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Shaunna McIntosh Ottawa Real Estate Broker / REALTOR®

How to sell my Barrhaven home fast?

How to sell my Barrhaven home fast?

 

How to sell my Barrhaven home? Selling a home can be a big task for most home owners to take on. Not only does your home need to be prepped for sale, but then you have the enormous feat of finding a local real estate agent that you trust enough to sell your most valuable asset.

Not only is your home likely one of your most valuable assets (speaking in monetary terms). But it is also the place where you and your family have grown together, made countless memories and the place where you have put so much time and love into.

But, selling a home doesn’t have to be hard. The whole process can actually be fun, easy and stress free if you are working with the right Real Estate agent. Someone who understands you and your family’s needs. But, who also understands the ebbs and flows of the market and how to best position your home to sell fast and for the most amount of money possible.

In this blog post, I am going to be giving a high-level overview of how to sell your Barrhaven home fast and for the most amount of money.

 

STEP 1: GET TO KNOW THE BARRHAVEN REAL ESTATE MARKET

 

As our market changes it is so important to keep an eye on what is going on in the real estate market. Not only at a macro and large-scale level, but also on a hyper-local scale. Start paying attention to what is going on in your neighbourhood. Are there many homes for sale? Do they seem to have been on the market for a while? How are they priced? If you notice a house listed for sale in your area that is quite similar to yours, but week after week you still see that “For Sale” sign in the yard, there is a good chance that the seller is asking too much for their home.

As our market shifts in to a more balanced market, it is crucial to price your home accordingly. Or else, your listing is just going to sit stagnant on the market and eventually potential buyers (and your neighbours) might start to wonder if there is something more going on and if there is potentially something severely wrong with your home.

So, although your neighbour is asking “x” amount for his/her home, that doesn’t mean that’s what its really worth. Your best bet, is to not only keep an eye out in your neighbourhood for homes for sale, but be sure to also keep an eye on how long they are sitting on the market for.

 

STEP 2: SPEAK WITH A BARRHAVEN REALTOR TO HELP SELL YOUR HOME

 

When I say this, I do not mean that you should call your neighbours Realtor, I mean do some research online to see who specializes in your area. Shaunna McIntosh for example is a great Real Estate Broker who knows Barrhaven well and who has worked and lived there for years. She knows the different sub divisions and has become and active and trusted resource in the Barrhaven community.  Working with a Realtor who knows the area is important because they will be able to speak to the features in the neighbourhood that buyers are going to be drawn to.

Have an incredible splash pad for kids in your neighbourhood? Potential buyers should know about that! Have some great high schools nearby? This is important for families with school aged children and should be highlighted! Have some incredible bike paths and trails in the area? People don’t just look for a house, they look for the lifestyle that comes along with the community that house is in. Make sure that you select a realtor who knows the area, lives and primarily works there and who you can rely and trust throughout the selling process.

 

STEP 3: PREPARING YOUR BARRHAVEN HOME FOR SALE

 

As you start to think about having to sell your Barrhaven home, preparing your home for sale should be top of mind. Not only can it take time to declutter years’ worth of possessions. But, it can also be a process that brings up emotions as you start to close one chapter. But when you close one chapter, you start a new one.

An experienced Realtor will be able to guide you in prepping your home for sale since every situation is different. According to Shaunna, a couple rules that apply to all situations are curb appeal and the first impression right when you walk into the home – “the first impression is the lasting impression. People are complex and often buy leading with emotion. Sometimes you fall in love with a home, and you can’t quite put a finger on why you love it so much. Usually that reason starts with the first impression that the buyer got when they first pulled up to your home and when they first walked in.”

“Make sure that your lawn is cut, your hedges are nicely pruned, that your front step is inviting and anchored by real potted flowers. Pay to have your front door, trim and casing professionally re-painted. Seal your driveway. You don’t need to spend a lot of money doing these things, but small updates like this can make the world of a difference for buyers, especially first-time home buyers who do not actually know how affordable these minor updates can be. As soon as the buyer walks in, the home should feel light and airy. Declutter, remove everything from countertops. Have a real plant in the corner. Have a bowl of bright and crisp looking green apples or lemons on the kitchen table. These small things really make such a big difference.”

 

This is why working with an experienced realtor is so important.

 

All of Shaunna’s clients receive a complementary home staging consultation from a professional local staging company. In this consultation, Shaunna’s home stager will walk through your home with you and give you a detailed list of everything that you can do to leave every buyer who comes to see your home that lasting impression.

“The other thing that will make or break a successful home sale is your Realtor’s marketing. This includes the photography and print marketing. All of our clients get a complementary custom marketing plan. This includes a digital and print marketing plan along with high-quality professional photography, videography, a custom home property website, a featured listing slot on our website and much more. Every listing is unique. The marketing should showcase what it is about the home that really makes it so special. What truly makes it stand out. We do not have a cookie cutter package, it is customized to suit the home and the seller – that’s what drives our client’s success” says Shaunna.

 

STEP 4: SHOWING ETIQUETTE

 

Congratulations, you have done your market research, have done the work to get your home ready for sale, and have selected your realtor – that’s amazing!

So, your home is on the market.. now what? Well, let’s chat a little bit about showing etiquette. Although for realtors, walking into a complete stranger’s home (that they probably have never met) is normal, for most buyers it is not. For a buyer, walking into a stranger’s home can feel odd and uncomfortable.

But as a seller, the goal is to facilitate the buyers’ comfort. If the buyer is comfortable in your home, they are likely to stay a little bit longer and to really start to picture themselves living there. They will start to day dream about where their TV will go and where they will place their furniture. They will start to visualize themselves cooking in the kitchen and sitting out on the back patio drinking their morning coffee. THIS IS GOOD!

 

So as a Seller, you want to remove any barrier that may make the buyer uncomfortable.

 

Make sure that the temperature of the home is not too hot and not too cold. Make sure that there are no strong smells. Avoid cooking a meal that has a strong smell right before a showing. Take the trash out prior to the appointments. Be sure the home is aired out so it doesn’t feel stale. Be sure to let as much natural light in as possible by opening all the blinds. Turn on all the lights prior to leaving your home. This ensures that it is bright when the buyer first walks in with their agent.

Finally, although we love our furry friends, they are not for everyone. And we want your home to appeal to as many people as possible. So, drop off your pets off at a friend’s house or take your pup out for a car ride during the showing. Hide or store all pet toys, dog beds and bowls, litter boxes away.

Although this list is only scratching the surface of the things that you can do to prep your Barrhaven home for a successful sale. The most important thing is to consult with a professional Real Estate agent. They will be able to advise you on the marketing, pricing and the listing/sales component of selling your home, but who can also help you to showcase your Barrhaven home in the best light. Ultimately leading to a profitable and quick sale!

 

HOW TO SELECT A REALTOR TO HELP ME SELL MY HOME?

 

  • Google your Realtor! Does your realtor have a very small web presence? That is definitely a red flag. Most people search for homes online and if your realtor doesn’t know how to market himself/ herself online, then chances are that they will not know how to market your home online either.

 

  • Read their google review. Anyone can post a google review about any business. So, before you hire a realtor, be sure to read their google reviews.

 

  • Check out their website. A website will tell you a lot about an agent and how they want to position themselves and their business online.

 

  • Meet your realtor in person and see if you connect and trust them. You will be speaking with and dealing with this person a lot throughout your home sale journey. So make sure that this is someone you connect with.

 

Want to sell your Barrhaven home or are curious about the value of your home? Shaunna McIntosh can be reached directly by phone or by email at 613-875-2225 | shaunnamcintosh1@gmail.com