It’s true that many people love pets, however, your furry family members are a large part of the process of selling your home. Remember to consider how they fit into the equation and how evidence of their presence can affect potential home buyers and the sale of your property. Here are 5 things to consider when you are prepping your pet friendly home for sale.
How to Best Prepare Your Home for Sale
In 2020, Canadian home sales rose by 7.2% from November to December, cementing the yearly increase in sales for the year. The number of new listings naturally increased. And for the year, more than 550,000 homes were sold, over 12.6% that of the previous year. People are selling — and winning — with home sales in the nation. Even the average house price has gone up by 17% at $607,000. Will you be jumping on the bandwagon? To get in on this profitable real estate trend, it’s going to take preparation. When considering a home sale, you might feel overwhelmed. It’s a daunting task to get everything in order. But it doesn’t have to be. In just about a month — and with a little help from us — you can feel at ease knowing you’ve set yourself up for a successful home sale. First, Declutter Your Home Will your potential buyers go for a clean home or a dirty home? This is a no-brainer. Declutter your home and get that out of the way before anyone shows up to have a peek inside. Let There Be Light Now that your home is clean, make sure there’s a spotlight on it. This is especially crucial for photos you’ll be using to market your home online. Brighter homes with tons of lighting appear more spacious and inviting. Fix All the Things Do your due diligence and make sure your home is inspected prior to putting it on the market. Then fix what needs to be fixed. Even though it’s a one-time process for you, it’s a brand new start for your buyers’ life, so make it a positive experience for them and don’t leave any tasteless surprises. Revamp Your Curb Appeal Just as the inside matters, so does the outside of your home. First impressions are key. So be sure your exterior is as welcoming as the interior. You can enhance your curb appeal by placing flower pots outside, hiring a landscaper to clean your lawn, repainting peeling walls, and clearing your walkway. A colourful wreath can also give more life to your entrance. Have Focal Points Homebuyers are going to remember special areas of the home that catch their attention. So create those and draw them out using bright colours or accents. For example, you can add bright green throw pillows on your window seat, or place a bowl of fruit on your luxurious island. Go Natural To get the effect of focal points, you’re going to want to keep your colours as neutral as possible. Neutral does not mean boring. Quite the opposite. Softer colours are trending now — and for good reason. They help with the minimalist appeal which enhances how large a home appears. Plus, they relax your buyers. Get Rid of Smells Your house should not be a stinkfest when potential buyers arrive. That’s a given. However, you should further consider less noticeable (at least to you) scents that may be lingering around. Once you’ve taken care of the bad smells, what about the good ones? While it’s not necessary, you could put cookies out to have a “homey” baking smell around. This will create a connection with your kitchen. Mind Your Pet Not everyone is a pet lover like you are. In fact, some people are against it. So make sure you hide or place your pet’s things in less conspicuous locations around your home. Toys, beds, food bowls and the like should not be in the way when walking, nor should they be in the buyer’s direct line of eyesight. Rent a Storage Unit Since a minimalist approach is an ideal technique for home sales, you might need to store some furniture, artwork, or other large items. Renting out a storage unit will keep your items safe while you grant buyer’s more space to move around. Get a Professional Clean Don’t want to do the necessary cleaning yourself? Then consider hiring a cleaning company who will do the job right and increase your chances of getting that sale. Remove Personal Decor Remember, buyers walk into the house imagining themselves there in the future. It’s best to take down family photos or kids’ artwork before they stop by. This might not be easy for you, but it’s kind of a must-do if you want to get a sale. Place Plants Inside Bringing nature into your home is an easy way to increase positivity in your space. This applies when you’re ready to sell as well. It can be a vase filled with flowers, or a simple house plant. You can bring in one of your plants from outside and use it temporarily for your viewings as well. Ensure that the plants are thriving and have no bugs on them. Renovate Doing a faux renovation can do wonders for your buyers’ experience while viewing. Maybe your faucet or hinges need some changing. How about upgrading those curtains? Small renovations can make all the difference. Conclusion Your home sale preparation doesn’t have to be a headache. In fact, it can boost morale as you anticipate moving to your own new abode. Downsizing? Read our previous blog post on the three crucial steps you need to take for a successful downsize. There, we also talk about getting the most out of your sale. And don’t forget to reach out to us when you’re ready to make your move to your new home.
Downsizing? Here are 5 Tips to Make the Process Simple
Living in a large home is great until it’s just not. Large homes come with more space to clean. As well as, higher utility costs, higher maintenance costs, and can become more of a burden than something you enjoy. Many people choose to move into a small home but may feel overwhelmed when they start packing. After all, a larger home means many things you may not have room for at your new place. Here are five tips to help you effectively downsize your items minus the stress. Minimize your Duplicates We all have duplicates and once you get packing you may be surprised to see just how many duplicate items you have. Kitchens are one of the most common places you’ll find duplicates and are a great place to start when you’re looking to downsize. Think about this-do you really need 5 spatulas and 10 wooden spoons? Probably not. So keep your favourites and place the others in a giveaway box. Cups and silverware are another thing people tend to have a lot of. If you don’t regularly host multiple people for dinner parties chances are you don’t need 2+ sets of cups and silverware. Make a Profit One of the most important things you can remember when downsizing is that you may have items valuable to others. Sure, there are going to be items you put in a giveaway box or toss but chances are you have some items to get rid of that others would pay for. Consider having a yard sale or selling your items online through Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist. Some of the best items to sell are furniture, toys, clothing, home decor items, movies, and more. Making a few extra dollars before your move can help to offset your moving costs, or bulk up your savings. Measure One of the biggest challenges we face is moving furniture into a space that is too small to accommodate it. When you’re downsizing, be sure to measure your living room, dining room, and bedrooms to ensure your current furniture will fit well in the space. If you find you have items that are just too big or bulky, you’ll be able to sell or donate them before the moving which saves you space in the moving truck and the headache of trying to rehome your furniture upon your arrival at your new place. Keep the Clutter Out It’s important to remember the size difference from your current home to your new space when you’re packing your belongings. With less square footage, you will clutter up a space faster with fewer items. Where you can, keep your space as clutter free as possible. Consider hanging your TV on the wall instead of using a bulky TV stand, and utilize floating shelves instead of a large bookcase just as a couple of examples. Think Multipurpose In your current home, you may have a couple of spare bedrooms, a home office or crafts room, and a master bedroom. When you downsize you’ll need to consider how to make your new space work with fewer rooms. You will still have your master bedroom, however, may be down to just one spare bedroom. When looking at the space, think multipurpose. There are some great ways you can have a spare bedroom double as a craft room or home office. Choose a space-saving desk, create a storage system in the closet, and utilize nightstands and under the bed storage too. If you’re looking to invest in new furniture, there are some amazing Murphy bed options now too! If you or a loved one is looking to downsize, Relocate Stress Free can help! We have extensive experience assisting with downsizing and would love to speak with you!