Preparing Your Toronto Home for Sale before Hiring a Realtor

Written by: Erica Mary Smith
Posted on: February 19, 2016

When homeowners put up their Toronto homes for sale, they often expect their property to be snatched off the market quickly. Toronto’s real estate market is hotter than ever, and houses and condos are being sold for record prices. However, that doesn’t mean that every home will be sold. In fact, sellers still need to make sure that their Toronto house for sale is ready for the market. There are some things that can cause buyers to pass your house by and choose other properties.

Before contacting a Toronto realtor for selling your house, there are a few things that you should do to prepare your house.

Is Your Toronto Home Ready for Sale?

One of the most important things when selling your house is ensuring that it’s clean, organized, and functional. If your house is dirty or has visible damage, it can be enough to turn buyers away. Even simple things, like small stains on the wall or dust on top of a mantle, can give buyers a negative impression of your home.

Before you contact a realtor, you should get your house in the best condition possible. Look for stains, smudges, or fingerprints on the walls, ceiling, and doors. As well, keep an eye out for peeling wallpaper, cracked paint, tape or adhesive residue, holes, and other blemishes that can detract from your property. It’s usually a good idea to put on a new layer of paint before putting your home on the market. As well, you should repair any damage that could turn off a buyer, such as a water stain or a chipped countertop.

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A good, deep clean is just as important when wanting to sell your home. Buyers may look at your home in detail, so it’s important that there is no dust anywhere and that your surfaces and appliances are sparkling clean. Make sure you dust areas that you may normally not dust, such as on the top of fan blades or underneath a radiator. As well, ensure there are no unpleasant odours, as that can be enough to give a buyer a bad impression of your home.

How To Make Your Toronto Home More Valuable and Sell Faster

While cleaning and repairing your home can be important, sometimes you may need to take bigger steps. There are certain things you can do to add value to your home. By adding value to your house, you can not only help your home sell faster, you can even increase the sales price.

Kitchens are one of the most important rooms in your home, and doing some simple updates or renovations can easily make your house more attractive to buyers. Resurfacing your kitchen cabinets or cupboards is simple, inexpensive, and effective at adding value to your kitchen space. As well, putting in new countertops can truly transform your kitchen and give a boost to your sales price.

However, you don’t need to always do expensive renovations. You can easily change the look of your home using simple, inexpensive techniques. For instance, putting in wall mirrors can open up your rooms, making them appear bigger and larger than they are. Changing your lighting can also help make your home seem bigger. Use soft lamps to brighten up dark corners and bring them into the room. By exploring and using interior design tips and techniques—from both online and in print—you can easily make your home look like a better buy.

Finding the Best Realtor to Sell Your Toronto House

Updating, cleaning, and repairs are all important when readying a Toronto home for sale listings. However, you also need the right realtor to sell your house. It doesn’t matter how attractive your property is; without a good realtor, you may not get the price you deserve.

When it comes to choosing a realtor, you need to research. Look at realtors’ credentials, check how long they have been in business, how many current listings they have, and the type of properties they usually represent. As well, look up their track record. Speak with current and former clients, ask for references, and research the sales they have made. If you can find the right realtor for your Toronto home, you can be comfortable knowing that you will get the best price possible for your property.

Condo Chicks from Stomp Realty Inc., is a dedicated team of realtors who are behind some of the most prestigious and prominent condominium sales in the Greater Toronto Area. We take pride in negotiating on your behalf to represent your best interest. For more information, please call us at (416)-366-3033.

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