Question:
We are considering selling our home in the near future. We have been watching those home improvement shows on the television regarding getting your home ready to sell, and we are wondering if its true what they say regarding preparing to sell a house?

Bob & Shelia J

Answer:
Dear Bob & Shelia

There are two schools of thought on this subject, one being to sell “as is” because the buyer will fix it and the other to do general clean up and redecorate to sell for maximum dollars. My feelings on these are: with the first you are not going to get the best price for your property, and in the second what is necessary to be done?

As a REALTOR® a home that is clean, bright, uncluttered, and in good repair will far more interest a buyer than one that is dingy, dark, and in disrepair. Buyers do not want to buy a home for a large selling price if they perceive that it will require work before they can move in, but they will purchase a moderately priced home that will need the same amount of work. In order for you to get the maximum price for your home seek the advice of a REALTOR®. They are the local expert on what it will take to sell your home.

Since you are not planning to sell right away you will have time to do the things that the REALTOR® will advise you to do to sell your home. Ask about whether or not a particular improvement will help to get you a higher price, and be prepared to do the work if you want the price. Ask to see information on comparable properties that have sold recently, ask the REALTOR® how they compared to yours, take note of how long they were on the market, and finally the location of the sold property. By doing this you can see if the extras your home has that are similar to sold properties, if the sold property has be updated and redecorated, how long you can expect the house to be on the market, and finally location, location, location.

You can do the major renovations like windows, doors, kitchen, bathrooms, shingles, etc.. but these are costly renovations and you want to make sure that the sale price will cover your expenses. It has been my experience though that a clean home with fresh painted wall, windows that are clean and let the natural light in, pet odours at a minimum, well maintained yard, and room to allow the buyer to imagine their furniture in the rooms will sell faster than a home that does not.

The final thoughts here is your castle is your castle, but if you want to sell it has to now become someone else’s castle. Try to separate yourself from the emotional issue and look at your property as if you have never seen it and are looking to buy it. Lastly listen to the advice of your REALTOR® and be prepared to act on their advice as it is their job to sell your castle for you.

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c/o Moose Jaw Real Estate Board
79 Hochelaga St. W.
Moose Jaw, SK
S6H 2E9