SELLING YOUR HOME ON YOUR OWN - OR USING A REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON
If you have decided that now is the time to sell your home, you might be thinking: should I hire a Real Estate Sales Representative or do it alone. Have you ever considered repairing your own car? Anyone can buy the tools and parts. However, most of us just do not have the knowledge, training, experience or the expertise and commitment of time to do the job properly. Besides, there are plenty of experienced professionals to do the work for us.
Staging Your Home - is it really worth the effort?
First of all, let me apologize to my clients who have sold their homes recently. You finally find your next home and now its time to sell. I arrive with a pad of paper and pencil and we start to make the list!
Preparing your home for the market is no small order. The list could include painting entire rooms, minor repairs, packing up all the toys and on and on and on!
Last month, it was my turn! We had finally found our next home and now it was time to sell our East York bungalow. So I thought that I should do exactly what I make my clients do. We started at the front of the house and went from sidewalk to front door and through every room making a detailed list of all the things that need doing!
While this in and of itself was a monumental task - I can't beleive how much stuff we have/had - we also decided to remove the remaining knob and tube wiring to improve the saleability of our home. This involved gutting the basement to allow the electrician access to the old wiring. Not only did we have to demolish the basement but the electrician had to poke numerous holes in the old plaster walls on the main floor of our bungalow to ensure all the old wires were gone! WHAT A MESS!
So on top of packing up a lot of possessions, we undertook this renovation and all of it in 3 weeks. Time was of the essence as we had a closing date on our purchase and I wanted to ensure that we were on the market before Thanksgiving weekend. In the end, it took 4 weeks but the results were nothing short of amazing.
Once all the dust had been removed and all the holes patched and repainted and the basement renovation completed - it was time to stage! This part of the fun part - when the pictures go back on the walls, the furniture gets re-arranged and the fresh flowers go out on the table....
While I knew the process of preparing to sell was a challenge, I have a new appreciation of what I put my clients through. Was it worth it - YES! We set a record for our street and I think my clients would concur that their homes have sold for more than they thought might be possible!
To see some of my listings - go to www.AgentSam.ca for an inside look at some of the homes (including my own) that I have staged!
While I knew the process of preparing to sell was a challenge, I have a new appreciation of what I put my clients through. Was it worth it - YES! We set a record for our street and I think my clients would concur that their homes have sold for more than they thought might be possible!