Determine why you wish to sell your home.

Everyone has different reasons for wanting to sell:

• Growing family needs.
• Improving your living conditions.
• Downsizing after the children have left.
• Relocating to a new area, city or country.
• Or personal reasons, such as passing of a family member or divorce.

Selling your home, or a loved one's home, can feel daunting and stressful at times. The process has become increasingly complex with long legal forms that must be filled out correctly; clauses must be added as required to protect your interests. Do you sell first then buy?  Where do you start!? 

This is why having a well-informed real estate broker (IE: a REALTOR®) by your side, to guide and assist you from the moment you start thinking about selling, if this is what you wish, is essential. Knowing that your REALTOR® will also be there long after you've sold is an extra bonus.

A good place to start is to answer the following questions:

• What is your time frame for selling your home?
• If you are downsizing, have you begun the process of setting aside what you wish to keep versus what you no longer need?
• Do you know where you will be moving to once you sell, or is this something you also wish to explore?​

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Is your home ready to sell?

All Home Sellers want to sell their home for the most they can get, and also as quickly as possible (note that this is different from Closing on the transaction).

Enhancing Curb Appeal

First impressions are very important! You want your home looking its very best when a potential buyer is standing at the bottom of your driveway or simply passing through the neighbourhood. So, make sure windows are clean, and the lawn is cut and raked. If there are dead patches of grass, overseed or sod. Trim bushes and trees, and think of adding a few brightly coloured flowers. Touch up any peeling paint around exterior windows and doors, stain the fence or deck, clean up your garage or shed and ensure that your home looks just as enticing at night by making sure it's well lit.

Renovating

This can be something as simple as freshening up the walls with a coat of paint and updating your doorknobs and lighting with more contemporary styles, all the way to major renovations like installing a new kitchen, bathroom or hardwood floors. Before you do anything though, it's wise to know how much value a renovation or remodel will actually add to your sale price and how much other comparable homes in your neighbourhood are selling for. A Via Capital REALTOR® is a great source of information. They can give you an assessment on your home so you don't embark on expensive renovations that won’t pay off!

You can save money and time by working with REALTOR® who can help focus your needs and set up an action plan.

Back to SELLING YOUR HOME: 9 Key Steps.