FRESH BREEZE

The freshness a prospective buyer sees, feels and smells the moment they walk into your house gives them either a positive or negative impression about the entire home, even before they go through it.        Use plug-ins around the house, especially close to the door (Febreeze are great, sold at Wal-mart), this ensures the house smells fresh, even if it hasn't been aired all day      Avoid the smell of spices due to cooking shortly before showings      Turn on the air conditioner in warm weather, light the fireplace in cooler weather      Make sure all garbage containers are clean and not causing odour in the house      Pay particular attention to pet or cigarette odours, many people can't tolerate them and may have allergies      Place scented potpourri or candles around the house

MAXIMUM SPACE AND BRIGHTNESS

The single most important thing you can do to help sell your home is to make sure that it is always spotless and tidy when it is to be shown.      Get rid of clutter that tends to build up around the house      Remove or rearrange furniture, it really helps to make your rooms look more spacious      Bookshelves are great traps for clutter, and full book cases make a room look smaller      Clean out garage and basement, use self storage if necessary      Consider putting a fresh coat of paint, make sure you use light neutral colours, as these shades brighten up your space, make it feel bigger and will appeal to a larger proportion of prospective buyers      Wash the walls where paint is not appropriate (i.e. wall paper, paneling)      Open your drapes during daylight hours

BEAUTIFUL FLOORS

Keeping floors clean makes them look newer and more attractive, and keeps them smelling fresh.      Polish hardwood floors and wash tile and vinyl floor      Shampoo dirty carpets      Use scented carpet powder (if you don't have allergies) before vacuuming to help add a fresh scent and de-odourize carpet from pets and cigarette smoke (sold at Wal-mart)

CLEAN KITCHEN

When buying a house, families care a lot about the kitchen, so keep it looking the best you possibly can!      Make sure countertops are cleared, remove as many small appliances as you can to help make the counters look spacious      Place one centre-piece such as flower vase or fruit bowl on the counter to add some décor      Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, magnets, etc.      Never leave dirty dishes in the sink      Make sure the sink and taps are shiny and clean      Clean all appliances, including the hood-fan and its filter

FRESH BATHROOMS

Bathrooms are a very private part of your home. The more attractive they look, the more comfortable prospective buyers will be in exploring your home.      Remove any unnecessary items from vanity tops, tubs, shower stalls and counter tops      Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes etc., in one small grouping on the counter      Coordinate towels to one or two colours only      Clean and polish mirrors, fixtures and taps      Use a plug-in to keep a fresh smell      Use candles to decorate      Clean under the sinks, if there are any leaks, fix them      Make sure seals around toilets, bathtubs and sinks are in good repair, and replace caulking around bathtubs if necessary

COZY BEDROOMS

Prospective buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in your house in order to consider purchasing it. Making your bedrooms look cozy will help create that picture.         Remove any extra items from the bedrooms, especially the smaller ones      Keep floors as clear as possible to make more space      Put away any extra children's toys, only keep out enough for decoration      Full closets tell potential buyers that there isn't enough closet space, remove out-of-season clothing and take any extra adult clothing out of kids closets - it screams not enough closet space

TOUCH OF DÉCOR

Whether you like the modern, classic, or old-fashioned look, adding a special touch of décor sets your house apart from others.      If your decorative pieces such as souvenirs, photographs, plants, etc. have accumulated over the years, remove most of them and keep only a few items visible      Decorate your walls, but be sure to keep them looking bright and spacious      Decide what the most attractive feature is in every room, and make sure it is visible and nothing takes attention away from it

NEWER LOOKING APPLIANCES

Whether or not your appliances are included in the sale of your house, keeping them clean makes a huge difference.     Polish all your appliances, especially if they are stainless steel or black        Clean the inside and outside of your appliances, prospective buyers might be inspecting them if they hope to include them in the sale of your house

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

To ensure you get the highest price possible for your house, the prospective buyers need to see that your house is in move-in condition and that nothing needs fixing.      Replace bathroom and kitchen fixtures that are worn or leaking      Replace furnace filters to help keep the dust down      Replace any burned out light bulbs      Pay attention to squeaky noises in the house and try to fix them

SPECIAL SHOWING TIME TRICKS

Your house will not be on the market forever. Depending on your life-style, you sometimes need to compromise with the way you like your house to be in order to make it look good for today's buyers, who will compare it to a model home. The more effort you put into making it look perfect for showings, the faster it will sell, and the more money you will put in your pocket.      Unless it is an emergency, try not to refuse any showings, as every sale must start with a showing      If you have a security system, make sure you give us the proper information to enable agents to show your house without any hassle      If possible, take pets out with you during showings, or at least try to contain them, and make sure litter boxes are clean      If you would like, you can leave some cookies out on the counter with a “please help yourself” note, it adds a friendly touch

Request a free presentation on how we will market and sell your home. Remember, all Real Estate Agents are NOT alike. We are the best, and want to work hard to sell your home. 

Yes, you can request a FREE in-home presentation of how we would market your property in the Ottawa area. We do these presentations for people all the time. It's our job! There's no obligation, and we'll get back to you quickly...