General wisdom holds that first impressions form the basis for relationships and great care should be taken in making them, since they cannot be taken back or done over. This holds true not just for people but for houses as well. A buyer is much more likely to make a final decision based on his or her first impressions of the Toronto homes he or she has looked at than anything learned afterwards. Therefore, if you're looking to sell your Surrey, BC home, take great care to make a good first impression. Here are some tips on how to do so.
Good Repair
Several weeks before you intend to start showing the home you should do a thorough inspection and make note of anything that needs to be fixed. You'll be competing with brand new Toronto condos here, so broken tiles, scratched floors, peeling paint, and malfunctioning light fixtures are a major no-no. Concentrate on the aesthetics for a first impression. Major repairs that won't be noticed on a walk through can wait until just before the final home inspection if they must.
Tidy
Something you should have learned from your mother is that whenever company is coming, your first instinct should be to clean up the house. When you visit your sister in her Markham real estate is there soap scum in the shower or dirty dishes clogging the sink? No, because she has cleaned up the house to present a better impression on guests. Home buyers are your guests. You want them to be impressed by your house. Therefore, you should clean it. Every time a buyer is coming by.
Welcoming
Cleanliness and good repair are what convinces a buyer that the Mississauga condo they're considering hasn't been run into the ground by uncaring owners. What makes him or her want to live there is the atmosphere. It should be as welcoming as possible in order to make the buyer feel at home. There are many tools you can use to achieve this atmosphere: fresh flowers in vases, cookies or bread baking in the oven, even a new coat of paint in a calming color like beige.
Unoccupied
The buyers who are touring your home are doing so with an eye for making the home theirs, so you should make sure your home looks unoccupied by people, with the furniture, decor, and household items just happening to be there in case they want to stay. To achieve this effect, personal items like family photos and kids' drawings should be put away. The family should also be absent. Send them to the zoo or to visit a relative who owns Toronto Annex real estate. One person should be there to show them around.
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