Uncategorized Archives - Fiona Bratvold

Preparing Your House for Sale in Less Than a Week

April 13, 2015

prep-house-in-1-week It’s great when you have lots of time to prepare for something important. But life doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes you have to move quickly, and do the best you can with the time you have.

Say, for example, you had to get your house ready for sale, and you only had a week to do so. What could you do in those few days to make your home as attractive as possible to potential buyers? Here are some ideas…:

Clean the house from top to bottom. Make it look “guest ready”.
Get rid of as much clutter as possible. If necessary, put some things in storage. Try to make every room look organized and spacious.
Get all minor repairs done.
Paint. It’s the fastest and cheapest way to dramatically improve the look of any room.
Don’t forget the outdoors. Prune the hedges, sweep the walkways, and deal with any potential eyesores — such as a rusted old bike stowed in the side yard.
Place some fresh flowers in the dining room and outside next to the front door.
Depersonalize your house as much as possible. For example, stow away family pictures. You want buyers to imagine themselves living there, not you.

This is just a partial list of ideas. A good REALTOR® can help you with more tips on preparing your house so that it sells quickly and for the right price.

Want help? Call today.

Increasing Foyer Appeal

March 24, 2015

foyer-appeal You’ve heard of curb appeal. It refers to the good impression buyers tend to get when they first see your house “from the curb”. The greater the curb appeal, the more enticing your house will seem.

But there’s another type of appeal you may not be aware of: Foyer appeal. That’s the impression buyers get when they first walk in the door.

Think of what happens when someone visits your house for the first time. Chances are, they stand in the foyer for a few moments, look around, and take in the view of your house from that perspective.

That’s why, if you’re preparing your property for sale, it’s important to make the foyer look as attractive and inviting as possible.

Obviously, you want to make sure it’s clean and free of clutter. You don’t want potential buyers to trip over shoes or catch a glimpse of an over-stuffed coat closet.

If you have a welcome mat, make sure it’s clean and in good shape. Or, better still, buy a new one.

Finally, make sure that the rooms that can be seen from the foyer look attractive.

The impression you want to make is, “Wow. I can’t wait to see the rest of the house!”

Stay or move? How to decide

March 10, 2015

stay-or-move Do you sometimes review the real estate ads in your local paper? Do you drive by an open house sign and feel the urge to stop and check it out? Those are common indications that, at least on some level, you’re thinking about the possibility of making a move.

But how do you decide if you should actually move?

The first step is to consider whether there are any practical reasons to consider buying a new home. What’s pushing you in that direction?

Is your current home too small for your needs?
Is the commute to work, for you or your spouse, too long? (Perhaps longer than you expected when you purchased the home?)
Are there property features you would now like to have, such as a larger backyard or a more spacious kitchen?
Has the neighbourhood changed in an undesirable way?
Do you have personal reasons for wanting to move, such as a desire to be closer to relatives in another area?
Carefully consider those things that can’t change unless you move. For example, if a major highway was recently built near you, the ongoing sound of traffic isn’t going to go away. It’s now part of the neighbourhood.

If there are no practical reasons for moving, there may still be other reasons for wanting a new home. You may want to move your family to a better neighbourhood, with better schools or you may simply want a bigger home, with a larger backyard, more rooms, and a wider driveway.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with simply wanting a better place than the one you have now. In fact, that is a common reason why many people make a move.

The point is, if you’ve been thinking about a new home for a while, perhaps now is the time to take the next step. A good REALTOR® can help you understand your options.

Looking for a good REALTOR®? Call today.

The Benefits of a Pre-Sale Inspection

January 8, 2015

Your home probably has dozens of great features that are going to help it stand out and sell faster. Perhaps it has a cozy sunken living room? Or an equipped and smartly decorated kitchen that Rachel Ray would envy? Or a location in a desirable neighbourhood?

All these things will help.

But there’s another selling feature you should consider adding: a pre-sale inspection.

A professional home inspection is usually done on behalf of the buyer before the deal to purchase a property is finalized. In fact, you can expect any offers to purchase your home to be “conditional upon satisfactory home inspection.” However, there are two good reasons why you, as the seller, should get the home inspection done:

Reason #1

A professional inspection can identify problems that might otherwise thwart the sale.

Say, for example, you get a great offer but the buyer’s home inspector discovers a minor leak in the foundation. That might be enough to jeopardize the deal. However, if you had a professional inspection done, you would have had the opportunity to get that problem fixed in advance of the offer.

Reason #2

Informing potential buyers that a professional inspection has been done is a great selling feature. It demonstrates to buyers that there are no hidden problems with the property, which gives them more confidence to make an offer.

A certificate of home inspection can be as enticing a feature to home buyers as a wrap-around deck!

Need more ideas for selling your home faster and for a better price? Call today.

Be Ready To Move

October 2, 2014

ready-to-move You’ve spent a lot of time shopping for the perfect property. You made an offer, held your breath and – hurray! – you got the home! But now you’ve realized that you have to move in four weeks – and you’re far from prepared.

Don’t add stress to what was otherwise a smooth process. Make sure you have these things in place well in advance:

A good real estate lawyer. Selecting the right lawyer can take time, so you don’t want to leave this task to the last minute.

A reputable moving company. Start looking into moving firms right away to ensure you pick one that’s reputable, timely and will do a good job.

A contractor. Your new home may require some repairs and renovations that you want to get done right away.

Insurance. This is an easy detail to overlook. Don’t. Insurance costs can vary widely, and you want to make sure you take the time necessary, well in advance of your move, to select the right policy from the right company.

Getting these things in place in advance of your move will make the entire process go more smoothly. A good REALTOR® will help.

Call today.