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Virtually every single time I go into a home to list it for sale, I’m asked this question – “What should I do to get it ready to sell?” The answer to this will depend on many factors including: the current state of your home; the current updates/renovations; how much ‘clutter’ you have in your home and what time of year you’re listing. One of the first things I tell Sellers, is that you need to look at selling your home as a business transaction. Try to remove the emotion. Obviously selling the family home will have many memories attached to it, and while a sale can sometimes be a good thing (growing family/needing more space), for others, it can be associated with a divorce or children flying the coop. This can be met with emotion and make selling more difficult. Once you’ve disassociated yourself a little bit, it’s time to de-clutter! You want your home to look like the show home down the street. You know the one – the one with plain walls featuring select prints (no family photos or at least very few!); the neutral tones on floors; delicate patterns and no clutter. NO CLUTTER! While we understand you need to remain living there, it’s important to make the house as neutral as possible so the potential Buyer can picture themselves there with all their belongings. If your house sports a fridge covered in magnets, the kid’s school photos from K-Grade 12, a mishmash of prints on the walls and mis-matched colours & designs, it becomes very difficult for Buyers to picture their own style in the house. Clear the kitchen counters of as much as possible. Remove the fridge magnets. If you need to invest a couple of hundred dollars in paint, you will more than reap the rewards. Continue reading →

You have just finished getting your home ready so you can sell it for top dollar. You’ve painted, cleaned, de-cluttered and tidied it from top to bottom.

However, is there something you may have overlooked? The answer could be yes. If your home smells of hockey gear, strong cooking odours, wet dog or kitty litter, you have a problem! Continue reading →

You’ve been saving for awhile, weighing your options, looking around casually. Now you’ve finally decided to do it—you’re ready to buy a house. The process of buying a new home can be incredibly exciting, yet stressful, all at once. Where do you start?

It is essential you do your homework before you begin. Learn from the experiences of others, do some research. Of course, with so many details involved, slip-ups are inevitable. But be careful: learning from your mistakes may prove costly. Use the following list of pitfalls as a guide to help you avoid the most common mistakes. Continue reading →

Your home is likely your largest asset, so selling it may be the biggest financial move you’ve ever made, one that requires significant thought and strategy. However, once you’ve entered the market, the process may move very quickly: your property has the best chance to sell within its first seven weeks on the market. Studies indicate that the longer a property stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for. So, you need to ensure you’re ahead of the game. Get your property into top selling shape before it hits the market in order to increase its chances of selling within the desired window of time and drawing top dollar. Continue reading →