It starts at the curb. If your home doesn't show well from the outside, potential buyers may not want to see the inside. Stand across the street and look at your home critically, as a buyer. Does it look appealing? Is it nicely landscaped? Is the lawn mowed? Is the driveway spotless? If it's spotless, show it off; keep your car in the garage (not parked in front of your home). If the mailbox is rusty or worn out, it may be time to replace it. If the front door and garage doors need painting, repainting them in a light neutral colour suitable to the property should be a priority. Dark colours usually make the property look dreary, you want the lot and home to look sunny and bright. Summer chairs should be removed from the exterior front door area, replace with a colourful plant if the doorway is spacious.

If buyers are impressed by the outside, they will want to see the inside. Once they step inside, buyers should see an attractive home that is roomy, uncluttered, clean, comfortable, and in move-in condition. A home overcrowded with furniture and accessories makes it look small. You want buyers to remember your home, not your personal possessions. Your possessions reflect your personality and may mean a lot to you, but buyers will be distracted by them and will feel uncomfortable, like they're intruding, and they'll hurry out of your home. You want buyers to take their time going through every room, you want them to picture their own belongings in the rooms, you want them to picture themselves "at home" in your home.

STEP 1 - REMOVE:

The Region of Peel collects old furniture and other large items every week, free of charge. Any furniture and large items that you want to throw out, should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day for pick-up, no appointment required. Items accepted for curbside collection include:

- barbecues (propane tanks must be removed and taken to your local Community Recycling Centre);

- carpets (tied in bundles no larger than 4 feet in length and 25 feed in width);

- furniture, for example, sofas, tables, chairs, mattresses;

- microwave ovens;

- small appliances;

- televisions.

Large metal appliances and large metal fixtures are collected from the curb by appointment only. Residents are required to pay $15 for the first item and $10 for each additional item collected on the same day. Call the Region at 905-791-9499 to schedule an appointment for pick-up; or they can be dropped off, free of charge, at your local Community Recycling Centre.

Remove, and store out of sight, oversized furniture that you don't use, all scatter rugs and rugs on top of carpets, plastic runners on top of carpets, extra chairs in the kitchen and dining room, extension leaves from tables, overly bright items that overpower a room, exercise equipment, heavy drapes if there are sheers as well (heavy drapes darken a room). Keep no more than four plants in the house, and only if they are healthy, decorative, and do not take up too much space. Remove knickknacks, candles, doilies, tablecloths, cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, clocks, ashtrays, hunting and all other trophies, diplomas, the excess in china cabinets, inside and outside seasonal decorations, and most family photos (family photos are distracting). Have no more than three pictures per room, and display only attractive pictures/paintings that enhance the room. 

Remove unused articles inside cupboards, cabinets and closets to avoid overcrowding, as some buyers open them, and rearrange everything neatly. Pack away unnecessary items from window sills, fireplace mantels, bureau tops, tables and kitchen counters, unneeded and worn-out items from the deck and patio and from around the exterior of your home, and summer chairs in front of the house. Store them in one area in the basement or garage (paint the garage floor if it looks unsightly).

Clear the top and sides of the fridge (there should be nothing on top or around the fridge). Keep the kitchen garbage can and outside waste containers out of sight. Put away scouring pads, paper towels and dish cloths, and the dish drainer if it's worn-out. Take everything off the bathroom floors, counters, tubs, shower stalls, put away bathrobes; place toilet brush, toothbrushes, etc. neatly inside the cabinet. Remove the toilet lid and tank covers. Keep the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning equipment and supplies out of sight.

STEP 2 - REPAIR:

Re-porcelain damaged sinks, recaulk around the bathtub, repair leaky taps and toilets, cracks or stains on walls and ceilings and repaint if needed. Repair damaged tiles, fence, defective doorbell, loose railings on stairs, squeaky floors and doors, tighten loose door knobs, etc. Replace any broken or cracked glass and mend damaged screens. Everything must work properly.

STEP 3 - REPAINT:

A freshly painted home, in a light neutral colour, such as ivory or eggshell, is the best selling tool. At the least, paint all areas in need of refreshing. If possible, remove outdated wallpaper and repaint the walls. As wallpaper is a matter of personal taste, do not wallpaper any room. Pack away most of the toys, remove posters from walls, and repaint the child's room in a pale neutral colour, so that if the buyers have no children, they can picture the room as a potential office, guest room, etc.

STEP 4 - REARRANGE:

Arrange furnishings to display each room's main purpose and its best feature, such as a hardwood floor, a fireplace, crown moulding; for example, a living room should have only living room furniture in it. Plants and furniture should not block windows, doorways or traffic throughout the rooms. Rehang paintings at eye level, but only if there is no mark when removed. The bedrooms should have only bedroom furniture, no desks or other furniture, to create a serene atmosphere. Reorganize all the closets, including the linen closet, so that everything is neat and orderly. 

STEP 5 - CLEAN:

Clean all the floors, carpets (steam-clean if necessary), walls, cupboards (inside and out), outdoor and indoor light fixtures and around light switches, mirrors, windows, window sills, curtains, drapes, blinds, fireplace (and place a few logs in it), stove fan and vent. If any major appliances will remain with your home on selling, clean them thoroughly as buyers may look inside. Clean or replace the stove burner pans, if they are stained.

Wash the bathroom cabinets, toilets, bathtubs, bath tiles and shower stalls. Keep the taps shiny, add fresh soaps, hang towels neatly, maximum three same-colour towels. Keep toilet lids down. The laundry room, cupboards and laundry tub should be clean, and the shelves cleared of unused items.  Wash exterior surfaces such as garage doors and shutters. Keep the basement and garage tidy. Clean up driveway oil spills, and keep the path and driveway clean.

If the basement is musty, it's the first thing that buyers point out when they go down to the basement. Buyers often associate it with mould and dampness. Check especially any wood furniture in the basement as it is very accessible to mould. Use a dehumidifier in the basement to take the moisture out of the air. It's the best way to keep humidity away and to keep the air smelling clean.

STEP 6 - THE FINISHING TOUCHES:

Most buyers know if they like the house as soon as they step inside, so you want the front entry to be attractive, spacious, spotless, and odour-free, like a brand new home. Clear the foyer of boots, shoes, excess furniture and decorations. Make sure that the closet is roomy. Put down a clean mat inside the front door, and a new welcome mat outside. Keep the lawn mowed, hedge trimmed and the garden weeded, and trim the plants that are close to windows so that they do not block light inside the home.

Set an attractive centrepiece on the dining room table (take off the tablecloth, unless the finish is stained or discoloured). Cover an overly bright sofa with a neutral-coloured throw or add two small neutral-coloured decorative pillows (make sure no tags are showing). Replace lights with brighter bulbs, where possible. All the light fixtures should work properly, including the basement, garage, and outdoor lighting, and there should be no electrical cords in sight. 

Now your home is ready for a walk-through. Go through every room and make sure that the room is nice and bright, the colours do not overpower, that each room shows its size, purpose and best feature, and that your eyes do not linger on any furniture or accessory.

Your home is now picture-perfect and should appeal to the majority of buyers looking to buy a similar home in your neighbourhood, as most buyers want an attractive home that is in move-in condition.

STEP 7 - IF READY TO SELL, AND YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH AN AGENT:

Please call Ed for a free market evaluation of your home. This information will help you set a competitive selling price for your home.

STEP 8 - DAILY UPKEEP WHILE YOUR HOUSE IS FOR SALE:

A home that is too warm or cold creates discomfort. Your home should feel pleasant, comfortable and inviting from the moment buyers step into your home. 

First thing in the morning, open a window for a few minutes in every room, to freshen the room. Do not use deodorizers, as some buyers may have an allergic reaction to them. Have nothing in front of the windows including plants (make sure the windows and sills are clean) and open all blinds and curtains to lighten the rooms, make the beds (use nice bedspreads or comforters, preferably of neutral or nonoverpowering colours, and ironed if creased), close closet doors. All the rooms should be clean and uncluttered. Stand in the doorway and look at each room. Your focus should be drawn to the size and purpose of the room, not on a bright red sofa or orange bedspread.

Buyers love a sparkling clean kitchen. Keep the kitchen sink spotless and the dishes, cutlery, dish cloths and towels out of sight, and have no more than five daily-used items together in one spot on the kitchen counter, and nothing on top of the stove. All the kitchen counters should be spot-free and water taps and kitchen appliances nice and shiny.

All the bathroom taps should be shiny and counters spot-free. Maintain bathroom cabinets, sinks, toilets, rugs, tubs, tiles, curtains and stalls clean, clear bathroom counters and floor, keep toilet lids down, bathroom doors closed. 

Keep all wastebaskets and garbage cans out of sight, inside the home as well as outside in the front and in the backyard. Make sure there are no spiders, cobwebs, dust, strong smells, smoke odour and dirty ashtrays throughout the entire home. As dust accumulates daily, clean behind all doors. Check for cobwebs outside the front door also. Make sure that the garage does not have a stale or smoky odour as well.

Outside, walk all around the house, front and back, and make sure that the outside is just as clean and uncluttered as the inside, that there are no empty bottles, garbage cans, dirty ashtrays, cigarette butts on the ground, etc.

Dispose of dog droppings daily, and use a product such as "Spot Repair" to repair yellow spots caused by pets. Keep kitty litter, pet food and toys out of sight (inside and outside the home). Pet odours are offensive to some buyers; make sure there are no pet odours in the home.

Keep the lawn and hedges trimmed and garden weeded (remove wilted shrubs or plants) in summer, and the walkway to the front door shovelled and cleared of ice in winter. 

Store valuables, documents, jewelry, mail, keys and money in a safe place (not in an obvious place such as under a bed). You may want a family member to keep these items for you while your home is for sale.

FOR SHOWINGS BY AGENTS TO BUYERS, AND FOR OPEN HOUSES:

On the day that a real estate agent wants to show your home to a buyer, or an Open House is to be held, after Step 8 has been completed and your home is ready inside and out:

1. For showings, turn on all the lights, including the basement light (at night also turn on the front and backyard lights), and turn off the radio and TV before their arrival.

2. For the comfort of the buyer, please arrange to be out during showings and Open Houses.

3. As some buyers are allergic to pets, take pets with you during showings and Open Houses.

(c) Ed Stropus 2008

Not intended to solicit any buyer or seller currently under contract with a real estate broker.