Modest updates, elbow grease required to sell your home

Lots of ideas, but here are some basics

By Mark Schadenberg

If you're thinking about moving, but also thinking about possibly staying, read the link below offering updating / staging tips from The Globe And Mail.

If you're going to put your house on the market – declutter and clean, clean and clean some more. Inside and outside as beautiful and modest flower beds of petunias create terrific first impressions.

I once had a house listed that showed reasonably well, but if you looked under the kitchen sink you would quickly get a sinking feeling about the home's overall on-going maintenance. Dirty and filthy would be the adjectives, and that was a house on the market.

In principal rooms be sure to have nice flooring even if that means removing old carpeting from a bedroom that Pam loved the purple in, but Pam now lives in Penetang and is married to Paul and has three kids – Paula, Patricia and Patrick (Two Pats), and a dog named Petunia.

If there is hardwood under 10-year-old carpeting -- remove the carpet. If the carpet is quite new and you know the hardwood is not in great condition -- rent a carpet cleaner.

No matter what price range you are selling from, rent a storage unit for those extra boxes, Pamela's high school papers, and an overwhelming number of family heirlooms and pictures. Then, unless you had the brushes, rollers and drop clothes out just two years ago, paint the main two or three rooms, especially the kitchen. Bedrooms with dark smudges around light switches should also be painted a neutral tone. 

Don't spend big bucks on new stone granite countertops, but do modestly replace the counters if they are extremely dated and add a backsplash.

If you're staying, my best advice is never over-improve your home for its neighbourhood. Stamped or impressed concrete driveways are expensive. Home renovations are certainly for your personal enjoyment and to increase the value of your property.

When selling, here's three quick tips.

1. Clean, no odours, uncluttered and attractive.
2. Promote home with tons of professional photos (No cars in the driveway).
3. Priced right. If your home is worth $250,000, don't ask $274,900 as your eventual selling price will be then be under $248,000.

LINK:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/getting-ready-to-sell-10-staging-tips-to-wow-home-shoppers/article11755162/

Advice from a Royal LePage office in the GTA:

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.wesellwoodstock.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text