Montreal is no longer in a hot seller’s market. Sellers have gotten used to listing their homes as is and selling them in a bidding war. You now have a big role in ensure you get top dollar for your home, if you are thinking of selling! Here are 4 things, we strongly recommend you do before you list your home.
Discover any defects and strategize
We recommend getting a home inspection well in advance before you list your home. Most inspectors will reduce their fees if you do not require a written report. The purpose of this inspection is learn about the state of your home and to have the time and space to decide how you would like to deal with any defects.
At this point the decision is to repair or disclose!
You may decide that it makes more sense to repair the defect. A good example would be learning that your home has asbestos tiles in one of the rooms. Discovering asbestos is a red flag for a buyer; but in many cases it can be removed easily. Many homebuyers may inflate the amount they request for a price reduction, if they find asbestos in their inspection.
If you decide not to repair the issue, you will have to disclose it to any potential buyers. Therefore any offer you receive will reflect this knowledge already and so you will not risk price reduction requests in the middle of the sale.
Declutter, declutter, declutter
Moving homes is the optimal time to declutter! Why leave it to the last minute, especially when a decluttered home is more attractive to buyers? Decluttering is a crucial step before you list your home!
If you’re not sure what’s going on in your home and want to get an objective perspective from someone who does this every day, hire a professional organizer! This person can help declutter any space for you by coming up with a plan for how to organize it and then executing that plan efficiently. The result will be more room in your house without having to do much work at all: it’s like magic!
You can also check out our post on how to declutter your home.
Pro-tip: Declutter your closets as well. A closet which is busting at the seams, tells a buyer that the home lacks space.
Deep clean
Buyers want to know that your home is maintained with care. Even if the kitchen and bathrooms are 30 years old, a clean space tells a buyer that the home has been well maintained over the years.
A deep clean is a level above your regular weekly clean. It’s going into the hard to reach spaces and removing grime and deep dirt. We love this article from Better Homes & Garden, which breaks it down into steps.
Set up your price expectations before you list your home
Your home’s value will depend on the following:
- Whether your current maker is a buyer’s or seller’s market?
- The condition of your home: Are there upgrades? Is there major work that needs to be done? Has the home been well maintained throughout the years?
- The location of your home
- Special features like a pool or large garden
A real estate broker should be able to share recent sales and provide you with market insights. A good realtor will be happy to share all this information at any point before you list you home. You can also learn the value of your home online here.
Take it one step at a time
With all the talk about the real estate market these days, it’s easy to get nervous. But if you take a few steps now, your home will be in prime position for sale when buyers are ready to buy. With these tips, you can make sure your property is as attractive and appealing as possible—and prepared for any buyer who comes knocking on its doors!
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