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.If you need to make small repairs, do this before having the For Sale sign dug into the lawn! If you don’t bother with the little fixes, once the Inspector has had a look and told the prospective Buyer of all the repairs that need to be undertaken, they will gauge you on price. Clean. Clean. Clean. Make ever surface sparkle and ever window gleam! Perform the ‘white glove’ test! Deal with odours (check out my blog post titled My 2 Cents on Scents). Don’t forget the exterior of the home, yard and gardens. Regardless of the season, clean everything up and remove any dead shrubs. If weather permits, add flowers and plants. If it’s winter, plant some Winter Pansies in pots where they will last longer. Power wash the house and driveway and replace outdoor bulbs if they are dull or burnt out.