Ready to sell your Ottawa-Barrhaven home? First, ask yourself this question: “Will my home impress?”. In real estate, first impressions matter, so when you put in the extra work to prepare your home for sale, you’ll sell faster and for more.
How to prepare your home for sale to get the best return on your investment
Before a buyer even sets foot in your home, they’ve already formed opinions. First when they see your listing online and then when they pull into your driveaway for the first time.
When you strategically prepare your home, you’ll appeal to a broad range of buyers and say yes to the best and highest offer that comes your way.
Start with the Basics – Repair, Update, Clean
When you’ve lived in a home for a long time, you become accustomed to the little defects you see day after day – a dripping tap, a crack in the wall, broken fixtures, water stains. A potential buyer will be looking at your house with fresh eyes and will notice. Finish off all those minor repairs on your to-do list.
If your house hasn’t been renovated recently, updating fixtures on kitchen drawers and cabinets, replacing faucets or buying new light fixtures can go a long way to giving your house a more modern feel. If you are contemplating bigger projects, see the MacDonald Property Group’s guide to what home repairs and renovations provide the best return on investment.
To prepare your home for sale, do a deep clean from top to bottom, including all the nooks and crannies, under furniture, around appliances, etc. No time or motivation? Consider hiring professional cleaners. A dirty home can be an instant turn-off for many buyers.
Broaden the Appeal – Depersonalize and Declutter
You want potential buyers to picture themselves living in the home, not feel like they’re in your home.
Adding a fresh coat of paint will freshen up the look of your house. Using neutral paint colours will ensure that the colour appeals to the broadest range of people.
Remove family photographs and other personal items to make your home feel more generic. Put away items that reflect personal interests, hobbies, religious or political affiliations.
You want potential buyers to picture themselves living in the home, so anything that would intrude on that vision should be out of sight. Remember that buyers are likely to open cupboards and closets, so keep the same principle in mind for those spaces. No one wants to open a closet and see someone else’s dirty laundry.
When it comes to selling a home, less is more. Crowded closets will look smaller than tidy closets. Leave space between hangers. Countertops should be as clear as possible. Even appliances you use daily should be stashed away in the cupboards for showings.
If you don’t have time to purge, or you’re having trouble letting go of your excess possessions, it may make sense to rent storage space while your house is on the market. A decluttered home will appear larger and tidier.
Add the Final Touches – Lighting, Scent, Curb Appeal
Not to sound like a broken record, but first impressions matter. Walking into a house that reeks of pets or smoke, or even just stale air can be an instant dealbreaker for some buyers. Airing out the house ahead of showings can help. Avoid trying to cover up odours with artificial deodorizers.
Make sure there’s enough lighting to keep the house feeling bright. Leave the lights on for late afternoon or evening showings.
Don’t forget about the exterior of the house. The lawn and gardens are the first things buyers will see when they come by for a viewing.
Ask Our Realtors About Professional Home Staging
You agree with our tips on how to prepare your home for sale, but you don’t have the time, energy or desire to implement these ideas? You may want to consider hiring a professional stager. A home stager will assess your home and provide recommendations tailored to your specific situation. They’ll rearrange furniture to optimize flow and add extra finishing touches to the décor. Some even take care of hiring services for decluttering, painting, and any repairs.
As real estate agents, we have access to an extensive network of professionals in Barrhaven and the Ottawa area. At The MacDonald Property Group, we always provide a professional stager and staging for free to help turn your home interior from drab to fab.
Since Ottawa is currently in a seller’s market, chances are your home will sell even without staging. The question is then: Do you want to sell at the best possible price? If yes, properly preparing your home for sale can add thousands of dollars in your pocket.
Buy and sell with confidence. Choose the MacDonald Property Group.
At The MacDonald Property Group, we have a dedicated, national award-winning full-service team all under one roof, ready to provide the expertise you can trust. Our team and associates are recognized as the top 1% in North America since 2010.
With over twenty-five years of experience in all aspects of real estate, we have bought and sold well over a thousand homes. We’ve been honoured to help thousands of clients in Barrhaven and across the Ottawa area close a deal with confidence and satisfaction. Give us a shout and let us show you what we can do for you!