Planning to Sell Your House? Start Preparing Now

If a home sale is on your mind, you may be thinking of listing sometime in March, April, or May. Rumour has it that these are the best months by far. There are plenty of industry experts who will agree that the spring market is usually the busiest.

The real question is, when do you need to be ready to capitalize on the excitement?

While there is snow on the ground, it may feel as though the time to get ready is light-years away. Besides, who has the motivation to paint, clean, and declutter when it seems we have to shovel out the driveway every other day at least? But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that time flies.

Plus, many people are caught off guard by what the “spring market” actually means. The most hectic time in real estate doesn’t always kick off with the warm weather. In our experience, the rush can start as early as February, at least here in Peterborough!

If you want to maximize your results, it’s best to begin getting your house ready for the market now. That way, your listing will really stand out when the moment of opportunity arrives. In this post, we’ll review a few of our top tips for selling your home in the next few months.

If you’re ready to sell, our detailed Seller’s Guide is a tool you will want to keep handy. Download your copy today!

The Case for Preparing Your Home for Sale Early

For most people, waiting for the last minute adds even more stress to an already busy time. That’s why starting now is not as counterintuitive as it seems. It’s actually a brilliant plan that eliminates much of the anxiety from the process of selling your house. While moving from one place to another is never 100% seamless, being organized will make it as straightforward as the transition can be.

When you’re not under pressure to do everything all at once, you can do a little each day rather than scrambling all at once to have your house ready once the market heats up. Ultimately, you’ll save time and effort while likely earning a higher amount from your sale.

Less stress, more joy, a head start on the competition, and potentially greater profit are all benefits of preparing early.

The more background information you have, the better you can plan. The posts below will bring you up to speed on how to sell a house in Peterborough, Ontario:

The Essential Steps to Selling a House

The number of things to do before selling your house can seem mind-boggling. Fortunately, with an effective strategy, it will all fall into place – just in time for the busy spring market!

Most of the steps will be common sense, but it still helps to see them all written out in a logical order. The following “how to sell a house checklist” will help you keep moving forward each day.

Reach out to a local real estate agent.

You are sure to have plenty of questions before, during, and after your transaction. Having an experienced expert on speed dial means your strategy will always be effective and up-to-date.

Together, you can sit down and analyze current real estate trends and what they will mean for you right now. We’ll talk about everything from pricing your home to formulating a marketing plan and reaching the most likely buyers.

Decide what renovations and repairs to make.

There will always be some home fixes you must complete before selling. Others might not have any impact on your bottom line at all. What to fix and not to fix is always a hot subject for debate. It’s also one of the first questions you ask your real estate agent.

Arranging for upgrades might actually be the most compelling reason to start preparing your home for the spring market now. Repairs take time, and contractors book up quickly once demand surges in the spring. Acting now puts you ahead of the crowd!

It’s no secret that some houses sell faster than others. If you’re facing a particularly tough selling challenge, one of the posts below might help:

Staging a House to Sell

Some of the best home staging tips are simple; it starts with cleaning. A spotless, well-organized home where all minor repairs have been completed is sure to stand out in most markets.

However, for the best results in the busy spring market, you’ll want to make use of every advantage. Enter the idea of staging your home to sell. This concept goes well beyond cleaning and decluttering. It creates a vivid picture in your buyer’s mind about how fantastic it would be to live in your house.

Everything from paint colour and furniture placement to your choice of artwork and decor will play a role. Since you want the buyer to feel at home in your space, it’s also essential to depersonalize as much as possible. Replacing family photos and souvenirs with attractive yet neutral decor can do the trick.

Effective staging might sound simple, but it requires training, experience, and an eye for design. It’s not just about what “looks nice.” The real question is what will appeal to prospective buyers. Fortunately, many real estate teams (like ours) include staging as part of their services!

It won’t be long and you’ll be ready to confidently put up the “For Sale” sign. By getting ahead of the competition, even by a day or two, your listing will stand out and attract more attention from prospective buyers everywhere.

Do you have questions about preparing now for the spring market? Our Peterborough real estate agents are committed to helping you get results. Reach out to team@jeffandkatie.ca or call 705-243-9797 to start the conversation today.