Get To It!

Over the past couple of weeks, I have probably had at least five conversations with people who are thinking about selling but are not too sure.  “Maybe I will think about it and list in the spring”.

My advice to them, and to anyone else that is on the proverbial “selling fence”, take the time throughout the winter to do a little bit on your house.  This way, if you do decide to sell, especially when you have fallen in love with another house that has popped up, your house will be ready to list at a moment’s notice.  We frequently get calls from people saying the house they’ve always wanted has come to market.  Unfortunately, they’re about two months away from going to market with their own place.  Opportunity missed.

You never know when it’s going to happen.  So, even if it’s only a passing thought in the back of your mind, here’s some things you can do during those dark, cold winter months that will help you be ready when the moment arrives:

• Mucking out closets – if you think of your closets right now, do they show prospective buyers that you have lots of storage space or are they full of everything you’ve ever owned? Do they look organized or does it look like the inside of a clothes donation bin?
• Go through storage areas – every house has “that room” or area where things go to fossilize. Get rid of items you no longer have use for.  Chances are you’ll get rid of them when you move, so donate, sell or throw them out in preparation to list.
• Adding a fresh coat of paint – you don’t have to do the whole house top to bottom, but I’m sure there’s a room in the house that was painted with the “flavor of the day” that is now the “flavor of yesteryear”.
• Fixing those little things – how about that drawer handle that has been missing for years or finally tackle that leak in the basement sink drain you’ve been meaning to fix since your home inspector recommended it ten years ago.

Doing a little bit of this throughout the winter months won’t leave you feeling so overwhelmed in the Spring when your future new home has popped up on the market and time is not on your side.  Besides, wouldn’t you rather be outside enjoying the warmer weather when hibernation is over?  By that point, a little yard Spring cleanup will be all you need to do to top things off and put the sign in the ground!

As a quick offshoot to that, make sure you take a few nice pictures of your freshly manicured property in the fall after the raking and final lawn cutting is done.  The house of your dreams may come to market in February and giving prospective buyers the chance to see the yard in pics instead of trying to envision it through fields of deep snow could be the game-changer that sells your place quickly. 

Or, after all this hard work - who knows - maybe doing this will have you falling in love with your home again and you might decide not to sell.  Either way, the benefits are endless, when you’re sitting around inside, and it’s cold and dark outside, attack that house!  There is always something to do…. So, get to it!

One of our ongoing commitments to our clients is to help you right from the start of "thinking about selling".  When that thought crosses your mind, it's time to have us over for visit and take advantage of our expertise and guidance on prepping your house to sell!  Never hesitate to contact us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com to see how we can help, you cant start the search for you new home by checking out all MLS™ listings here, browse our other great blog topics here or check out our website for tons of info about buying and selling in Greater Sudbury!

Contributed by:

Michelle Caswell

Cell - 705.507.1229

mcaswell@realtyexecutives.com

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries.  For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.