FOR
SELLERS
Thinking about selling your
home? You've come to the right place. Selling
your home is a major undertaking and I can ease
this challenging, time-consuming and sometimes
frustrating process. With 20 years of experience
selling homes in the Orleans area, I have the
skills and knowledge to effectively market your
home at the best advantage to you.
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Home Selling Series
Royal LePage has been committed
to helping Canadians buy and sell homes since 1913. The
Home Selling Series of videos will take you through the critical steps of selling
your property with tips and advice from industry experts that
will help you navigate this exciting time and achieve the best
results.
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Selecting
a REALTOR®
Good REALTORS® will save you
time and money. They know your community, what buyers want in
a home, how to negotiate the best price, and how to close the
deal.
As your REALTOR®, I will
- Recommend a competitive price for your
home
- Develop a marketing strategy to bring in
as many potential buyers as possible
- Take care of all the details (so you don't
have to)
- Advise you about your rights, options,
and obligations
- Negotiate to get
you the best price and the best terms
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Determining
Property Value
Although the market determines
the value of your home, I will help you set a realistic price
to match market conditions.
I will prepare a comparative market
analysis based on similar homes in your area. It will show current
listings, recent sales, and expired listings (a good thing to
check because these houses are usually either overpriced or poorly
marketed). Your competitive price will be based on:
- Location
- Size
- Style
- Condition
- Community amenities
- Market conditions
(Is it a buyer's or a seller's market?)
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Importance
of Pricing
A realistic competitive price means:
1. Your property will sell faster
because it is exposed to more qualified buyers.
2. Your home doesn't lose its "marketability."
3. Offers are higher when a property is closer to market value.
4. A well-priced property can generate competing offers.
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Pre-listing
Preparation
First impressions are lasting impressions.
You will want to make sure that buyers looking at your home are
left with the best possible impression.
- To prepare your property for listing, take
a look at your home with the eyes of a potential buyer. What's
your first impression? What needs to be cleaned, painted,
repaired, or tossed out to make your house as attractive as
possible? A small investment in repairs, decoration, and organization
can add thousands of dollars to your property value.
- To find out the best ways to get your home
ready for sale, take the Homeowner
Quiz. It’s quick and fun and will analyze your homeownership
style and give you advice on how to ensure your property appeals
to more potential buyers.
Interior Preparation
Every room should look as spacious,
bright, and warm as possible.
- Wash walls and trim. Consider painting
with light, neutral colours. Repair cracks.
- Tighten loose knobs, towel racks, switch
plates, and outlet covers.
- Fix tight doors and windows, squeaky floorboards,
and loose stair banisters.
- Clean and repair caulking around tubs and
sinks. Fix leaky faucets; remove water stains.
- Clean and organize the basement and attic.
(This is a good opportunity to throw out all the bits and
pieces you don't want to move.)
- Organize closets. Get rid of the clutter.
Limit the number of items stored overhead or on the floor.
- Clean out kitchen cabinets, and remove
clutter from countertops.
- Clean drapes, blinds, and curtains. Shampoo
carpets, and wax floors.
- Arrange furniture to make rooms appear
as spacious as possible.
- Remove any items you're taking with you,
such as chandeliers and mirrors
Curb Appeal
First impressions really do count.
If the impact of your curb appeal is strong, people will want
to see what is inside.
- Cut the lawn.
- Cut and trim the shrubs.
- Remove dead tree limbs and other yard debris.
- Brighten up the garden with fresh shrubs
and flowers.
- Get rid of the clutter. Put away toys and
gardening equipment.
- Touch up peeling paint on doors, siding,
and trim.
- Repair and paint the fence.
- Fix damaged roof shingles and flashing.
- Clean windows, replace broken panes, and
fix torn screens.
- Clean gutters and downspouts.
- Wash the driveway and sidewalk. Patch cracks
or holes.
- Clean up the garage and shed.
- Make sure outside
lights and doorbells work.
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Showing
Your Home
Once your home is ready for the
market, and the listing agreement has been signed, it’s
time to show your home. Your house should be ready to show at
all times. Make sure it is kept clean and clutter-free. And remember,
those last minute touches before someone comes to view your home
can make all the difference:
- Turn on all the
lights, even during the daytime, including outside entrance,
closet, and basement lights. Open all the drapes and blinds.
- Turn off the television, stereo, and radio
(easy listening music is OK).
- On cold days, light a fire. If not in season,
make sure the fireplace is clean.
- Put pets in a fenced yard. Better still,
ask friends to look after them. Some people may be allergic,
others may be afraid of animals. Clear any pet odours.
- Clean the kitchen and bathrooms. Leave
windows and mirrors sparkling.
- Set out fresh flowers, hang decorative
hand towels in the bathroom, and place an attractive tablecloth
on the dining room table.
- If possible, leave! Some buyers are uncomfortable
when the owner is in the house. In their hurry to get away,
they may miss important features, or fail to ask important
questions. If you must remain, be courteous, but try not to
make conversation. The buyer's Realtor knows what the buyer
is looking for. He or she can discuss features and answer
questions.
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Receiving
an Offer
A buyer interested in purchasing
your property will make an offer and, as an act of good faith,
put down a deposit.
The buyer's REALTOR® will communicate
the offer, sometimes known as an Offer to Purchase (a legal document
specifying the offers terms and conditions) to you or your representative.
The offer states how much the buyer is willing to pay and details
the conditions.
The offer can be firm or conditional.
Firm Offer to Purchase:
Usually preferable to the seller, because it means that the buyer
will purchase the home without any conditions. If the offer is
accepted, the house is sold.
Conditional Offer to Purchase:
Means the buyer has placed one or more conditions on the purchase,
such as subject to home inspection, subject to financing, or subject
to the sale of buyer's existing home. The home is not sold until
all the conditions have been met. The seller can accept the offer,
reject the offer, or make a counter offer.
Acceptance: The
seller agrees to all the terms and conditions exactly as set forth
in the Offer to Purchase.
Rejection: The
seller does not agree with any of the terms and conditions set
forth in the Offer to Purchase.
Counter offer:
The seller agrees with some of the terms and conditions of the
offer, but not all of them. The seller then makes a counter offer.
The counter offer may change the price, the closing date, or add
or delete conditions. When the buyer receives the counter offer,
he or she can accept the new terms and conditions or reject them.
A signed offer is a binding contract.
Make sure you understand and agree to all of the terms before
you sign. You may want to have a lawyer review the offer first.
Congratulations! Your home
is sold!
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