I am in no way a health professional, nor should this be taken as medical advice.  This is just a personal opinion.

The Health Industry recommends you should have a colonoscopy every ten years after the age of 50.  But, getting the procedure done by a doctor at the local hospital can be a real pain in the “you know what” when you factor in everything.  You have to:

• get someone to drive you to the hospital or find and pay for expensive parking,
• fill out the forms and releases,
• get changed in a small room with just a curtain and put on a hospital gown that is thinner than the curtain you’re standing behind,
• sit in the waiting room consistently making sure the gown is fully closed,
• make that awkward eye contact with strangers who all know what procedure you’re in for,
• say “hi” to your bed neighbour in the room afterwards (if you’ve had a colonoscopy, you know what this room is actually for),
• and, finally, once the sedative has faded, you get can redressed and then head home.

What a process!!!!  There must be an easier way….

Well, why not just do it yourself at home?  You can go to any lumber store in Greater Sudbury and buy one of those new, high-tech plumbing or inspection cameras that we see home inspectors use and you could ask a family member to help you administer it!  No parking, no waiting, no awkwardness with your bed neighbour afterwards – it sounds so easy!  Uncle Jim has had a colonoscopy, so I'm sure he can do it!

But, all kidding aside, what are the main reasons you wouldn’t do a DIY Colonoscopy?  Common sense reasoning would probably be:

• Something this important should be handled by a licenced professional for your safety.
• You may not understand what you’re seeing on the camera or not understand what you’re reading in the results which could be severely detrimental to your health if you miss something.
• Uncle Jim may be “too nice” and doesn’t want to hurt you or your feelings by not giving you the “full” test or the honest truth about the results.
• You’re probably not prepared to handle any possible complications at home that could arise during the process and you’d probably want to make sure there are professionals to take care of you if something goes wrong.

Most would probably agree those are 100% practical reasons as to why you wouldn’t administer your own colonoscopy.  And, if you look closely at all those reasons, they’re identical to why selling the largest investment most people will own in their lifetime by yourself is just as dangerous….

Selling your house privately is like giving yourself a colonoscopy – sounds easy in theory, but way too risky to try on your own.  Too often we see people taking a giant risk with 100’s of thousands of dollars with the false promise they’ll save a small handful.  Just cause Uncle Jim has owned a house doesn't mean he has the knowledge and experience to protect you and your investment.  Keep the DIY projects to stuff that have far less risk involved than major financial and medical decisions.

Don’t give yourself a financial colonoscopy.  Let the professionals handle what they’re trained to do and hire a Realtor®.

Never hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments and suggestions, including any topics you’d like to see us discuss on here.  You can reach us anytime through our team email account – caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com – be sure to check out some of the other great topics in our Caswell Team Blog and keep coming back to see what’s new and exciting in Greater Sudbury!

Contributed by:

Steve Caswell

Cell - 705.561.8767

caz@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.

Before I get started here, I must clarify the picture above - my babies are NOT for sale!

If you’re anything like me, you have pets and they are considered very important members of your family.  They have the run of the house, have toys everywhere, a little bed area in the main living spaces and their food and water bowls are always left out. 

When you list your house, their little world will be temporarily turned upside down.  You want to try not to stress out your pet and, most importantly, make them still feel safe.  You also need to keep in mind that, even though we love our furry family members, unfortunately not everyone feels this way.  They could be afraid of them, allergic or simply don’t like them. 

I felt this was a pretty important topic to share for anyone that is selling with pets, so here are some tips that will help with their safety and, equally as important, will help maximize the sale price of your home.

Relocating Them

Temporarily relocating your pet can be the easiest solution when selling your home.  If you have a comfortable spot that they are used to visiting such as your parents, in-laws, siblings, a close friend etc., it would probably be worth seeing if they are willing to watch your pet for you.  We understand that this is a little trickier if the house is a tougher sell (ie: remote location) but, when you consider that the average time on the market in Sudbury is 3-4 weeks, you wouldn’t be apart from your pet for too long.  Even if it’s just for the first week as that will normally be your busiest time for showings.  I know… you will miss them… but it is for the best for both of you!  You won’t have to clean up after them, stress about what to do with them during showings and they won’t be freaked out with “intruders” when you’re not home.

If you don’t have this option, at least removing the pet from the property during the showing would be beneficial.  Take them for a walk, a car ride or even to the office with you for the day (if possible) are just some suggestions.  This will be a lot easier on your pet and will also make the showing a little smoother for the potential buyer. 

Crating Them

If you simply can’t remove them, maybe try crating them for the showing, although this is not ideal.  For instance, often when a dog is crated, they’ll bark incessantly while the showings are occurring and it makes it difficult for the Realtor® and their clients to discuss the property and creates an uncomfortable feel for the showing.

Damages

It is best to repair any damage that may have occurred prior to listing.  Pet stains are definitely the most common.  Attack those stains as best as you can!!!  I cannot stress this enough.  Bring in the professionals if you have to or even think about having that carpet replaced or offer a flooring allowance to the buyer. 

Clean, Clean and Clean Again

You might not notice it, but your home probably has a pet smell that you’ve become used to.  You want to have the house aired out as best as you can, wash all window treatments, spray a little furniture deodorizer, shampoo carpets and remove all animal beds and toys, dishes etc.

I don’t think anyone likes poo, with the exception of the emoji on your phone apps!  It is an UNDERSTATEMENT when I recommend keeping your kitty’s litter box clean!!!  Clean it everyday and make sure to sweep up all that kitty litter that gets tossed out of the box and loves attaching to socks.

As for the pups, keep the yard free of dog poo!!  Stepping in Fido’s landmine is one way to make sure a buyer feels uncomfortable while they were picturing their children playing in the grass.

Pet hair gets everywhere!  It’s not uncommon for my clothes to look like they’re all Pug angora products and I’m sure plenty of you can attest to this!  Make sure to sweep all pet hair and dander from floors, vacuum in all the nooks and crannies, sticky roller your furniture and even consider a professional duct cleaning so the furnace or AC doesn’t just blow all that hair stored in the ducts back into the house after all your hard work!

Photo Shoot

Listing pictures should never show pets or even evidence of pets.  Remove dog leashes hanging on the coat rack, tuck the litter box away for the laundry room shot and always best to wake your sleepy kitty from your bed/couch prior to getting that perfect shot.

Non-Traditional Pets

For the most part, cats and dogs are the concern for this post.  But, if you have a terrarium that is home to your beloved snake, lizard or tarantula or a bird cage with some noisy budgies, I would suggest covering it with something like a sheet or a towel.   Trust me, some buyers will leave immediately as they get seriously freaked out about some of these critters.  Even better, ask your in-laws to look after your anaconda while you’re on the market!

Stories From the Field

I personally love seeing animals when I am showing houses and have met some beauties.  But I have definitely ran into some pets that did not feel the same way about me….. 

One time I had a cat escape while I was showing the back yard of a home.  I have had cats most of my life and am quite comfortable with them.  When I went to pick up the cat to get it back safely inside, it attacked me.  I had bloody scratches up both of my arms and still had six more houses to show! 

Another time I was doing an open house and my client’s cat trapped me in a room and I had to call them to come to my rescue!  Thankfully I had my phone on me or that would have been an interesting open house…..

In closing, the idea is to try and make your house appear as though animals do not live there.  The old saying “there’s how you live and there’s how you sell” rings true for all family members, including the non-human family members.  The key is to make it as stress free as possible for everyone while still maximizing your sale value.

We have TONS of experience working with pets.  We’ve sold plenty of our own houses with our furry kids and have dealt with plenty of sellers with pets of all varieties.  Contact us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com to come over for a preliminary visit to see how we can help make the listing, sale and transition easier for all family members, especially our furry ones!

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.

Since the beginning of time, any sales industry has been full of “gimmicks” used to get your attention.  We’ve all heard the term “snake oil salesman” and, as a The Simpsons fan, I get a kick out of the Whacky Waving Inflatable Arm Tubeman commercial in one of the episodes (main picture above).  And, the real estate industry is no different unfortunately, albeit more subtle.

I thought it would be important to do a continuation of Amanda’s post last week about The Secret List and the advertising of Foreclosures in the Greater Sudbury area.  Even though foreclosures happen next to never in Canada, the term is still used heavily as “click bait” online.  Click on her article above to read more specifically on that gimmick, but the rest of this post is based on a grouping of some of the others to watch for.

Before I get started, it’s important to note that I push the envelope when I’m passionate about something.  My teammates support me but don’t always agree with me.  Further, I’m sure some commentary in here will light up my phone and inbox with messages from my industry colleagues, possibly even crying foul.  But nothing I say in here will push the envelope on the truth and, due to our Code of Ethics that all Realtors® must abide by, I owe fairness and honesty at all times to the public.

As Realtors®, it’s important to make our phones ring and connect with potential clients.  We’re not as rich as the general public seems to think we are (that blog post is coming soon) and, in most cases, we’re commission only for our income.  If we aren’t constantly and consistently trying to get new business to continue covering our enormous monthly expenses, we’ll be part of the Realtor® statistics of agents that just don’t make it in this business.

So, how do Realtors® get the phone to ring?  We see lots of new techniques popping up daily and, of course, there’s the old “tried and true” methods that some agents swear by.  But there’s a fine line between encouraging a client to work with you by providing value or luring you to work with them through gimmicks.

The term “gimmick” in this circumstance, as defined by Miriam-Webster, is “a trick or device used to attract business”.  We’ve all fallen for the “2-for-1’s” and the “buy now, pay later” stuff.  We’ve all pulled into a parking lot with a “charity bbq” going on in front of an office where the upsell is hard at work.  And I bet there’s a few people out there that own a timeshare they bought on vacation where the promise of free golf or tequila is what got them to tour the property and sign on the dotted line.  We all do it and that’s why some companies are incredibly successful with their “gimmicks”.

When it comes to the real estate industry specifically, here’s a few that I can guarantee most of you have seen:

FREE HOME EVALUATION! – I’m not sure if agents used to charge a fee back when my grandfather had Caswell Realty here in Sudbury in the 70s/80s, but I highly doubt there are any agents out there that would come over and give you an Opinion of Value on your home and demand payment for it.  You asking us to come over is what gives us a chance to prove to you how we can help and try to secure your listing, not try to squeeze you for a few bucks.  If you do find a Realtor® that wants payment these days for this service that we all offer, I’d love to hear about it!

SIGN UP FOR HOT NEW LISTINGS! – full disclosure, we use this one in our print materials.  With today’s technology, every Realtor® has the ability to set you up on the auto-email system where you get new listings as soon as they’re posted to the MLS™.  Again, probably a more successful gimmick in the fax machine or printed MLS™ book eras but, with www.Realtor.ca and most agent websites showing all the up to date listings with a few clicks of the mouse (like our www.SudburyMarket.com site), this is a pretty archaic attention getter.  And now that I’ve written about this, we’ll be discontinuing the use of this moving forward.

WE’LL SELL YOUR HOUSE OR WE’LL BUY IT!  This one makes me laugh every time I see it.  It is SO loaded with conditions and disclaimers, it’s only advertised to get the agent through your front door.  For instance, if your house is worth $250K and I “guarantee I’ll buy it if you follow my lead”, I can easily list your house for $209K and, guess what, I won’t be on the hook for it cause it will sell.  Where the guarantee gets lost is the list price to satisfy the disclaimer is usually so low to meet the conditions for the guarantee, that only sellers who may be in a desperate situation to sell would even consider this offer as a necessity.

SELL YOUR HOUSE IN “X AMOUNT” OF DAYS OR WE SELL IT FOR FREE!  Again, loaded with conditions and disclaimers.  First, as above, it has to be the listing agent’s recommended price or it’s a no-fly zone.  But, even if you do fulfill that caveat and go with the low price, do you really think the buyer’s agent is going to waive their commissions cause the listing agent couldn’t sell it in the time period they said they would?  Fat chance.  You don’t pay the listing portion of the commissions only – you’re still on the hook for the buying side and now you have an agent who is working for free.  How hard are they working now for no commissions?

ONE-DAY LISTING!  This is a gem.  Sign a 24-hour listing agreement so the agent can bring their buyer through the home.  Why would you go to the open market and get what your house is worth when you can save all the headaches and sell your house to whatever this one buyer thinks it’s worth? There are over 350 Realtors® registered with the Sudbury Real Estate Board that are working with pre-qualified buyers, so there’s a pretty good chance there is way more than one buyer interested in your property.  You have now passed all the benefit to the buyer in this situation as they can negotiate with you without any other interference.   Zero benefit to you as the seller with this click bait gimmick and be very wary of a Realtor® who thinks you should only deal with their buyer and not go to the open market.

SELL PRIVATELY AND PAY YOURSELF THE COMMISSIONS!  What a beauty!  You can pay some company $1000 for a $50 coroplast sign for the front lawn and a $1 spot in a corner of their website and you’ll make all this money back when you sell!!!!  (And the private sale companies call us crooks – wow.)  What you’re actually doing is telling every buyer out there that you’re unprotected in the transaction and you’re not paying any commissions.  Now the buyer calculates how much you’re “paying yourself” and expects that savings passed on to them.  So, instead of saving money, you’ve actually opted to give the buyer a great deal on your house and sold it to them completely unprotected.  You’ve basically saved, or "paid yourself", nothing and put yourself completely at risk in the process.  

THE “POWER/SUPER/AWESOME/SUPERAWESOME/SUPERPOWERFULAWESOME” SELLING SYSTEM!  Come on.  Throwing an exciting adjective in front of the word marketing is so passé.  Most agents all use the same marketing channels – MLS™, www.Realtor.ca, our websites, our social media accounts, email blasts, text codes, etc.  I guess if we put a Whacky Waving Inflatable Arm Tubeman on your front lawn,  then we can call it a “powerful marketing” technique to qualify these days!  Instead, you should look for a Realtor® with solid Days on Market and List/Sale Ratio stats (every Realtor® should know their stats for this).

And finally…..

“INSERT ANY CHEESY SLOGAN HERE”!  Browse a few Realtor® websites and you’ll find some beauties!  That being said, some deserve some credit - there are some pretty catchy and well-played attention getters out there, commonly a play on words with the last name.  Unfortunately, not all of us were blessed with the name “Max Power” or the last name “Sold”.  If you’re considering trusting one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make in your lifetime based on a great one-liner, you could be headed for disaster.

Like every industry, there are all skill levels and quality of service in real estate.  But the key to remember is getting licenced in real estate doesn’t require a marketing degree, it is not mandatory to be tech savvy at building your website and certainly not necessary to know how to implement catchy gimmicks or create a slick slogan. 

As Realtors®, our education, experience and training is Contract Law.  We understand the important legalities of very complex transactions and must protect our clients while guiding them through the entire process of buying or selling real estate.  Regardless of age, gender, years in the business, what office we work for, what car we drive or whether we use glossy or matte finish on our business cards, we’re all bound by rules, regulations and ethics to ensure our client’s best interests become our best interests.  No “tricks” or “devices” can, or should, change that, but it’s up to you, as the client, to make sure you look past all the slight of hand or smoke and mirrors gimmicks and find the right Realtor® for your needs.

In closing, our team doesn’t use gimmicks or cheesy slogans.  We won’t get caught up in the noise trying to catch your attention and get you to “click” into a situation where we get all your info in order to stalk you and hound you incessantly.  Instead, we rely on our professionalism, our expertise, our experience, our loyalty and our attention to detail to help you understand that we’re the right choice for you.  Our past clients can attest to this. 

We’re confident that, if you provide us the opportunity to show you the classy and professional way to get things done, it won’t take you long to agree that you’ve found a good match for some of the most important financial decisions in your life.  Don’t forget to check out all the other great blog topics while you’re here and never hesitate to reach out to us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com or 705.586.3334 if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.  Better yet, to finally meet your new real estate team.

Contributed by:

Steve Caswell

Cell - 705.561.8767

caz@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.

This is a popular topic I just couldn’t resist writing about and some words of advice for all home buyers out there.

Have you ever come across a website or link on social media that says, “CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL THE FORECLOSURE PROPERTIES IN YOUR AREA” or “Register here for a secret list of all the foreclosure properties”?

Well here is a little secret for you….. Psst….There is no such thing!

Every Realtor® has access to all properties for sale in Greater Sudbury and Area. It would take me a few minutes to send you a link showing all the current Power of Sale properties (CLICK HERE if you'd like the current list sent to you with no strings attached.)  Don’t be fooled by a click bait ad. Call your trusted Realtors®….ME and my teammates will work with you to find the perfect home and it takes us literally seconds to send you the updated link!

But there are a few things you should know about a bank repo, foreclosure and power of sale:

• Foreclosure is extremely rare in Canada as banks never want to be in the home ownership game and it requires a massive amount of court intervention unlike a Power of Sale situation. This term is often used as the “click bait” attention getter just to get your info plugged into the agent’s database.

• In most cases in Canada, the bank doesn’t own the property and it’s being sold under Power of Sale. You’re probably wondering “well how is it possible for the bank to sell a property they don’t own?”  Title to the property is still registered to the person who is in default on their mortgage up until the last day when title transfers to the new buyer. At anytime prior to close, the current owner can make a full payment or negotiate with the bank for repayment terms and, if the bank is willing to accept the current owner’s terms, they can terminate your Agreement of Purchase and Sale without liability to you the Buyer and you’re back to square one even though you’ve already made commitments based on a specific closing date you thought was going to happen!

• The major misconception with buyers is they think “there’s a deal to be made and I can get this house for a low price”.  The bank will negotiate with you but, if a home is listed for $200,000.00, don’t think you’re going to steal it for $100,000.00.  The bank has a legal obligation to the current owner to get the maximum sale price they can for the property.  There is a long lead in before the bank lists a property under Power of Sale as they have to do their own homework.  They hire a Realtor® and an appraiser to give them values to fulfill their legal requirements and, once they have received those numbers, then they decide on a list price.  They often list high and, after a series of price reductions, they have the proof to the courts that they made all efforts to achieve and have received the maximum value. 

• Another misconception is that you’re negotiating with the bank. You’re not.  You’re actually negotiating with a lawyer and a calculator with zero emotion on the other side who simply makes sure the bank has completed all the necessary requirements under the law and minimized their loss before accepting an offer.  Sometimes it’s not even the first or the highest offer that gets the deal done, but rather the one that lands on the desk at the right time when all legalities have been satisfied.

• The home is always sold “as is, where is” and the bank makes no representations or warranties on anything in the home. It is very important that you do your due diligence with the help and guidance of your Realtor®. One of those things being a Home Inspection by a qualified home inspector. This will help you determine if there are any major issues with the home and if you are willing to take them on or not.
• A lot of times when someone has been ordered to vacate their home because they are in default on their mortgage, they inflict damage to the home as payback to the bank. We have seen it all – kitchen cabinets removed, light fixtures gone, bathroom mirrors shattered, broken toilets, large holes in the walls, half finished DYI renos and so on. When viewing these homes with your Realtor you want to make a list of the damage done and what the added costs would be associated with those repairs.

In conclusion, if you are interested in finding out more about bank repos or power of sales, my teammates and I would be happy to sit down and go over the process in more detail.  We have extensive experience with these matters to help you navigate through these situations.  Until then, I hope you enjoyed my blog this time and stay tuned for the next one!

Never hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments and suggestions, including any topics you’d like to see us discuss on here.  You can reach us anytime through our team email account – caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com – and keep coming back to see what’s new and exciting in Greater Sudbury!

Contributed by:

Amanda Gervais

Cell - 705.929.1930

agervais@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.

Do you ever watch those shows on tv where you see a before and after of the exact same house and are absolutely in awe that it is the same place?

The major “wow” factors are typically when a house has been gutted to the studs, walls have been removed and full renovations to kitchen and bathrooms have taken place.  This type of over haul can cost thousands and thousands of dollars and a considerable amount of time to complete.  Both of which, many sellers, simply do not have.

Unless you’re in the business of flipping houses, renovations like this are typically done by a home owner/buyer for their own personal enjoyment and not to turn around and sell it for someone else to enjoy.

When preparing to list your house, although those types of major changes above can often lead to a nice return on your investment, I strongly believe that you do not have to spend that kind of money to make a “wowing” first impression on buyers.  There are ways to spruce up a home on a much smaller budget and it will still have a great impact!

As mentioned in my last blog, decluttering is a very inexpensive way and great start to getting your house ready for market.  But, if you do have some extra money to spare, I firmly believe you can have an even larger impact on buyers by going one step further.  This should lead to less days on market and most importantly, a higher sale price.

Some of the following can easily be accomplished on your own but I would recommend, and in some cases it could be mandatory, to hire a capable handy man or a licenced professional to tackle a few of the items I address here.  Here are a few general ideas that could really help the sale of your home:

• Fresh Paint. Cannot express this one enough.  Whether it be changing out a bold colour into something more neutral or touching up a wall that has been beat up over the years, neutral paint colours are the only way to go when selling.  It is amazing how many buyers are unable to see past paint colours and devalue a home based on such a small cost upgrade!  There are some inexpensive brands out there and if you have never tried, please don’t be intimidated, it is very easy to do.  I’ve got plenty of experience painting and would be happy to show you how to get started!
• Changing out hardware on bathroom or kitchen cupboards. Some hardware might have worked in the 70s/80s/90s, but times have changed.  Sometimes all your cupboards need is some new “bling”.  This is a simple change as long as you buy the right hardware where no additional drilling is required!
• Refacing or painting your cupboards. Sometimes hardware might not be enough. Refacing your cupboards by replacing the doors and leaving the existing casings could have a huge impact. 
• Replacing a kitchen or bathroom counter top. There are some inexpensive and neutral tops out there and, even with installation tied in, still very affordable…. while you’re at it, adding a backsplash will make it look even better!
• A decorative mirror in the bathroom. Instead of the boring, frameless mirror that seems to be standard in most homes, why not replace it with something more attractive or create a frame around an existing mirror.
• Argh – Old Sliding Shower Doors. Getting rid of the old, brassy, glass sliding door to your bathtub/shower (ya…you know the one!) and replacing it with just a rod and a shower curtain.  So simple and what a difference!
• Switching out a light fixture or chandelier. Some tend to be quite dated and honestly, a pain in the butt to clean.  Try changing it out for something more in line with today’s style.  Remember, dealing with electrical should be done by a professional. 
• Window treatments. Many older homes don’t seem to have a lot of natural light that buyers seek and a lot of it has to do with what is covering their windows.  Get rid of all of it and just simply replace it with a basic curtain rod and paneled drapes. 
• Accessorize (my favourite!!!!).  Make a few purchases to go along with your new drapes!  Whether a living/family room, dining room, or bedroom, I cannot say enough about accessorizing.  Area rugs, throw blankets, decorative pillows, table/floor lamps, center pieces, art on the walls, etc.  Staging a room with these items can have a massive impact, even YOU will want to spend more time in this space.  Keep in mind though, don’t go overboard.  Remember, less is more!
• Chair or couch coverings. You might not want to spend the money quite yet on new furniture but recovering chair seats or purchasing a neutral coloured slip cover for your older couch is an easy way to have that furniture tie in with your newly purchased accessories.
• Front Door. Paint the exterior of your front door if it is looking tired or, in extreme cases, replace it.  You can change the handle or even your address numbers to something a little more appealing.  Finish it off with a decorative front mat and add some plants/hanging flower baskets.  After all, the front door is the second thing people will see when entering the property.
• A little landscaping. This would be the first thing people will see, so give your home a little curb appeal!  Dig up some of those wild beds that have now been taken over by weeds and dead shrubs.  Replace them with some dirt, the odd rock or small plant/shrub and cover with a layer of dark mulch.  (Please go easy on the garden gnomes though.)  Trust me, this is a little bit of hard labour, but the cost is minimal and the difference will be worth it - I promise!

Spring is in the air and the marketing is hot.  If you are thinking about selling, we would love to meet with you to discuss and to provide advice on what you can do to add that extra wow factor before going to market so you stand out against all the competition!

Our service always includes helping you from start to finish.  Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to come over and discuss these items or even to see how you’re making out with all the recommendations above.  That’s what we’re here for!  Pop us an email at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com and let’s set up an appt to get your home ready to go for this hot spring market!

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.