Selling Your House in Vancouver

Get Your Home in Mint Condition

Making the decision to sell your house in Vancouver can be difficult. But once the decision is made, it’s time to get to work. In the Vancouver real estate, being prepared is the key. And your first call should be to the MINT Home Team.

We’ve curated the following eight steps every homeowner should consider before opening the doors to prospective Buyers. Give yourself at least two weeks to complete everything necessary the make the most of your greatest asset. But the results will speak for themselves – a home sold faster, and at a higher price.

Contact our Vancouver realtors today – we will be sure to match you up with our specialist in your area.

1. De-Personalize

When prepping to sell your house in Vancouver, pack up your family photos, mementos and keepsakes. A Buyer needs to picture themselves living in your home – personal items are a distraction that can inhibit that visualization.

2. De-Clutter

Potential Buyers are looking for a blank canvas. A home with lots of knick-knacks, furniture, pictures, and children’s toys strewn about may affect the Buyer from seeing the full potential of your property. And all the clutter may make your property seem smaller and less inviting. It’s time to get tough. If you don’t need something, or haven’t used it in over a year, consider the item for donation, recycle, garbage or storage.

De-cluttering also makes it easier to keep your home neat and tidy between showings.

3. Rearrange

Buyers love to open doors and drawers and see what’s behind – from bedrooms and closets to kitchens and bathrooms. Beat them to the punch by unleashing your inner organizing guru. Send prospective Buyers the message that your care and attention to detail knows no limits. Alphabetize spice jars. Neatly stack dishes. Turn coffee cup handles the same direction. Hang like clothing items together – shirts buttoned and facing the same way with shoes neatly lined up. You get the idea.

4. Remove / Replace Favorite Items

If you want to take a favorite fixtures or appliance with you, remove it from the home before it’s listed. If a Buyer does not see it, they won’t expect that it comes with the house. However, trying to omit fixtures from the sale can cause unwanted tension and put a deal at risk. And don’t forget to notify your real-estate agent of any exclusions.

5. Rent Storage Unit

Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Free up walkways and allow Buyers to easily move around a room instead of feeling like they are threading their way through an obstacle course. For example, remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Keep just enough furniture to showcase each room’s purpose with lots of area to move about – put the rest in a storage unit. Click her for a listing of trusted storage facilities.

6. Repair

Be sure to fix leaky faucets, patch holes in the wall, replace cracked floor or counter tiles. Also, you will want to address doors that don’t close properly or kitchen or bathroom drawers that jam. We encourage you to consider painting walls neutral colours, especially if you have become accustomed to purple or bright green walls. You don’t want Buyers to describe the house by the colour of the walls. And replace burnt-out light bulbs and worn bed linens. Consider hiring an inspector to assess your home prior to its first showing. You will find a list of professional inspectors in our trusted resource for Sellers section.

7. Make it Sparkle

If ‘doing windows’ isn’t your thing, find someone that loves to make homes sparkle. Clean windows, inside and out, are key to putting your homes’ ‘best foot’ forward. You should also pressure wash the exterior of the home, decks, sidewalks, walk ways, and driveway.

In the interior of the home, re-caulk showers, tubs and sinks. And bleach dingy grout. Polish chrome faucets and mirrors. Clean out the refrigerator and throw out bottles and jars that are nearly empty.

Once the house goes on the Vancouver real estate market, it should be vacuumed several times a week. Mop or polish floors, dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures. Hang up fresh towels every few days. Clean and air out any musty smelling areas – odours are a turn off to potential Buyers. Or, you can hire one of our tried and tested professional cleaners, their information can be found in our trusted resource for Sellers section.

8. Check Your House’s Curb Appeal

If a Buyer doesn’t like the look of the exterior of your home, chances are they won’t come inside. Curb appeal is vital. Keep sidewalks clear and the lawns mowed. Bushes around the home should be tidy and well kept. Paint faded window trim and clean the entrance area to the front door. Get those greasy finger marks off door hardware. And give the house numbers a thorough polish. Sprucing up the landscape, or even adding fresh flowers throughout the home, are worth considering.

Done with the 8-steps to sell your house in Vancouver? Now, rest and relax, and be confident knowing that you’ve made a huge step in the right direction to sell your home for the best possible price in the shortest amount of time.

Call our Vancouver realtors to learn more about how the MINT Home Team can help prepare your home to sell. Our professional team, including photographers and home stagers, are ready to put the MINT Marketing Method to work for you.