshly mowed. Prune trees and hedges, pressure wash your home’s exterior, etc.
See our previous post: 12 Easy Ways to Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal This Spring
Adding a Fresh Coat of Paint – New paint will make your home appear fresher and brighter. Just be sure to stick with neutral colours.
Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency – This may include improving your home’s sealing and insulation, switching to a programmable thermostat, etc. Slightly more expensive upgrades (but worthwhile) may involve replacing your windows as well as outdated systems such as your furnace or hot water heater.
Updating Fixtures and Hardware – Little changes such as swapping out old drawer pulls and handles and replacing outdated light fixtures can go a long way.
Fix What Needs Fixing – Admittedly, this may cost a little more if you need a roof replacement or foundation repair. However, avoiding these necessary fixes can intimidate buyers and affect your home’s sale price.
4. Be Upfront and Honest
Speaking of necessary fixes, we recommend complete discretion when communicating with buyers about any defects in your home. Not only will this prevent potential legal problems later on, but you will also appear more trustworthy – especially since any issues are likely to be discovered during a home inspection, regardless.
You may even opt to take things a step further by hiring your own Edmonton home inspector and tackling any problems beforehand. This will also be looked upon favourably by buyers.
5. Stage For Success
Studies have shown that even minor home staging efforts will lead to increased buyer offers and reduced time on market. While this doesn’t mean you need to hire a professional home stager, here are five simple staging tips every seller should know:
1. Keep Furniture in the Home (if possible): Homes can be more difficult to sell if they’re vacant, as they tend to look less inviting. An empty home may also signify to buyers that you’re in a hurry to sell.
2. De-Clutter: Clutter makes your home look messy and small. Clear your countertop and floor space as much as possible, and be sure to organize your pantry, clean cupboards, drawers and closets.
Check out: 20 Things to Get Rid of When De-Cluttering Your Home
3. De-Personalize: A home that looks too “lived in” can make it hard for buyers to see themselves living there. For this reason, you’ll want to remove family photos and other personal items to reduce buyer distraction.
4. Super Clean: Nothing will turn buyers off faster than a dirty home. Be sure to go above and beyond your regular cleaning tasks to include your carpets, walls, baseboards, windows, cupboards and closet interiors.
5. Eliminate Odours: Unpleasant smells such as pet, food and smoking odours are also deal killers. In addition to deep cleaning your home, we recommend incorporating some strategically placed air fresheners (take care they aren’t too overpowering) and/or vases of flowers, potpourri, etc.
See also: The Essential Do’s and Don’ts When Showing Your Home to Potential Buyers
6. Get Ready to Negotiate
Keep in mind, the negotiation process is just that – a process. Because interested buyers will always try to get the best deal possible, it’s important not to take any lowball offers personally (or seriously). You can also rest assured that, by pricing your home correctly the first time, you’ll be far more likely to receive multiple offers – reducing your need to settle for the first offer that comes your way.
Lastly, you’ll want to remember the highest offer may not always be best if the buyer is unqualified, if you need to sell your home quickly, etc.
7. Choose the Right Edmonton REALTOR®
While you may be tempted to sell your home on your own, partnering with an expert Edmonton REALTOR® is essential if you hope to sell your home fast and for top dollar. This is because selling your home yourself generally takes more time (and therefore more money) than if you’d enlisted the help of a professional to begin with.
Here’s what to look for when it comes to choosing the right Edmonton REALTOR® to sell your home:
Maximum Selling Exposure – Your agent should demonstrate a proven ability to market your home 24/7 until it’s sold.
Full-Service Support – Your REALTOR® should come backed by an entire team of professionals, including customer service representatives, marketing specialists and listing agents, always available to provide the support you need.
Exceptional Communication Skills – A good agent will never leave you hanging. They will always be there to address any questions or concerns you may have throughout the home selling process.
Local Market Experience – The right REALTOR® will also have a successful track record of homes sold within your area.
Get in touch with the Terry Paranych Real Estate Group to schedule your FREE Home Evaluation. Not only can we determine what your home is TRULY worth according to today’s market conditions, but our proven 24/7 home selling system is guaranteed to help you sell your home quickly and for the most money possible!
Not sure if you’re ready to sell? No problem! We can simply suggest ways to improve your home’s value until you feel confident about hitting the market.
Posted by Terry Paranych on
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