Seller’s Guide

Selling Your Home?
Let Us Help You Prepare!

For most people, their home is their largest financial asset, and deciding to sell it is a big decision that involves a lot of preparation and work. When you are ready to sell it is important to choose an experienced real estate professional committed to getting your house sold in the shortest amount of time and for the most amount of money.

Our realtors know how to handle every aspect of the sales process – from strategically marketing and showcasing your home to making sure everything is signed, sealed and delivered by the closing date. We are ready to meet with you and develop a realistic plan to get your home SOLD! Below are seven simple steps explaining the process:

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Making the Decision to Sell

Everyone has their reasons for deciding to sell. Ultimately all home owners have the same common desire and that is to get as much money for their home as they can. Here are a few things that you should consider:

Curb Appeal: Homes with great curb appeal tend to take less time sell and can command higher prices. The way your home looks from the street is the key. Some suggestions are having a well-maintained and manicured lawn, low maintenance but flattering landscaping with some brightly coloured flowers, fresh paint around windows and doors, re-stain the deck and fence and tidy up the garage. The home should look just as appealing at night as it does in the daytime.

Renovations/Staging: This can be simple stuff such as a fresh coat of paint on the walls, new hardware on cupboards and door knobs to replacing light fixtures, bathroom vanity, toilets, and/or flooring. Some agent’s may recommend you hire a professional stager to give advice on what needs to be done and to get your home ready for the market. Every neighbourhood’s market share is different so you don’t want to over-improve your home. It is crucial to know what your home would be worth before you invest in renovations or staging suggestions.

Remove “Personal”: It is recommended to remove personal momentos in the home ie: family pictures, collector items, etc. You want the buyer to feel “at home” when they view the home. You want them to envision themselves living there.

Home Inspection: Having a deal fall thru due to unexpected surprises can be very upsetting. Most buyers will make their offer of purchase and sale conditional on a home inspection. Be pro-active and order a home inspection prior to putting your home on the market. This report can be readily available during showings/open houses.

Choosing The Right Realtor

Selling a home involves a lot of research, knowledge of market and area, paper work and most importantly honesty and trust. You need to choose a realtor that has your best interest in mind. From advertising the home on social media and in local papers, to hosting open houses and having professional videos/photos taken of the home, you need to make sure your agent is going to meet all of your needs.

Here is what Sutton Group Preferred can do for you:

  • A Sutton REALTOR® will interpret information
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will suggest improvements and/or home stagers
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will determine Market Value by showing comparable properties
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will leave a signed copy of the Listing Agreement
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will maximize the exposure of property
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will pre-qualify buyers
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will show the property
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will call prospects back after showing(s)
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will be a third-party negotiator
  • A Sutton REALTOR® will assist buyers in closing

Time To List Your Home

There is much more to do than put a sign on the property and preparing up the paperwork to put your home on MLS to consider. Here are some things to consider so you know true market value has been established:

Determine True Market Value: Your Sutton Preferred agent will run comparables and do a complete property profile of your house. They will include currently listed homes and recently sold homes in your area, renovations and improvements done on the home, location to highway access and amenities. Your agent will take all things into consideration to come up with a fair market value so you get top dollar for your home.

Market Your Home Properly: You want to ensure your home is being marketed properly right from the start. Good signage is important. Making sure it is posted on MLS right away with videos and photos is crucial. Once that listing goes live, you want everything available. If someone is to view your listing and there are no photos posted, they might not come back for a second look. Another way your agent should market your home is to have feature sheets available at the home so potential buyers can take with them after their viewing. You may or may not want agent and public open houses. This is something you should discuss with your agent. Posting your MLS listing link or virtual tour video on all social media feeds is great exposure. These feeds can be shared to reach an even larger audience. Exposure is the key!

Showing Your Home

The key is to get buyers to envision themselves living in your home. How you prepare your home for showings is very important. Here are some things to consider:

Spring Clean: Clean your home from head to toe including windows, drapes, blinds, baseboards, walls, closets, cupboards etc. It is good to purge junk and clutter. Empty kitchen and bathroom drawers so the buyers can see the space and room available for their belongings. Be sure to take the “personal” out of the home and put away all items such as photographs, and memorabilia. If rooms have too much furniture, it is best to remove some of the clutter. Keep things clean and simple.

Preparing for Showings: It is recommended to open up blinds/window coverings, turn on lights and make sure each room is bright and inviting. Be sure to be out of the home 15 minutes before a schedule showing time. If you have pets, be sure to take them with you or make sure it is noted in your listing that during showings they ensure doors are shut to keep pets safe. If your agent hosts open houses, be sure to remove any valuables. Your agent should always provide feedback after each and every showing.

Receiving An Offer Of Purchase And Sale

Not all offers are the same. Your agent will explain the entire offer, conditions, inclusions and exclusions. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Understanding The Terms: There is more to an offer than just price and closing date. Some offers can be “firm” with no conditions, meaning they want to buy the home as is. Some offers can be “conditional” with conditions, inclusions, exclusions and sometimes even conditional on the buyer selling their home.

Negotiate/Accept or Decline: Be sure to look at all conditions and inclusions. The buyer may want something that was not listed in the listing and you might not want that included in the sale of your home. You have the right to omit things, amend things and even add things. All of these contingencies influence what the true offer really is. Your Sutton Preferred agent will advise you through the entire process and help you decide if you if you should accept, decline or counter the offer back to the buyer.

Multiple Offers: It is possible to receive more than one offer at the same time on your property. You will then have to opportunity to review all offers and decide which offer best suits you.

Closing Your Sale

Pay Day has arrived! Here are a few things to keep in mind when approaching your closing date:

Hiring a Lawyer: Your Sutton Preferred agent can recommend up to 3 lawyers for you (if you don’t already have one that you use). This lawyer will try to ensure that your deal closes without any issues.

Closing Costs: These are the fees you will pay your lawyer to close the sale of your home. These fees will include the real estate commission, legal fees, disbursement fees, property taxes and utility adjustments, mortgage discharge or prepayment fees, title insurance etc. Your lawyer will meet with you prior to the closing date with these figures so you will be prepared with a certified cheque prior to closing.

Moving Day

Even though moving from a family home can be sad because you are leaving a home that you likely had lots of good memories in, it is always exciting to start that next chapter. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Moving Checklist: It is always a good idea to make a list of things that you should make sure are done prior to the closing date. Be sure to cancel utility services. If using a moving company you should confirm the booking so there will be no delays.

Label All Packing Boxes: It will help when unpacking at the new home if you label the boxes clearly. It is always a good idea to even label what room they are to go in. It will save you time running around looking for specific boxes.

Update your new address with key contacts: Canada Post, doctors, friends, schools, pharmacy, etc. It is worth paying for an auto forward on all Canada Post mail. This will allow you to see who is mailing you at your old address and give you extra time to update them.

If you have children, include them in the move and remember change can be very overwhelming. Try and make it exciting for them! Family pet(s) will be overwhelmed as well. It is recommended to maybe have someone babysit the family pet(s) during the actual move so they don’t happen to get out when it is most likely the doors will be open most of the day.

Congratulations! Your home is sold and you are off to start the next chapter!

What’s My Home Worth?

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