Rob Smashnuk

If you are trying to sell your house, you will want to maximize profits to help you offset fees associated with selling a home and to give you the best financial boost possible. You also want to sell fast, and not have your home lingering on the market where it will just continue to go down in price. There are many things that you can do to get your home ready to sell so that it goes fast and fetches you a great price. Here are some tips from the Rob Smashnuk team to help you sell your home faster and get a better price!

Declutter
We all accumulate so much stuff over the years, but when you are selling a home, you need to get this stuff out. You can get a storage locker, a POD portable storage unit (which you can then ship to your new home), or go on a purge mission and get rid of things you no longer want or need. Either way, decluttering helps put prospective buyers in the home, they can better envision themselves in the house and will be more likely to make an offer. You should also consider taking down your art. Not everyone will have your taste, and while some well-selected works of art or photography can help sell your home, some art can be off putting (word art decals are notoriously off putting), and you want to take them down before you have open houses.

Clean Up!
This one should really go without saying, but you would be surprised how many open houses happen in houses that have not been cleaned. Clean up and make tiny repairs that are needed. If you have been putting off reattaching a towel rack that fell off now is the time to fix it. Also, tidy up the garage if you have one so that prospective buyers can get a good look.

Fresh Paint
Painting every room of your house in a nice neutral colour (you can go with colours other than white, and your real estate agent can give you great suggestions for showing friendly colours) will help sell your house faster. You may have loved your lime green kitchen or your child’s primary colour bedroom, but prospective buyers won’t. It is easier for them to imagine themselves in the space when it is neutral, and fresh paint means they can move right in and not have to worry about painting right away. Fresh paint can also really help cover up old cooking smells, pet smells, and cigarette smoke if you were a smoker.

Fix it Up
If you have an unfinished basement or can make an addition above the garage or put in a sunroom, then do it. You will recoup the costs on the sale of your home, and so if you can live through the renos, then you can profit off of them and sell your house faster.

Sell Your House or Condo with Rob Smashnuk
If you are looking for houses for sale or condos in Edmonton, then you need to contact the team at Rob Smashnuk. We can help you get your home ready to sell so that it goes from the market fast and you get top dollar. Don’t wait, contact us today!

Keep your cash in your wallet

Before taking on a huge commitment like a new mortgage, it is best to refrain from making large purchases. Lenders are more likely to give you a better contract for your property if they can see you are a responsible borrower. If you open new credit accounts, max out your cards, or buy several big-ticket items it could be difficult to secure a loan.

Get pre-approval not just pre-qualified

There is a big difference between the two. Anyone can get pre-qualified, but getting pre-approved means a lender has looked at your credit history and financial information and determined exactly how much they should lend you. It can make house hunting more efficient getting pre-approved so you do not waste time looking at houses you cannot afford. It also gives you the opportunity to get the best interest rate on your loan and to make sure there are no hidden fees. You will likely have this loan for decades so it is imperative to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Get your new home surveyed

Doing so will prevent future disputes with your neighbours and it is always a good idea to know exactly what you are buying. Your property tax is based partly on how much property you own so it is ideal to have an accurate map drawn up.

Predicting the market

Housing prices have been steadily increasing making it only natural to try and time buying for when they go down. This can be an impossible task though as markets are unpredictable and housing appears to be on an indefinite upward trend. The best time to buy is when you find the perfect home and can afford it. Do not try to wait it out or you may miss out.

Bigger ≠ Better

For those not in the real estate business, there is an old adage that says not to buy the biggest, most beautiful house on the street. Even though it catches everyone eye, only a few people can afford it. This limits the number of potential buyers should you want to re-sell it. Your home is only going to go up in value in proportion to the houses around it. Sometimes, it can pay off to buy the worst house on the street because it will trade up better per square foot than the biggest house.

Sleeper Costs

The biggest difference you will notice between renting and owning are these costs. Most home buyers focus on the monthly mortgage payment, forgetting about property tax, utilities, repairs, and maintenance costs. Make sure to budget for all the expenses that come with home ownership.

Emotional Attachment

Some homes take our breath away so well that we overlook issues that good come up down the line. Maybe the place was your childhood home, or perhaps it is in an amazing neighbourhood. At the end of the day, buying a home is an investment so try to make this decision practically by avoiding emotional bias.

Check Under the Roof

Just as you would check under the hood of a car before buying it, you should also get your potential new home inspected by a professional. It would cost you a couple hundred dollars, but will save you thousands in the long run. It is the best way to get an unbiased opinion and, if they do find problems, you can use it to bargain for a lower price.

Bidding

Most people think that starting with a low owning bid is the best tactic to use when bargaining for a home. The best approach is to see what other homes are going for in the neighbourhood and be aware of how the markets are doing. Your opening bid should be based on two things: what you can afford and what you really believe the property is worth. Also, try avoiding rounded off numbers – sellers are more likely to take a specific number more seriously because they will assume you put a lot of thought into it.

Research the Neighbourhood

Drive by the house at all times of the day to get a thorough understanding of the area. Many people have bought homes only to realize the community was not for them. Take trips from the new place to your work to see if the commute is manageable and keep an eye out for amenities like grocery stores and gyms. Even if you do not have kids it can be beneficial to make sure the schools in the area are ranked well as this can affect the price of the property.

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