Getting My Calgary Home Ready to Sell

Price

The best chance for selling your property is within the first 7 weeks. Studies show the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net.

Problems with Over-Pricing

• Reduces number of potential offers
• Lowers agents response, consequently number of showings
• Limits qualified buyers and could create appraisal issues
• Competing homes become more attractive in comparison
• Wastes money and time for the seller

Cleanliness

Buyers are turned off by even the smallest amount of uncleanliness or odour, resulting in a loss of thousands to the seller.

• Make your home squeaky clean, generating a faster sale and more money as a result
• Create space by eliminating old junk and clutter. It will make an easier move for you too
• If you have pets, or a home exposed to smoke or diaper changes, extinguish all odours. Buyers will notice

Accessibility

Top-selling agents will not show your home if both the key and access are not readily available.

• Have an electronic keybox.
• Be absent during showings, including pets, allowing the buyer to feel at ease and spend more time.
• Brighten the home by keeping all lights on, drapes open.
• Keep all interior doors unlocked and accessible.
• If you have to stay home during a showing, don't offer information, let the buyer's agent do their job.

Paint and Flooring

Paint is your best improvement investment for getting the greatest return on your money. 

• Paint when there are chips, exposed wood or it looks faded.
   Paint prices from Homedepot.ca
• If the carpet is worn, dirty, outdated or an unusual colour, seriously consider replacing it. Buyers don't want to spend the time or money on improvements before they move in... they'll move on. 
  Carpet & Flooring ideas endoftheroll.ca 

Curb Appeal

Your front yard immediately reflects the inside condition of your property to the buyer.

• Trim any trees or bushes blocking visibility of your home from the street.
• Grass should be mowed, trimmed and edged.
• Walkways should be swept or shoveled.
• Remove all debris and parked cars.
• Repair any broken or damaged fencing.

Source: http://www.creb.com/Seller_Resources/Getting_Ready_to_Sell/

If you need more information or would like a market evalution on your Calgary home contact me @ 403.397.3706

Why Isn’t My House Selling?!

So you’re in agony because your house has languished on the market for weeks (maybe even months) and still no bites. Here are 4 reasons that may be keeping the buyers away:

1. Your Home is Overpriced

Sorry, but this is the number one reason houses don’t sell in a timely manner. The truth is that buyers set the value of your home; if they’re not making offers anywhere near the list price (or perhaps not making offers at all) then it’s overpriced.

When you ask an unrealistic price for your property it can set into motion a process that will work against you, let me explain.

There is a “honeymoon period” when it comes to listing real estate for sale; it’s a 2-3 week period when everybody looking in that price range will want to see your house. If it’s overpriced by even as little as 5% it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane.

For example: if you’ve got a house that really should be priced at $300,000 and it’s listed at $350,000 you’ve committed a number of errors. Firstly you’re trying to compete against houses that actually are worth $350,000 and your house isn’t going to compete well. Secondly you’ve priced out buyers who might have qualified for financing at a more reasonable price. And thirdly even if you manage to find a buyer at your inflated asking price, the property may not appraise at that figure and the financing will fall apart.

2. Your Home Doesn’t ‘Show’ Well

Your home is competing against shiny new houses with their attractive prices, incentives and community amenities; and in Calgary where they seem to build a new house every 15 minutes this is especially so.

Face it: Even the best old house needs a makeover if it hopes to attract a qualified buyer.

The good news is most of the work is cosmetic and relatively inexpensive (if it’s not cosmetic and repairs are needed, they must be done before you list the house anyway). At the very least go through the house and pack away all non-essentials (anything personal or “stuff” that is taking up space). A new coat of paint is the least expensive way to make everything shine and a thorough cleaning of the floors and carpets should be done as well.

Price and condition are the two things that you, as the seller, have control over. You decide how good your house looks and what is a realistic price to ask for it.

 

3. You’re In a Bad Location

Nothing has a greater effect on your home’s value than its location and unfortunately you have little control over this. There are ways to accentuate the positive and reduce the negative of your circumstances and a good listing Realtor® can help with suggestions in this regard. No matter what you do to reduce the downside of your location you will have to reflect the value of the location in the price. Someone will buy your poorly located property if the price is right.

 

4. You Have a Lousy Listing Agent

As a real estate agent it pains me to say this but “they’re out there.” Realtors® who mislead, misfire and misbehave. Their bad advice can cost you plenty in time, money and the sheer hassle of keeping your house show-ready all the time.

Don’t let an agent with a high list price talk you into the impossible. As stated before, if it’s overpriced it aint gonna sell! Be realistic about pricing but also ask questions about your agent’s marketing approach.

More than 80% of real estate shoppers are looking online for their next property (and in a highly connected community like Calgary I would say that number is closer to 90%). Your “House For Sale” needs to be all over the Internet. That means an MLS® listing, company website, Realtor® website, syndicated real estate sites, blogs and video blogs, professional photos with floor plans and an ongoing commitment by your agent to make sure that your listing is being seen by buyers.

 

There may be other factors like market conditions and rapid market changes that can affect the sale of your Calgary property.  However, a good listing agent should be on top of these and be talking with you regularly to strategize on ways to combat them.  If you're Realtor® isn't communicating with on a weekly basis at minimum you're not getting the service you deserve.