Staging your home is a crucial part of selling. Potential buyers want to see a clean, bright house to envision if the house will be right for them.

While staging a home might seem like an easy job there are key factors that come into place when staging.

Some forgotten features might make potential buyers turn their heads to another property.

Below are a few examples of what not to do when staging your home:

1. Diminishing the house’s personality. Don’t go too far with decluttering your house for staging. Add some throw pillows and plants for a pop of color to grab the buyers’ attention!
2. Dark windows. Dirty or dark windows can reduce the amount of natural light. Give them a good scrub for optimum lighting.
3. Unclear purpose for rooms...

There are several ways to make the selling process easy and relatively stress free. One way is to create a selling timeline that fits your needs, lifestyle, and capabilities.

Say you’d like to list your home in four weeks and expect it to be on the market for an additional four weeks. That’s an eight-week timeline. How do you create a manageable schedule that works for you? Try these steps:

1. Determine what you need to do to get your home ready for sale.
2. Assign who will be doing what. For example, if you need to paint, will you hire a contractor? Do it yourself? Make a family day out of it?
3. Estimate the time it will take to do those tasks. Then add 50% as a buffer. (It’s easy to underestimate time on tasks.)
4. Look at your current...

When prospective buyers visit your listed home, the room they tend to check out most closely is the kitchen. So, it pays to ensure it looks its best.

However, no matter how tidy, clean, and well-adorned you’ve made your kitchen, there are some issues — which can seem minor — that can distract a buyer from appreciating those positive qualities.

Here are just a few to watch out for:

1. Stained sink. Use a specialized cleaner for the type of sink you have. (For example, Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner.)
2. Garbage in the garbage bin. Buyers don’t mind seeing the bin, just not garbage in it! Don’t forget to also empty the organic waste bin.
3. Left-over cooking scents. Avoid cooking anything prior to a viewing that may create lingering...

Imagine you have a growing family, and you want to trade in the small sedan for something larger. So, you visit the dealership and come back with a bus.

Well, that would be upsizing a bit too much – unless you have a huge family!

That’s the challenge of upsizing or downsizing. You need to be careful not to take it too far and end up with something that isn’t suitable.

This often occurs in the real estate world. For example, homeowners might decide to sell their home and find a smaller one. But, if they go too far, they end up with a property so small they feel claustrophobic.

How do you avoid a similar scenario happening to you?

If you’re thinking of upsizing or downsizing, the best place to start is in your own home....

It’s easy to assume that you don’t need a Realtor™ to sell your home. But using an experienced Realtor™ can bring a lot of value to your sale. Here are a few benefits to using a Realtor™:

1: You’ll probably make more money.

A July 2017 study by Collateral Analytics found that For Sale by Owners (FSBOs) rarely make any savings, and in some cases the sale may end up costing more. The study showed that FSBOs sold for around 6% less than similar properties sold by Realtor™.

2: You’ll get greater exposure with a Realtor™.

Only Realtor™ are allowed to market homes for sale on the MLS, consequently, homes sold without a Realtor™ will not show up on the MLS, which is...

There’s no doubt about it. Buying a home that is “move in ready” is a real convenience. All you need to do is get your belongings in place, and you’re ready to enjoy living in your new home. You don’t even need to paint. That’s why move-in-ready homes tend to attract more buyers.

However, there are advantages to buying a property that needs work. And, if you’re currently shopping for a new home, a listing that requires some repairs, upgrades, or renovations might be worth considering.

Why?

Properties that need work tend to be priced lower than comparable movein-ready listings. Depending on market demand, the price savings can range from modest (just a few thousand dollars) to substantial.

Also, homes...

We all know how stressful moving can be, with so much to think about and so much to do, but it’s how moving can impact those who are closest to us - our children and pets that we need to really be aware of.

Here’s some advice on how to make a successful family move.

Moving with Kids

These tips can make it easier for your kids to cope with the move and help make it more of a fun experience for the family.

1. Talk to your kids about the move.

The best way to prepare your kids for the move is to talk about it. Have a family meeting and explain why it’s best for the family and encourage them to talk about their feelings. Don’t wait until the last minute to talk to them as your kids will need time to digest the information...

When preparing your property for sale, you want to make it as attractive as possible to buyers. After all, the more buyers like what they see, the higher the probability you’ll get good offers.

That’s why it’s advisable to clean, declutter, decorate, fix, and improve as much as possible.

But how far should you go with fixing and improving? For example, should you tear down the old deck and build a new one? Or should you just leave it as is?

Should you paint the main floor? Or is it okay to leave the faded finish and few wall dents just as they are?

Those can be difficult questions to answer because many factors come into play.

• What is the traditional return on investment for that home improvement? In other words, how much will...

Spring is often associated with moving, but now is the time to start preparing your home if you want to sell a house fast this coming springtime.

Sure, you can wait until the weather starts turning warmer if you just want to put your property on the market and hope for the best. However, clever sellers know there’s more to be made with a bit of forethought than simply selling a house ‘as is’ once spring is already here.

So, if you are wondering how to sell your home fast this springtime, here are some hints and tips.

1. Do your spring cleaning now

If you are planning to sell your property before the summer, now is the time to start getting it ready for sale...and that includes spring cleaning.

Not only will cleaning and decluttering...

Are you thinking of selling your home this year? If so, you might be paying extra attention to housing market news covered by the regional and national media.

While that news can be helpful information, it can sometimes say little about what’s happening in your particular neighbourhood. In fact, it’s possible for there to be a balanced market nationally or regionally, while at the same time your street may be experiencing a hot seller’s market!

That’s why it’s important to understand what’s happening in your local “micro” housing market when you’re selling your home.

What do you need to know about your local real estate scene? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Is our neighbourhood...