The Toronto real estate market gets pretty competitive. And when inventory is high, prices tend to be lower. So part of your selling strategy should include perfect timing for your Toronto home sale. According to statistics, May is the ideal time to sell a home in the GTA. However, if that is your goal, you can’t just decide to call a real estate agent on May 1st. Instead, use these five tips to help you time your TO home sale just right.
Tip #1: Plan Ahead – Early March
If you want to list your home by May, you should start making plans sometime in March. The reason? You want to find an agent, come up with a strategy, and have time to prepare your home for photos and viewings.
Tip #2: Mentally Prepare – Mid-March
Another reason you should start preparing in March is that you need time to emotionally disassociate yourself from your home. Selling a home is stressful, but also emotional. When you become emotional you can make bad decisions that can interfere with the home selling process. From agreeing to a reasonable listing price with your agent, to accepting advice on how to prepare your home, having a mindset focused on moving helps create successful home sellers. For more information on how to mentally prepare to sell your home check out this blog.
Tip #3: Start Decluttering – Mid-March
This is one of the hardest steps when selling your home. You have to be brutal in weeding out the clutter you’ve acquired over the years. While your home might be spic and span clean, clutter creates a feeling of unrest that is very off-putting to buyers. When you start preparing in March, you have weeks to chip away at clutter, pack things away for temporary storage, and create a space that is the definition of calm organization.
Tip #4: Repairs and Upgrades – Late March
Not everyone will need to make upgrades, but most homes require some repairs. Some examples of both would include:
Repairs and Maintenance:
- Replacing torn or missing window screens
- Installing new light bulbs
- Paint touchups
- Replacing missing kitchen cabinet knobs
Upgrades:
- Replacing extremely outdated, stained, or damaged carpeting
- New kitchen counters
- Simple landscaping upgrades such as new sod for a dead lawn, or some new flowers in flower beds
- Fresh paint in important areas like the living room, foyer, master bedroom, or kitchen
Your real estate agent will point out the red flags that tend to reduce the value of your home, not to mention limit offers. To get you started, here are some other general guidelines for improvements that generate a good return on investment when it comes time to sell.
Tip #5: Photos and Virtual Tour – Mid-April
Today’s home buyers start their home search online. That means your home needs to be perfectly staged to show off your rooms in the most positive light. Your repairs and upgrades create the foundation for your virtual tour and images, while some simple staging will create the wow factor. Again, your real estate agent will provide tips and often include a staging service to help set the tone for a highly desirable living space. Well-planned photos will trigger that “gotta have it” reaction in buyers.
May home sales can see as much as $60,000 more than those listed in offseason months like January. It’s worth your time and effort to aim for May by starting your home selling plan in March!
We have a team of experts including stagers and tradesmen ready to help prepare your home for listing. We are here whenever you are ready to set your home selling plan in motion, or talk about next steps.
Photo by Aniket Bhattacharya on Unsplash
