PreparingYourHomeToSell

Whengetting youhome ready to sell, youneed to look at yourhouse in anewway.Think of your house as a product about to go on the market where it is probablycompetingwith brandnewhousing. It needs to showwellwhichmeans clutter freeandwellkept.

Today’s homebuyers lead busy lives and may not be interested in taking on majorrepairsor improvementsuponmoving in.Youneed tomakeyourhousea “10”.Thisdocumentwillhelpyouspotwhatisrightandwhatisn'taboutyour“product”.Itwillgiveyoutheopportunitytotakecorrectiveactiontoensureyourhouselookscleanandwell-maintainedwhenthe“ForSale”signgoesup.

FixitFirst

If youneed tomake improvements to yourhome,do theworkbefore it goeson themarket.Potentialbuyersarenot interested inhearingaboutyourgood intentions tolook after defects before transfer of land takes place. Even if repairs are underway,buyersmaynotbeable tovisualizewhatyourhomewill look likewhen thework isKinished.Theywilljustrememberitbeinginastateofdisrepair.

CheckYourHome’sCurbAppeal

Howdoesyourhome look fromthestreet?That iswhereprospectivebuyerswillbewhentheyKirstseeyourhome;and,thatiswheretheywillformthatall-importantKirstimpression.Standatthecurbinfrontofyourhouseandnotewhatyousee:

• Removeanyclutterinyouryard.

• Repaircrackedorunevendrivewayorwalkwaysurfaces.

• Ifyourlawnhasbaldspots,applysometopdressingandre-seed. Prunetreesandshrubsofdeadwood.WeedandmulchKlowerbeds,ifyouhavethem.Ifitisthe right time of year, consider buying some Klower-Killed planters to enhanceeyeappealofyourproperty.

• Makesureyourlawnismowedregularly.

• Ensurecompostareaistidy

• Areyourwindowsandwallsclean?

• Doesyourfrontdoorneedpaint?

• Ensureyoureavesanddownspoutsareclearofdebrisandingoodrepair.

• Areyourbackyard,deckandwalkwaysclean? Ifnot,useapowerwasheranddoanynecessarypainting,staining,orsealing.

• Ifyouhaveaswimmingpool,arethedeckandpoolclean(wheninseason)?

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PreparingYourHomeToSell(cont)

• Doalloutsidelightswork? Replaceanyburnedoutbulbs,andcleanKixturesofdirtandcobwebs.

• Isthereashed?Doesitlookpresentable?

• Dowindowsandexteriordoorsneedre-caulking?Evenatsixtosevenyearsofage,thecaulkingmaybedriedoutandinneedofreplacement.

• Doyouhavedecorativewoodenpolesontheporch?Isthewoodatthebottomingoodcondition?Overall,doesitneedanewcoatofpaint?

• Ifyouhaveagate,isitwelloiled?

Whenyouhavecompletedthecurbappealinspection,carefullychecktherestofyourhome’sexterior.

StageYourHomeForaSale

• De-clutter,clean,and/ororganizeallroomsinthehouse.ThisshouldbeyourveryKirststep. Getridoforpackupanythingyoudon’t thinkyou’llneedtouserightaway. Cleanyourdrawersandcabinets(potentialbuyerswillopenthemupandlookinside)andputanythingyouthinkyoumightneedinasmall,organizedboxinanoutofthewayplace.

• Addressanyandallrepairsthatneedattention.Inspectyourhouseinsideandoutto search for cracks, etc. The small investment of time and money will mean abigger return when it comes to the sale price. Don’t forget to check for leakyfaucets,squeakydoors,andburntoutlightbulbs. Youmayevenwanttoconsiderrepaintingyourwallswithneutralcolourssothattheyappearfreshandclean.

• De-clutter, cleanandorganizekitchencounter topsandcupboards.Counter topsandshelvesshouldnotbeKilledwithfoodandappliances. Youwantyourkitchenspace to appear large,clean and functional.Make sureyourdishesare stackedcorrectly,turnyourcupsandmugssothatthey’reallfacingthesamedirection,andmakesureeverything(includingyourspicejars)arecleanandinorder.

• Keep thebathroomasbareaspossible,never leaveyourpersonal items inviewwhenshowingyourhome.

In fact,depersonalizingyourwholeproperty is apowerful selling tip.Buyerswillbemoreattractedtoyourhomewhentheycanimaginethemselveslivingthere.Tomakeyour house look lived-inwithout looking like anyone actually lives there pack awayintostorage:

• AllFamilyPhotos • HolidaySouvenirs • Trophies&CertiKicates• CollectibleItems • Children’sArtwork• HomeGymsnotbeingused

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PreparingYourHomeToSell(cont)

Knowthatwhenthehousehasashowing,itshouldappealtoallKiveofthesenses:

• SIGHT:Opentheblindsanddrapestoletinnaturallight.Keepclutterawayandconsiderkeepingyourpetoutofthehomefortheday.

• SMELL: Put out Klowers and candles in the main rooms of the home and acolourfulbowloffruitonthediningtable

• TASTE:Ahotpotofcoffeehelpswithtasteandsmell

• HEARING: Turn off the sounds on all television sets and computers, andhavesomeeasylisteningorjazzmusicplayingsoftlyinthebackground

• TOUCH:Haveyourguestssitonthesoftestcouch,andmakesureeverythingiscleananddust-free

Makesureyouputawayorhideanymajorappliancesyoudon’twant tosell. Ifyouwant to take your antique chandelier you should take it down before you show thehouse.Otherwise,apotentialbuyermayseeitandwantitforthemselves.

Youareputtingyourhomeondisplaysopresentitwell!Ifyoudon’tthinkyouhaveaneyeforpresentationaskoneofyourfriendsorfamilytoprepareyourhouseforyou.Ifyoucan’tseeaproblemwithclotheslyingaroundandstickyKloorsgetsomeoneelsetopresent your house for you. Pay them if necessary as presentation is VERYIMPORTANTinshowcasingyourhome.

Everyroom in thehome, including thegarageanddecks, shouldbeabsolutelyclean.Emptywaste baskets and garbage pails daily. Try to keep pets outdoors alongwiththeir litter boxes and food bowls during showings. Try to relax during this stressfulprocess.

• Keep furniture to a minimum so rooms do not appear smaller than they are.Ensure that trafKic can Klow in or through rooms unimpeded. If they containbookshelves or cabinets overKlowingwith books,magazines and knick-knacks,removesomeoftheseitems.

• Ensureclosetslookspacious,organizedanduncluttered.Createspacebygettingridofoldclothesandjunk.

• Remove or lock away valuables such as jewelry, coins, currency,cameras&otherelectronics.

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PreparingYourHomeToSell(cont)

KitchenandBathrooms

Peoplesplashwateraroundinthekitchenandbathroomssocheckaroundsinks,tubsandtoiletsforrottingcountertopsandKloors.Problemscouldbeduetopoorcaulkingor plumbing leaks. Fogged windows, mould and sweating toilet tanks indicate highhumiditylevelswhichyoucanremedywithexhaustfans.

• In the kitchen, clean all appliances including your oven. Clean or replace yourgreasy stove hood Kilter. Clean your cabinets inside and out, as well as yourcountertopsandbacksplashes.Repairdrippingfaucets.

• Removeanythingstoredontopofyourfridgeandremoveartworkandmagnets.

• Removeitemsstoredunderthesink.

• Inbathrooms,scrubsinks, tubsandtoilets, takingcaretoremoveanyruststains.Remove mildew from showers and bathtubs. Fix dripping faucets or tricklingtoilets,andvacuumyourfangrill.

• Cleanmirrors,lightswitchplatesandcupboardhandles.

• Considerinstallingnew6-litretoiletsifyoucurrentlyhavewaterguzzler.

• Ifyouhaveceramictileineitheryourkitchenorbathroomensuregroutingisintactandclean.

Basement

The condition of the foundation andmain structural members in the basement arecritical to the Kitness of any house. The purpose of your inspection is tomake surethesearesoundanddurable.

• Look for cracks, water seepage, efKlorescence (white powder-like substance),crumbling mortar or concrete, and rotting wood. If any of these problems arepresent, you need to do further research to learn about causes and possiblesolutions.

• Ifyourbasementisdampormusty,considerusingadehumidiKier.

• Likeallotherareasofyourhome,yourbasementshouldbeorganizedandclutter-free.

• Change the Kilter in the furnace andhave it cleaned; this is thenumberone itempurchaserswantdoneafterahomeinspection.

• Ifyouhaveapetwithalitterbox,ensureitisclean.

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PreparingYourHomeToSell(cont)

Garage

• Getridofbrokentools,oldcarparts,discardedbicycles,emptypaintcansandthehundreds of other useless items that accumulate in garages. Again, youwant aclutter-freezone.

• UsecleaningsolutionstoremoveoilstainsfromtheKloor.

WillYourRoofandChimneyPassInspection?

Ifyouareuneasyaboutclimbingontoyourroof,youcaninspectmostitemsfromtheground using binoculars. Otherwise, be carefulwhenworking ormoving about onyour roof. Unless roof repair is a simple matter of applying new caulking you willprobablyneedtheservicesofaprofessional.

• Checkthegeneralconditionofyourroof. Saggingsections,curledshingles,pooledwateron Klat roofs and corrosiononmetal rooKingmeans it is time for repair orreplacement.

• Bothmasonryandmetalchimneysneedtobestraightandstructurallysound,havepropercappingontopandwater-tightKlashingwheretheypenetratetheroof.

• Allroofsundergostressfromsnowandrainloadssoatrussorraftermaybecomedamagedresultinginanoticeablesmalldepression.Aprofessionalshoulddothisinexpensiverepair.

ExamineYourWalls

Theconditionofyourexteriorwallsdirectlyaffectsthe lookandcurbappealofyourhome.

• Replaceoldcaulking.Youmayhavetocutorscrapeawayoldcaulkingtogetagoodseal.Donotsealdrainage/ventilationgaps.

• Is your exterior paint looking good? If you see faded colours and cracked orpeeling surfaces, you need to repaint. Be sure to get several quotes if you hire aprofessionalpainter.

• You can clean vinyl siding but defects or damage to itmeans siding usuallywillneedtobereplaced.

• Stuccocanberepairedbutskillisrequiredtoblendpatcheswithexistingstucco.

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PreparingYourHomeToSell(cont)

Let’sGoIndoors

• Aprospectivebuyerwillusuallyenterthroughyourfrontdoor,sothisiswhereyoushould begin your interior inspection. Youwant your buyer to see a neat, clean,welllitinterior.Getclutteroutofsight,ensurethecarpetsarecleanandKloorsarescrubbedandpolishedandthatwallsandtrimshowfreshpaint(preferablyneutralorlightcolours).

•• Take a sniff…Are there any unpleasant odours in your home? If there are, track

them down and eliminate them. Ensure all your lights work and are free ofcobwebs.Youwantyourhometolookspacious,brightandfresh.

•• If you have considerable family memorabilia, consider thinning it out. Your

objective is to help potential buyers feel as if they could live in your home. Thatmental leapbecomesmoredifKicult for them if yourhouse resemblesa shrine toyourfamily.

•• ProfessionalRealtorsanddecoratorssaythemostimportantareaofyourhometo

upgrade andmodernize are the kitchen and bathrooms. Buyers alsowant to seeneworrecentlyinstalledKloorcoveringsthroughout.

GeneralInterior

• Checkstairsforlooseboards,rippedcarpetingandmissingorloosehandrailsandguards.

•• Mostproblemswithinteriorwallsarecosmeticandcanberepairedwithspackling

compoundandpaint.•• Ensure doors open and shut properly. Minor sticking is normal but excessive

bindingindicatespossiblestructuralproblems.•• Open and close all windows to ensure theywork properly. Fogging between the

panes of a sealedwindow indicates the seal is broken and the unit needs to bereplaced.