PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE 

First thing to recognize when you want to sell your property is that it’s not your home anymore! That’s right, it’s somebody else’s home, they just haven’t taken ownership yet (okay, they haven’t actually found it yet either but that’s my job).

You may be familiar with the mantra of home stagers and REALTORS® everywhere when it comes to getting homes ready for sale:

 “CLEAN, DECLUTTER, DEPERSONALIZE”

At its simplest level that is what’s needed to help get your home sold quickly and for top dollar.

The first thing you’re going to have to do is clean. And, I mean clean like your mother-in-law is coming for a month. Not just a superficial dusting, this is proper “get everything out, wipe it down and organize”. Since you’re cleaning at this level it’s a good time to do the declutter and depersonalize too.

Get the magnets and artwork off the fridge, down come the family photos and away goes the collection of china teacups you inherited when Mum moved to a condo. All these things will have to be packed when the house is sold anyway so you might as well do it now. Besides, it really does make the cleaning easier.

When you’ve got the counters cleared and all clothes neatly in the closets (pack some of your clothes too, you want the closets to look like they’ve got acres of space) it may be time to look at the furniture arrangement. Remember, this isn’t your home anymore, it’s not about how you and your family live it in, it’s what makes it look the brightest and most spacious.

Repair

It’s time to fix all those little things that you’ve been meaning to get to. All light bulbs must work, taps can’t drip, toilets can’t run and doors must close. That’s the little stuff, if there are major repairs needed call a professional and get them done. This includes appliance repairs, holes in drywall and shingles lost in the last wind storm. These things will be discovered in a home inspection and you don’t want them to jeopardize any offers. 

Call or email me for my comprehensive Home Sale Prep Guide. It gives you a checklist of everything you need to look at in order to have your house ship-shape and ready for sale.

Real Property Report (RPR)

If you’ve lived in your home for 10 years or less and you haven’t added or changed anything on the property you’ll likely be able to use the RPR that was supplied when you purchased. If however your RPR is old and/or you’ve made changes, you may need to get a new one or get the existing one updated. Changes include the additional or removal of any structures (permanent sheds, garages, house additions) fences and decks inside your property line. 

RPRs can take a considerable amount of time to get so it’s important that you get on this right away. Once the Land Survey company surveys the property the report is submitted to the city for a compliance stamp, no property sale in Alberta can be completed without an RPR with compliance. Don’t let this hold up your sale, it can make the difference between a smooth transaction and one where the buyer walks away.

Contact me for a list of Land Survey providers and more information on Real Property Reports in Alberta.