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When you’re preparing your home for a sale, you should declutter as much as possible. That makes your property appear neater and more spacious to buyers. However, that doesn’t mean you have to toss items in the trash or haul them to a landfill site. There are many other, more environmentally-friendly ways to dispose of unwanted items.

There are many reasons homeowners may need to sell their property — fast. Work relocations, changes in family makeup, and financial needs are among the most common. If you find yourself in a position where you need to sell quickly, you don’t necessarily have to go to market with a temptingly low price. Here are some other ways to accelerate the sale of your home:

When preparing your property for sale, you want to make it as attractive as possible to buyers. After all, the more buyers like what they see, the higher the probability you’ll get good offers. That’s why it’s advisable to clean, declutter, decorate, fix, and improve as much as possible. But, how far should you go with fixing and improving? For example, should you tear down the old deck and build a new one? Or, should you leave it as is? Should you paint the main floor? Or is it okay to leave the faded finish and few wall dents just as they are? Those can be difficult questions to answer because many factors come into play.

• What is the traditional return on investment for that home improvement? (In other words, how much will you get back when you sell?)

• To what degree will the fix or improvement help sell your home faster and/or for a higher price?

• If you don’t make the fix or improvement, will those deficiencies be likely to dissuade buyers who would otherwise be interested in buying your property?

• What are the current market conditions? Are there other listings in the area competing with yours?

• How much will the fix or improvement cost? Is it affordable, given the benefits of having a listing that’s more attractive and move-in ready?

Once you have answers to those questions, you’ll have a clearer idea of whether to fix it or leave it as is.
I can help you get those answers. Call today

Imagine you’re at the grocery store shopping for oranges. Two brands are available: the “Amazing Orange” and the “Super Orange.” Which would you choose to buy? Chances are, you wouldn’t decide based on their similarities. For example, since both oranges contain vitamin C, using that as a buying criteria wouldn’t help you choose between them. Instead, you would probably look for differences. What does one brand have that the other does not? Maybe one is less expensive, organically farmed, or is seedless! When people make buying decisions, they often look for differences.

Are you thinking of selling your home this year? If so, you might be paying extra attention to housing market news covered by the regional and national media. While that news can be helpful information, it can sometimes say little about what’s happening in your particular neighbourhood. In fact, it’s possible for there to be a balanced market nationally or regionally, while at the same time your street may be experiencing a hot seller’s market! That’s why it’s important to understand what’s happening in your local “micro” housing market when you’re selling your home. What do you need to know about your local real estate scene?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Is our neighbourhood a seller’s, buyer’s, or balanced market right now?

Are you thinking about selling your home this spring? If so, one factor that may be holding you back is time. You might be worried that you won’t find the time in your busy schedule to sell your property successfully.

 If so, here are four strategies that will help:

1. Understand what needs to be done

 Do you know what you’ll need to do to sell your home? Do you understand the steps involved? Do you have a clear idea of how long it will take to complete various tasks, like getting repairs done and doing some “staging”? The more accurately you can anticipate your tasks and how long it will take to complete them, the better you’ll be able to plan and schedule.

2. Keep a “moving” calendar