Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

So, you've finally decided to take the plunge and put your house up for sale. Now the hard work begins — preparing your house for sale is a critical step to ensuring you get the highest price possible in the shortest period of time. But where do you start? Here are a few tips that will help you focus your time and energy.

Curb appeal

Many houses are overlooked by prospective buyers based solely on how they look from the street. Make the best first impression by cleaning up your garden; painting your garage, front door and window frames; and sealing your driveway. Take the time to plant some fresh flowers, add a tree to the yard, and repair that tattered screen door.

A dramatic entrance

Once a buyer has made the first step into your home, this is the moment to grab them with an inviting, comfortable entrance that makes them want to see the rest of the house. An inviting entrance can be achieved with neutral wall colours, freshly painted trim, a new light fixture, and fresh-cut flowers on a side table or wall-mounted shelf. Make smaller foyers appear larger with a funky new mirror, and clean out the front-hall closet so it too appears larger.

Clean and uncluttered

Removing clutter is the hardest job in getting your house ready for sale. What is special to you may not be all that important to potential buyers — and can in some cases turn them right off your home. Home buyers need to see themselves living in your house with their furniture and belongings, so the more mementos, family portraits and "stuff" you can remove, the better. This applies to storage areas, closets, the garage and dark corners in the basement too. Portable storage units are not that expensive and are a fabulous way to store extra furniture and belongings until the house is sold or you are ready to move.

Bright and inviting

Neutral colours are the way to go when getting your house ready for sale. Darkly painted rooms, busy wallpaper, and walls marred from years of activity make it difficult for buyers to put themselves there. You don't necessarily have to paint every room, but be as objective as possible when thinking about how other people see your space — and make your painting decisions based on that.

Traffic flow

Make your home as open and accessible as possible by rearranging or removing furniture that limits traffic flow or is too large for the space it is in. If you need more furniture to fill a large space, try moving what you have around, or inquire about renting or borrowing pieces that complement the space.

Eye-popping accents

Once you have optimized your home for sale, add ambiance and colour with strategic placement of lighting, art, and other accent pieces. Look to design magazines for inspiration, and brighten each room with something special — bright posters and art; colourful throws on the sofas and beds; a colourful bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter; flowers on the dining-room table.

There are many ways to optimize your home for sale and many resources available to help you — including your Realtor. Cleaning, decorating, and decluttering is an essential part of getting your home ready, and can make a significant difference in how much you sell the house for and how quickly.

Ready to list? Get matched with a top-performing listing agent at realtorreferral.ca.