By Ilan Joseph, Broker, ABR®, e-PRO®, AMP® | TopTorontoAgent.ca
April 10, 2014 | © All rights reserved
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Four in ten buyers admit they'd be less likely to buy a home full of clutter, a survey by ING Direct has found.[/caption]
Your kid's messy bedrooms can cost you $15,000 off the value of your home as buyers get turned off by toys and clutter.
Selling your house is one of the most important responsibilities you as a homeowner will be tasked with throughout the home ownership process. Selling your home when you're single is hard enough, but those of us with kids know that when you throw into the mix a toddler - or three - you create the potential for chaos and disaster. Preparation will go a long way towards the successful sale of your home. Here are some great home selling tips for parents:Toys, toys and more toys!
Buyers don't want to see toys laying around throughout the home. This is as true for home-buyers with children as it is for those without them. For those without children, they envision their ideal home as a clean, classy, comfortable place to go after a long day at work, not some colourful circus-like toy store where kids-stuff can be seen everywhere. Even those home buyers with kids don't want to see toys everywhere as it reminds them of the constant mess and disorganization they find in their own homes, subconsciously stirring negative feelings in their minds. These home buyers are looking for a fresh new start that's free of any negative aspects they may associate with their current homes. Keep as little as possible visible and store the rest away.
A breath of fresh air
if you're like most parents, you likely have a diaper genie. Although convenient and fairly good at keeping in the most of your baby's dirty diaper odour, I always suggest you keep it cleaned out and empty while your home is on the market. Eliminate dirty laundry and any other unpleasant odour as quickly as possible to keep your house smelling fresh. Opening a window to let stale air out is always a great idea.
Those pesky child safety devices
Home buyers that are not accustomed to navigating child safety gates and locks often get frustrated when they're confronted with them. There have been times that I've witnessed a home buyer having a difficult time unlocking a safety gate or a child-safe door handle that has a home buyer about to kick down the door. I advise my clients with kids to keep all safety gates and locks unlocked and open while having showing your home for sale. We want to make your home a comfortable and inviting place for all home buyers viewing your house.
Is this a daycare?
I often walk into a house with my clients only to find ourselves in what can only be described as a Lions den - a zoo like atmosphere with kids running wild, yelling with food on their hands and at least two mysterious stains on their clothing. There is an easy fix for this, get them out of the house during showing times. Go for a walk, hit the park or send them to a babysitter. We want a calm environment where home buyers can comfortably focus only on your home. Everything else is a distraction.
Restrictions on showings
If you want to sell your home quickly then you must make it as convenient as possible for all home buyers to see it when they're available. Many buyers work later in the day so they'll opt to view listings in the morning or early afternoons, while others finish work around 6pm and don't start showings until 7pm or so. Give home buyers as much unrestricted access to your house as possible. This may mean having showings while your kids are asleep or if you can, have the kids sent to a family member's house for evenings with showings scheduled.
Selling your home with children living in it automatically makes things a lot more complicated. Ensuring that you're prepared by hiding the toys, de-cluttering, organizing and creating a calm and comfortable environment will go a long way towards speeding up the sale of your home, and for a higher price. Pricing it right is essential and working with the right agent to guide you every step of the way will make it all the more easier to sell your home quickly.
We'd be happy to sit down and discuss with you the best way to sell your particular home, mindful of your life and family. If you have any questions about getting your home ready to sell, give us a call: Ilan Joseph 416-739-7200.
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CONTACT ILAN NOW FOR A MORE PERSONALISED SEARCH EXPERIENCE!
Ilan Joseph is a Real Estate Broker with Sutton Group and is co-founder of a 10-person award-winning Toronto, Thornhill and Vaughan real estate team.
You can find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.
Since 2002, Ilan has provided more than 1700 buyers and sellers valued advice and service, enabling them to reach their real estate goals.
He’s kind of like the Bruce Willis of real estate.