Steps To A Quicker Home Sale

One of the major factors in getting your house to sell quickly is, simply put; make it attractive. Most buyers select their home based on emotion and then justify the decision with facts, so it is important to make the house inviting and pleasant. Yours is not the only property the prospective purchasers will see. You are competing with model homes, homes that may have been professionally decorated, and homes that have no children or pets and have Mr. and Mrs. Perfection as owners.

1 - Start With The Outside

Many prospects "drive by" a house to see if it's appealing before they will make an appointment for a showing. Even at the showing, the first five minutes are the most critical - you want to create a favourable first impression before the prospect even looks inside.

Stand across the road and try to see your grounds through the eyes of a purchaser. Are your shrubs overgrown? Is there oil in the driveway? How does the grass look? Do the flowerbeds need weeding? Remember, "you can't sell it if you can't see it". Trim trees and shrubs or plant new ones if they are lacking. Houses with no landscaping in the front lose thousands of dollars of value in the mind of the purchaser. Adding a few well-placed blooming flowers during the warm months adds appeal. If the grass in the front yard is practically non-existent, consider sodding. Do some price shopping on this; sod is not cheap but there are some good prices available. Let's say it cost $600 to sod the front yard but your house payment is $800 per month. If you save one month of selling time, you are $200 ahead. (By the way, you can probably get away without sodding the back yard.)

Kitty litter in the driveway will absorb the oil and grass stains. (Then remove the kitty litter.)

Next go around and clean up the yard. Remove any toys, tools, and/or building supplies. Here's the acid test: if you don't see it in a model home yard, don't have it in yours.

Your Home's Exterior

Is the paint fading or chipping? Is the colour outdated or too personal? Is mildew or mould growing? If the house needs painting, choose a neutral colour. White, cream (not yellow) and light gray are good colours for appealing to most people. Use contrasting colours for shutters: black, rich brown and medium gray are all good. (One note about gray: avoid blue-based gray; it usually turns out looking blue - which is something you would not want for re-sale purposes.) Doors and molding may match the house or may match the shutters depending on the amount of contrast created. If you want some ideas for paint combinations, go look at 3 or 4 model home communities that cost $20,000 - $50,000 more than your neighbourhood and copy one of them.

One last note on painting: always give the font door and door trim a fresh coat of paint or stain even if you paint nothing else. Buyers stand at the front door waiting to get in; give them a good first impression.

If paint isn’t a problem but the surface but is dirty, have it pressure-washed. Also pressure-wash mildewed wooden decks. Have it professionally done or do it yourself using a solution of 2 gallons of water, 2 cups of chlorine bleach, and 1 cup of powdered dish washing detergent. Caution: to prevent damage to shrubs or grass, wet surrounding areas thoroughly before cleaning the wood then rinse the greenery of all cleaning solution afterwards.

2 - Now, Let's Go Inside ...

Go through your home room by room and pack 30% of the accessories. If you doubt the wisdom of this, go back to those model homes and compare their countertops with yours, their coffee tables and end tables with yours. See what I mean?

The cardinal rule is this: "The way you live in a home and the way you sell a home are two different things." This will take some time and may seem like a nuisance but remember you are in competition with other properties. He who wins the Good Housekeeping Award probably sells his house first... and for the highest dollar. Also, look at it this way, you are going to be moving anyway, so just consider this advance packing. By the way, label the moving boxes and stack them neatly in the garage - floor to ceiling.

Specifically, pack any collections and family photos you have displayed. Too much of your personality in evidence does not allow for the potential purchaser to "mentally move in".

Pack everything from cabinets and closets that you do not need on a daily basis. You want to create the perception of roominess. In the linen closet, remove everything but a week’s worth of linens, fold them neatly and colour coordinate them. No kidding, this is the stuff that make sales happen.

In the clothes closets, remove out-of-season clothes. Pack them away and put them in the garage. Arrange your shoes neatly. Hang your clothes by category; all blouses together, all shirts together, and so on. Really, do it.

Now take another walk through the house. Are the rooms cluttered with too much furniture? Clutter is bad, remove extra chairs, side tables, and maybe even the 100' chesterfield which is really too big for the room (notice how decorators use smaller furniture).

3 - Redecorate, it works!

Minor redecorating is recommended. If your carpet and vinyl are outdated colours or style, change them. Off-white carpet and vinyl are best; this rnakes rooms look larger and cleaner. If the existing carpet padding is 5/8" thick or more and is not worn down, re-use it (unless the pets have done a number on it). If replacing the pad, select a very thick one and then install just a modest grade of carpeting. The feel will be plush and expensive, but it’s not.

If carpeting is in good condition and neutral in colour, have it cleaned.

If your vinyl flooring is worn or outdated, replace it with off-white vinyl. If the vinyl is in good condition and light coloured, scrub it thoroughly, paying special attention to build-up of dirt or wax around the baseboards and in corners.

If painting is required, use flat latex except in kitchens and baths where you should use semi-gloss latex. If walls are dirty, experiment to see if scrubbing them is easier than painting. To remove finger smudges on woodwork, rub them with kerosene. Clean wood paneling with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of turpentine, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 quart of warm water. Wipe dry.

If you have wallpaper, make sure it is clean and up to date. If not, strip it. (Hint: some wallpaper is easy to strip if first sprayed with window cleaner). After stripping it, either paint or re-wallpaper, depending on the condition of the walls. Sponge painting is also an easy, attractive alternative.

Repair badly cracked plaster, loose doorknobs, and crooked light fixtures. Correct faulty plumbing. Leaky faucets can discolour porcelain and call attention to plumbing defects. To remove mineral stains from such leaks, pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain, then sprinkle with cream of tartar. Leave this for 30 minutes before scrubbing. Bad stains may require 2 or 3 applications.

4 - Make Your House Sparkle

If you do not have the time or inclination, hire someone to thoroughly clean the house. Clean windows inside and out with white vinegar, using newspaper. Clean mini-blinds, curtains, and drapes.

In the kitchen, you should clean appliances inside and out. Remove grease and grime by scrubbing with undiluted vinegar. Scrub the inside of the refrigerator with baking soda; not only does it not scratch but it removes odours. Get rid of kitchen odours by pouring hot salt water down the drain twice a week, grind citrus peeling or apple cores in the garbage disposal if you have one. Leave a small, uncovered container of vinegar in the corner of your kitchen counter.

Have your bathrooms scrubbed to pass a white glove inspection. If tubs or sinks are rusting, consider having them re-glazed. Clean grouting of the tiles with Tilex. Re-caulk the tub and shower, clean fixtures with white vinegar. Scrub rust spots from chrome with grade number .000 steel wool dipped in kerosene. If you have some appliques in the tub which have seen better days, remove them by scrubbing with a kerosene-soaked cloth, then rub the remaining adhesive with a cloth and cooking oil until all traces of the adhesive are gone. If you are preparing for a showing, light a small candle for atmosphere and a pleasant (not overpowering) aroma. Hang a set of designer bath towels on the most prominent rack and instruct your family not to use them! (remember, you’re in show biz now.)

Pets should be out of sight and out of smell

If you have pets, you need to get rid of pet odours and it is recommended that the pets themselves be kept out of the way and out of the house during showings, if possible. Some people are uneasy around animals and they may detract from the prospect’s attention. Getting pets out of the way is, unfortunately, much easier than getting pet odours out of the way.

If flooring has been repeatedly stained with animal urine, you’ll probably have to replace it to get rid of the smell. And that means the carpet, the pad, the carpet strips, and the baseboard trim; the sub flooring will need to be treated to eliminate the odour. Put a small, uncovered dish of vinegar in the room where your pet sleeps; this will remove "doggy" smells. Don’t forget to place the dish up off the floor so the dog doesn’t drink the vinegar. To absorb odours in the kitty litter box, add a cup of baking soda to the litter. (By the way, please remove the litter box from the shower or tub. To non cat-lovers, you have just made your shower or tub mentally off-limits.)

Food smells can work for you or against you. Baking bread, cookies, and pies all smell good. Spaghetti sauce is a delicious smell. Frying fish or liver and onions is objectionable, and of course, now days the smell of cigarette smoke is offensive to many. If your house has an unpleasant smell, use scented candles, fragrant fresh flowers, or the proverbial vinegar in a dish. Two other options are Ozium, a commercial preparation to remove odours from the air rather than mask them, and Glade Plug-ins, which you may find at your grocery store.

5 - The Basement And Garage

These areas act as a catch-all, where we put everything that has no place to go, so they’re usually a mess. Therefore, if your storage area is neat, one would surmise that you must really take good care of the whole house. You are going to say this is becoming extreme but this works every time.

Of course, if yours is a finished basement, treat it like any other room in the house. Clean, paint, get rid of excess. If your basement is unfinished, or an older cellar, treat it like a garage/storage area and do the following: Empty everything out, and hose down the floor. If there are stains remaining, paint it porch gray. Paint the garage walls off-white using a flat latex paint. Remember that the building code requires that for an attached garage, the wall adjoining the house must be dry-walled and taped. Any door leading to the house must have an automatic closing device on it.

Now - after the paint is dry - put everything back piece by piece, throw out what you will not be taking with you. Pack what you can and add to the stack of neatly labeled boxes. Then organize what’s left.

If you have a storage shed, organize it the same way and if it needs a coat of paint or stain, do it. An open bag of charcoal will absorb moisture in the storage shed. If you have too much “stuff” for the shed, rent a small storage unit.

Look After The Mechanics Of Your House

If you have a basement that is damp, buy or borrow a dehumidifier to get rid of the "musty" smell. Often, moisture problems are caused by a lack of eavestroughing or poor drainage around the house that can be easily rectified. If this is the case, fix the problem then repair any water-damaged areas in the basement.

Residents of the City of Orillia will need to have an inspector come around to ensure that eavestrough down pipes and sump pumps don’t discharge into the city sewer system. They will come knocking just before your sale closes whether you call them or not so you might as well arrange it now and avoid the hassle when you have better things to do. If there is a problem the vendor must fix it. When you get the OK from the City (the cost is now $50), put your certificate in a file.

If you have a private septic system have it pumped and inspected if this hasn’t been done in the past three years. If you have no documentation on your system (like where is it?) you should call the Simcoe County District Health Unit (329-0013 or 835 0013) and request a copy of your file. The is a small charge and it takes a week, easy and inexpensive now but a giant pain if you have to do it when you’re trying to move and it’s more expensive if your lawyer does it for you. If you have a private well, have the water tested monthly (it’s free) and keep the results in your file. If there’s a problem, you must fix it.

You should also have your furnace inspected and cleaned. Make sure the tag showing this has been done can easily be seen. Next, check the attic (a prudent purchaser will). Look for holes in the insulation and for water stains on the roof. If there are stains, have the roof inspected by a qualified roofer or two. If there’s a problem you might as well fix it because a purchaser will mentally deduct any cost (and he’ll assume the worst) from the purchase price, no matter how you price it.

Remember, a stitch in time saves nine. It is standard procedure for purchasers to ask for inspection results and proof that wells and septic systems are safe and satisfactory, otherwise they probably can’t get a mortgage. It’s much easier to get everything together ahead of time and repair any minor problems you might find.

Purchasers will also usually ask for an existing survey for mortgage purposes and having a recent one available makes your home more sellable. If you think you have one but can’t find it, check with your lawyer, or it may be at the Registry Office. If a satisfactory survey cannot be found, you don’t need to have one made (the purchaser needs it, not you) but make sure this is noted on the listing.

6 - Set The Stage For Showings

During the day have all your curtains and blinds open. It’s a good idea to turn on all lamps as well unless yow home is exceptionally bright inside. At dusk, put the blinds down but leave them open. Leave drapes open. Turn on all lights. Overhead lights should be on but dimmed by 40%. (Installing a dimmer is easy and very effective for “setting the stage” and I highly recommend putting a dimmer on almost every switch in the house whre you're not using flourescent, energy-saver bulbs).

At night, use the same lighting formula as above but close all the blinds, curtains, and drapes. Adding candlelight is very effective (don't leave candles burning unattended).

Turn off the television during showings of your house, it’s distracting. Put on soft background music. Once you have “set the stage”, leave the house for the agent to show it. This is very important, you may be proud of your home and want to show it off but there are plenty of reasons why you should leave. For one, prospects can more easily look at the house, they will also feel freer to ask questions of the agent. Plus, purchasers can mentally move in better without the current owners around. You want then to feel like it’s their home.

Your house should be comfortably warm in cold weather and moderately cool in hot weather. Make sure your air filters are clean; not only does this decrease your utility bills but it makes the house smell cleaner.

This may seem like a heck of a lot to go through but believe me, it’s the details that count. If prospective purchasers see that the little things are in order, they assume, often rightly, that the big things have been looked after in the same way. It makes them feel much more comfortable, even enthusiastic, about purchasing this home, where everything is just right. If you follow this plan, I guarantee you will get more money, more quickly, than if you don’t.