Tips For Selling Your Saskatoon Home

I show many Saskatoon homes in a calendar year, and I am constantly surprised by sellers that have either not been coached, or don't care how there home appears to buyers. You are selling your home, a very important asset, and much of what you do and how you present your Saskatoon home for sale directly affects how much money you will realize from your sale. Here are the best suggestions I have for anyone selling their home.

1) Simplify

"De-clutter" is a popular saying in real estate, but it doesn't seem to be a popular methodology. Get rid of anything that would constitute "clutter" in your home. Items that are sitting somewhere for the sake of having to be somewhere - put them away. Hide them. Some of the most popular areas for clutter are kitchen counters (appliances), phone book areas, on fridges, basements, and mud rooms. You want a prospective buyer to see things as large as possible, so showing all the available counter space in a kitchen without 9 different appliances sitting on it is very important.

2) Clean

Seems a little obvious? So many homes sellers overlook this. You shouldn't have dishes in the sink, full and smelly garbages, dirty floors, toothpaste stains in the sink, and my all-time least shower doors that are caked with water deposits. Prior to listing your home, you need to give it an overhaul. Everything should be spotless. The tough part? Maintaining it. But it needs to be clean through the duration of your listing.

3) Don't be there

Buyers do not want you present during their showing. It is uncomfortable for a buyers to speak openly with each other and with their Saskatoon REALTOR® if you are listening in. As a seller, you want to provide the most "inviting" atmosphere possible, and this does not include you being around when the buyer is critiquing your home.

4) Open the blinds and turn on the lights


5) Listen to the market

This is #5 on my list, but #1 in terms of it's importance. The market is going to tell you a story. You will either have no showings, a trickle of showings, or a good steady stream of traffic. The amount of people through your home is a great indicator of where you are positioned in your market, and you should discuss this with your Saskatoon Real Estate Agent and REALTOR®. I ask for feedback from other Real Estate Agents after their showings, and on occasion, we receive some really great feedback on what others thought about the property. The feedback may be about the price, or a suggestion on something to be done to the property. The market is going to tell you a story. Listen to the market and adjust accordingly.
