IXACT Feeds

Selling a house can be a stressful process for the entire family. You need to keep the place clean and looking its best. You need to stay away during viewings. You may even need to look for a new home at the same time.

Although you won’t be able to eliminate all the anxiety, good advanced planning will certainly help reduce it.

First, talk to a REALTOR® well before you decide to put the property on the market. A good REALTOR® can help you determine whether any repairs, improvements, or minor touch-ups should be done, so that your home will sell faster and for the best price possible.

Once the property is on the market, plan some excursions with the family during open houses and other viewing times. These are the perfect opportunities to check out local restaurants, museums, parks and other amenities.

To keep your home clean and tidy for potential buyers, consider hiring a maid service on a short-term basis. You’ll have a lot on your plate during this period and having the floors and washrooms cleaned by someone else can relieve a lot of stress.

When it comes to “staging” your home for sale – which basically means ensuring it looks clean and uncluttered – you probably already know the basics: clean the counters, vacuum the floors, mow the lawn, etc.

But there are some home staging tips that are less obvious, yet can help to sell your property faster and for a higher price. For example…

The Kitchen

Obvious: The stove, sinks and countertops should be spotless.
Not-so-obvious: The contents of your cabinets and refrigerator should be facing face forward.

The Bathrooms

Obvious: They should be clean and uncluttered. Have fresh towels hanging neatly on the rack. (The “hotel bathroom” look.)
Not-so-obvious: All towels should match. Ensure toilet lids are closed.

Your Bedroom

Obvious: Make the bed neatly. Check that the closet is organized and uncluttered. (If your closet is bulging with clothes, put some in storage.)
Not-so-obvious: Don’t leave any clothes out. Even clean clothes neatly folded in a hamper can seem untidy to some people.

The Kids’ Bedrooms

Obvious: They need to be clean and, especially, uncluttered. (Good luck!)
Not-so-obvious: Arrange stuffed animals, games and other toys like an attractive display in a toy store. It’s okay to have a toy, like a race track, out of the box. Just make sure it’s completely put together. (No pieces lying around.)

The Garage

Obvious: Make sure the floor is clean and that things are put away.
Not-so-obvious: If possible, get everything (except the car!) off the floor and onto shelves and hanging hooks. This will make a dramatic difference in how roomy the garage will look.

These not-so-obvious staging tips may seem minor, but they add up to a home that is much more attractive to potential buyers.

As you tour a potential new home, you notice that the carpeting in the living room is stained. “Don’t worry about that,” says the homeowner, who senses your disapproval. “We’re going to get the carpeting professionally cleaned before we move.”

Should you take their word for it?

Regardless of how honest a seller may seem, never rely on a verbal promise.

Will they move that abandoned car in the back yard? Will they fix the crack in the front steps? Is that expensive-looking ceiling fan included with the house?

Don’t assume. Get it written into the offer.

“Stuff” accumulates. It’s a timeless principle in every household. It accumulates. And accumulates!

Chances are, your basement, garage, and closets are filled with things you don’t want to have to pack and haul on moving day.

The solution? Have a “Moving Out” sale!

Expect a crowd. Bargain hunters love a “Moving Out” sale even more than a Garage Sale because they expect that prices will be lower.

Once you realize that you won’t have to deal with all that clutter on moving day, you’ll love it too.

“Can we afford it?” That’s the first thought that comes to mind when shopping for your next dream home. Fortunately it’s an easy question to answer if you consider your lifestyle, financial goals, expenses and mortgage eligibility.

Lifestyle

There’s more to life than just paying the mortgage and other living expenses. Hobbies, entertainment, vacations, family adventures, and charitable causes are also important. Don’t be house poor. Think of your “lifestyle” as another bill you must pay — to yourself.

Financial Goals

Your new home is not just a place to live. It’s also an investment. Make sure it fits with your overall investment plan, which may also include retirement savings, education funds, emergency cash, and more.

House Expenses

The mortgage isn’t your only home expense. You must also calculate insurance, utilities, taxes, maintenance and other costs.

Amenities, such as a pool, can turn your home into an oasis. But, you must be prepared for the upkeep costs.

If you’re buying an older home, expect repair and maintenance costs to be higher.

Mortgage Eligibility

Your mortgage eligibility is determined by your current income, debt level, employment history, and credit rating. Lenders use this information combined with estimates of your new home property taxes and heating/cooling expenses to determine the largest mortgage they can offer you.

Home affordability is like a jigsaw puzzle. You need to put all the pieces together to get a clear picture of how much home you can afford.

Most advice on how to prepare your house for sale involves how the property will look to a potential buyer. Appearance is, of course, very important if you want to sell a house quickly and for the best price. But there are three other senses you have to satisfy as well.

Hearing. Check for creaks in the floor, a rattling washer or dryer, or any other unpleasant noise. You may no longer notice these sounds, but potential buyers will.

Smelling. You might love the aroma of exotic cooking, but visitors may not. Also check for other obvious sources of odours: such as ashtrays, laundry hampers, garbage bins and toilets.

Touching. Make sure countertops, door handles, floors and other surfaces are free of dust and dirt. If potential buyers feel the need to wipe their hands after touching something, they won’t leave with a good impression.

Appealing to all the senses helps to ensure that your house shows well.

According to studies, colds and flu bugs are passed from one person to another more often in the home than in any other location, including school and the workplace. Of food-based bacterial infections, 65% are picked up at home.

What can you do to reduce the risk?

Obviously, keeping rooms clean is important. But, according to The Lung Association, you are 200 times more likely to pick up a germ in the kitchen than in any other room, including the bathroom! So give the kitchen priority when cleaning.

Most people know to keep countertops, sinks and toilets clean and sanitized. But when was the last time you cleaned your computer keyboard, children’s toys, bedside tables, and door knobs? Experts say these areas have among the highest concentration of bacteria in a home!

When it comes to airborne viruses, such as those that cause the flu, be sure to use a tissue when coughing or sneezing. When a tissue is not readily available, use the shoulder of your sleeve or inner elbow, rather than your hand.

By taking some simple precautions, experts say you can reduce your, and your family’s, risk of getting a cold, flu or bacterial infection by as much as 50%.

If you plan on putting your property on the market, it can be tempting to list it for a very high price in the hope that some buyer will say “yes”. But that rarely happens.

In fact, it is more likely that your property will sit on the market for a long time with no takers, and home buyers and their agents will quickly lose interest in even seeing it.

The fastest way to sell your property for the highest price possible is by listing it as close to its fair market value as possible. That’s the price similar homes in your area have sold for recently.

The good news is that the fair market value of your home may be higher than you think. So if you’re considering making a move within the next few months, ask a good Realtor® to drop by and do an informal appraisal. That will give you a clearer idea of what your property will sell for in today’s market.

Shopping for a house is as much a lifestyle decision as it is a financial one. After all, unless you’re a professional real estate investor, you’re not just buying a house – you’re buying a home.

Sure, there are important financial matters to consider, such as mortgage rates, payments and resale values. But when deciding whether or not to make an offer, you also need to think about how that home will impact the quality of your life. So, it’s important not to let an attractive list price distract you from considering a home that has features that may be worth paying a little more for. You should determine the lifestyle features that are important to you and your family and factor them into the purchase price of any home. For example, have you considered the value of:

• A large kitchen and a comfortable recreational room with a wet bar? Perfect if you entertain a lot.
• A quiet room or cozy alcove? Ideal if you like to read, sew, build model airplanes, or surf the net.
• A backyard with the right combination of sun and shade? Priceless if you love to garden.
• A relatively flat, rather than inclined, driveway? Great for a game of one-on-one basketball with the kids.
• A spacious deck or patio area? Hours of enjoyment for the BBQ fanatic in the family.
• Parks, recreation centres, and schools within walking distance? A real time-saver if you have children.
• Local green space and trails? Ideal if you have a dog to walk or are a jogger.

Taking these “lifestyle factors” into account will put the asking price into perspective, and help you determine how much the home is really worth to you.

There are lots of reputable home improvement businesses that rely upon “person-to-person” marketing to get new customers. Unfortunately, there are also some undesirable contractors whose plan is to relieve you of your possessions and/or money while performing substandard, overpriced services that are void of any guarantee. Below is a short list of uninvited proposals you may encounter. Always remember that if you didn’t ask the sales representative or contractor to come to your home, you should exercise caution when providing personal information or access to your home.

• Painters, window cleaners, carpet cleaners, etc.
• Lawn and yard care services
• Roofing and other repair services
• Anyone with a “free” offer or an “in the area” special

Caution is the best approach when dealing with strangers. Some scam artists want to know details about your home security, so accomplices can break in later.

1. Do not let an unknown person into your home without an appointment previously arranged through an office or service department.
2. Ask for references or check the company through your local Better Business Bureau.
3. Always ask for identification, including an employee number and a supervisor’s phone number.