If you are looking to sell your home in Ottawa, there are some steps to take before you get ready to list it.

Before you get ready to find a new home in Ottawa, there are a few things to know before selling a house! It can be tough to know exactly what to do before selling a house and buying a new one - so let us help.

We’ve compiled 6 steps from our amazing Ottawa Real Estate agents at New Purveyors that will get your home ready to sell!

Step 1: Find a good agent

The first thing to do before listing your home is to find a great agent to represent you. At New Purveyors, we put our clients first. That means working hard to represent them fully. You want to find a real estate agent in Ottawa who is going to view you as a person, not a pay cheque. That means considering everything you need - not just what the sale needs. A real estate agent who supports you should be a people person, well educated, knowledgeable about the Ottawa real estate market, and most importantly, kind and understanding.

Step 2: Clear out

When you’re getting ready to sell your house in Ottawa, you want to start decluttering. For a few reasons; first, because you’re going to be moving, and second, so that you’re ready for showings. Having a lot of stuff in your house is going to make moving a pain. Packing all of it into boxes in one go is going to be exhausting. If you’re thinking of selling your home, now is a great time to throw out stuff you no longer need, donate any clothes or household items, and pack up next season’s gear. You may even look into a temporary storage locker to get some stuff out of the house in the meantime. This will also make your house look larger for potential buyers; less stuff is more space! It is also a commonly considered thing that potential buyers don’t want to see too much of your stuff in the house. This allows them to imagine the space as their own! The less of your stuff that is in your house, the more buyers can imagine actually living there, and the more inclined they will be to make an offer to have your home as their own.

Step 3: Take a look at the outside of your house

What easy fixes can you make to make your home more impressive? A big part of selling your home is going to be its presence, both in person and on the internet. Having a beautiful home is going to get it more views and higher interest online, making selling a breeze. But it doesn’t have to mean huge expenses. You can trim the hedges, mow the lawn, perhaps repaint the shutters and flower boxes… or touch up the scratches on the front door. This small changes can take ten years off of your house, and make it look shiny and new to impress potential buyers.

Step 4: Touch up the inside of the house

Just like the outside, with a little TLC, the inside of your house can look much newer and more luxurious to potential buyers. This doesn’t have to be expensive or a big chore! To start, take a look at the walls and go at them with a magic eraser. Try to fix any scuff marks. If you have a handy person in the house, or a neighbour perhaps, try to touch up any holes in the walls with plaster. You may also consider repainting any vibrant tones to something more neutral, or just touching up the paint. A good clean, perhaps from a professional company or with a dedicated family member, can also make a huge difference. Next, you’ll want to touch up the appliances, sinks, counters, door handles, and etc. Anything you can do to tidy up and ensure nothing is broken will give buyers the sense that this home is ready to sell. Too many issues, even small ones like a loose door handle, can give a bad impression that your home needs a lot of fixing. If it is easy to do yourself - try to get it done!

Step 5: Scents are everything

If you have pets, or perhaps just a teenager, you may want to consider some essential oils, candles, or sprays to make sure your home smells clean and fresh. When we live somewhere for a long time, we get used to the natural smell of the house. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t noticeable to guests! A good way to conduct a test might be inviting a distant family member or friend to come visit and let you know what they smell. Then, you can address the scents with a variety of tools to make sure the home smells clean and fresh! Depending on the season, opening some windows to let fresh air in is another great option.

Step 6: (Optional) Staging

If your home has some outdated furniture, you’re moving before it is hitting the market, or you just want to ensure buyers see the best possible version of the house, you may want to consider staging. Staging is when an expert comes into your home with rented furniture to set it up for buyers. They will use modern and gorgeous pieces to display your home in its best light. This helps keep the home looking clean, new, stylish, modern, and also relatively impersonal - a good thing for buyers to envision how they would set it up for themselves. Staging companies are also well versed in setting up a home to make it look its best - bigger, cleaner, and more luxurious! This is an extra thing to consider, and not necessary, but can be a great option if you have a little leftover in the budget and want to make sure your home sells quickly and at a high price.

Recent Blog Posts