How to prepare your home for sale?
Want to sell your home efficiently? Discover our expert advice to maximize your chances of selling at the best price.
You may be thinking of selling your property in the next few months to take advantage of the current market, but you don’t know where to start.
Our first piece of advice is to be accompanied by a professional who will be able to guide and advise you throughout your project.
Before the sale
You’ve decided to take the plunge and sell your property. Bravo, you’ve taken the first step. Now all you have to do is get ready to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Documents to be supplied
When taking out a brokerage contract, you’ll need to provide several documents.
- A piece of identification
- Certificate of location: must be less than 10 years old.
- Notarized deed of sale
- Declaration of co-ownership
- Municipal and school taxes
- Undivided co-ownership agreement
- The minutes
- Condo fees
- Hydro bills
- Inspection reports
- Leases and renewal notices (if rented)
- …
Have these documents ready as soon as possible. This allows you to put your property up for sale as quickly as possible.
The price
Set a fair price.
Start by assessing the market value of your property. To do this, you need to list all the attributes of your property (year of construction, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, etc.) and then compare it to what has recently sold in the same neighborhood.
Once this is done, evaluate a negotiation step. A price close to the market price will enable you to attract the most people.
Seller’s declaration and brokerage contract
If you decide to sell with the help of a real estate broker, you’ll need to fill out the brokerage contract together, which sets out the conditions of the sale, the price, the commission…
You will then complete the seller’s declaration with him. This outlines the work, problems and general condition of your property.
During the sale
Your property is now on the market. To give yourself the best chance of success, it’s important to prepare your property properly.
Depersonalize
You love your home. You’ve arranged it to your liking. However, your taste is not necessarily that of potential buyers. Depersonalize as much as possible.
- Reduce the number of knick-knacks or plants;
- Hide your bath mat and personal hygiene products;
- Remove any photos stuck to the fridge;
- Put away unnecessary electronics;
- Conceal dishcloths.
Repairs
Small, simple repairs are necessary to enhance the value of your property. Think about changing burnt-out light bulbs, filling in holes in walls, redoing faded paintwork…
During visits
Here are a few tips to help you manage your visits:
1) Get organized
With the craziness of today’s market, it’s important to be well organized in order to manage visits as serenely as possible.
Create time slots to avoid being overwhelmed. It also means you don’t have to be available all the time.
2)Prepare the site
Put things away. Don’t leave anything on the countertops in the kitchen or bathroom, to keep the space airy.
It’s also a good idea to cook before your visits, especially pastries, so that the property smells nice. This allows buyers to project themselves and makes the space much warmer.
After the sale
A visit to the notary
Congratulations! The buyer’s financing has been received, and your property is now officially sold.
The last formality to take into account is the visit to the notary’s office. The final documents are signed and the buyer is handed the keys to his new property.
Buying a new property
You may have been waiting to sell so that you could buy a new property.
Now that you have, here are some tips for buying your next property.
The move
You’ve sold and bought your new property. Now it’s time to move.
The first thing to do is to sort through your possessions. There’s no point in bringing along things you no longer need. Moving house is the ideal time to do this.
Then, don’t hesitate to get several quotes from moving companies to choose the one that best suits your needs. Some offer all-in-one services, including packing, dismantling and reassembly of furniture… and others only transport from A to B.
Find out all you can about it.