You are here: 

FSBO Tip 2. Prepare Your Home for Sale.

This is one article in a series of over 30 articles that will help you when selling your home privately in Ontario. When using these simple FSBO (For Sale by Owner) techniques that I have outlined below, these tips will help you sell your home without the assistance of a real estate agent. Just as many other people have successfully sold their home on their own in the past, you can too. It will possibly save you thousands, but it takes a great deal of work and firm commitment on your part to succeed in selling your home privately in Ontario. You may ask why I would provide such a series of indepth articles. The reason is simple. I want you to have all the information to make the best decision for yourself. You may sell privately, but need an agent to help you buy your next home, I hope you remember how helpful I was in helping you sell and use my services for your purchase. I wish you all the best of success. First impression is crucial. Make sure your home makes a positive statement by carefully inspecting all details and viewing it through the objective eyes of a buyer. Don't gloss over needed repairs and fix-ups, as your prospective buyers won't. Your job is to ensure that your home stands out favorably from the competition.

How does the outside of your house look like? Steps and walkways should be safe and clean. Yards should be mowed and trees and bushes should be trimmed. Remove dead trees and shrubs. Trees that hang on the roof or vines that go up the house allow termites to enter and these plants must be trimmed. Flowerbeds should be free of weeds, and blooming flowers add a lovely touch. Why not buy some annual flowers to add color and vibrancy? Pay special attention to the appearance of the front door and the entry way to your home. Polish the door fixture so it gleams, and repaint or refinish the front door if it needs it. Does the porch light work? Is it clean? Clean sells. Most of us are too busy to be full time housekeepers, but a house that is really clean could result in money in your pocket. Having a dirty house can be an expensive mistake when your home is for sale. Some things that can be done are: carefully scrub baseboards, oiled all wooden cabinets with Old English, clean all of the switch and electrical plates, clean heating and air conditioning vents, wash all the windows, drapes, light fixtures, and removed mineral deposits from chrome bathroom and kitchen fixtures with white vinegar. New buyers want to know a future home is well tended. Be sure your house smells good or does not smell. Be careful of pet odors. Think about the aroma of the food you are cooking when potential buyers are scheduled to see your home. Cook the cabbage another night. Keep bathrooms sparkling, check the dirty laundry, dump the trash, and be sure the kitchen is free of dirty dishes in the sink or old onions or potatoes in the cupboard. You may want to invest in a way to make your home smell nice. Many lovely smelling candles are available, but I worry when they are burning and the owner is not home. Other air fresheners are safer. Maybe bake chocolate chip cookies the morning of a showing. Houses where the owners have smoked present special challenges. Repainting, installing new carpet, cleaning the air ducts and washing all other surfaces will eliminate most of the smell of smoke. When owners go to all of the work and expense to rid their home of smoke residue prior to marketing their home, they often wisely decide to smoke outside while their house is for sale or sell their home as a vacant house. Nonsmokers often say they do not even want to walk through a house where they smell smoke. The houses that sell the fastest and for the best price look like model homes. Everything in the house adds to the appeal of the home, and there’s nothing extra to be a distraction. When selling your home, less is more. Too much furniture and too much clutter in a room distract the buyer and make the room look smaller. You want the buyers to be mentally moving in their possessions, not be fascinated by yours! The best strategy is to get items out of the house by having a garage sale, calling your favorite charity for pick up, or storing them in a storage unit until you move. Getting the clutter out of the house will allow you to vacuum, dust, and clean floors more easily for that super clean look!

This series of articles is brought to you by A. Mark Argentino and other real estate related resources, including Canadian Real Estate Association CREA and the Ontario Real Estate Association OREA. Back to list of Real Estate Helpful Articles

Whether you are interested in a Power of Sale Property, a Foreclosure Sale or a regular property purchase, I can assist you with all of the complexities when you purchase or sell your next property.  Please don't hesitate to email me If you have any questions or require further information, please send me an email. Thank you, Mark Argentino Read about Power of Sale, Bank Sales and Foreclosure Properties FAQ's Read a very detailed section about Power of Sale and Foreclosure or go back to list of Real Estate Helpful Articles