Tips to Buy and Sell in a Buyers Market

July 4, 2018 by Michelle Weller

Are you ready to sell your house or ready to find the best buy? This Summer you can be sure to buy or sell your home in today’s market. Barrie is booming with houses that are for sale this Summer, meaning we are working with a buyers market people! But how do you market your house to sell faster when working with a buyers market? And how do you find the best deal on the market when trying to find the best buy?

What is a Buyers Market?

When your local neighbourhood is in a buyers market it means that there is more supply than there is demand. More houses are currently on the market in Barrie than there are people buying homes. There are plenty of homes that have been on the market for longer than they were last Summer.

Simply put, higher inventory = more selection for home buyers.

Being a Seller in a Buyers Market

There are a few things you can do as a homeowner when you’re ready to list your house. It’s important to know what market you are going into when listing your house. Being a seller in a buyers market is tough, but you need to find your competitive edge in order to find a buyer who’s willing to choose your house. When you’re in a buyer’s market, you no longer have the upper hand and should be willing to cater to your buyer’s needs. There are a few things you can do to get the authority you need to sell your home faster in a buyers market.

Offer a quicker closing date
Be flexible with your terms
Offer appliances in the deal
Include furniture or window coverings
Enhance your curb appeal
Stage your home
Price it according to the market your in

Being a Buyer in a Buyers Market

You have the advantage! This is the best time to buy a new home. As a buyer, you have the pick of the litter. Use your upper hand and get what you want out of your deal. Often if houses have been on the market for a while you can be sure that the seller will begin to lower their prices. Look for homes that have already been on the market for longer, you’re sure to get a sweet deal from them!

As a seller in a buyers market, you must be patient with the process. Understand your competition and move forward with proper pricing in the buyers market. You may not have the advantage in this market, but you are sure to sell your home faster with a few of these tips!

What To Do Before Selling Your Home

June 13, 2018 by Michelle Weller

Are you planning on putting your house on the market? The real estate market is ever-changing, but there’s one thing that stays constant – the checklist of what you should do before you sell your home. Preparation is the key to successful house selling. I’m here to give you tips on a how to prep your house for a prosperous sale!

Stage Your Home

Every good real estate agent knows that the first impression is everything. Where do you want the attention to be focused when a buyer first walks into your house? The kitchen? The living room? The high ceilings? Staging your home is a marketing tool that can quicken your selling process. Be sure to declutter and depersonalize your home before you begin to stage your home. Yes, that means taking down the goofy photo booth pictures from the fridge. Continuity and cleanliness is the key to staging success. Consider hiring a professional home stager or an interior designer if you’re not the creative type and can’t get the Feng Shui just right. Hiring a professional is not a waste of money, but instead is an investment in the selling process of your home.

Get a leg up on the competition with these extra tips and tricks on how to stage your home in time for selling season.

Create Curb Appeal

Remember when I said first impressions matter? Well, it all starts when the buyer pulls into the driveway. Curb appeal is the reason why we cut our lawns, trim our trees, and paint the front door a trendy colour. Make sure your lawn is intact, gutters are straight and cleaned out, and wash your windows from the winter snowmelt.

Curb appeal landscaping should be a high priority when selling your home. Entice buyers by adding hanging plants or find a large potter for flowers to boost the likelihood of selling your home quicker. Many homeowners believe that painting the front door or dressing it up creates a more welcoming feeling for guests – the same goes for buyers. A can of paint can run a homeowner around $25, but can add so much more value to the overall price of your home. Try painting your door, window trim and shutters to boost your curb appeal. Check out Pinterest for ideas and tips to give your front door the makeover you need to sell your house faster!

Paint Your Walls A Trendy Colour

Let’s debunk the myth that painting your house a neutral colour is more likely to have your house sell quicker. Neutral colours are in the past, it’s time to excite the potential buyer by adding trendy colours to your staging. Staying with the trends and modern interior design techniques is a sure fire way to sell your home faster. Check out local or national paint stores to see what’s trending.

Find The Best Real Estate Agent

The most important tool for selling your home is a successful real estate agent. With my neighbourhood knowledge, experience, and negotiation tactics I am confident that we can sell your house as fast as you can say Seller with Weller!

5 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SALE IN THE NEW YEAR

January 11, 2018 by Michelle Weller

If your New Year’s resolution is to finally sell your house in the year to come, there is a lot of work ahead of you. Each year brings more changes, and the most important thing is to start preparations on time. Set the date you want to stage, preferably late winter or early spring, to beat the competition, and start planning now.

Explore the Market

Before even considering to sell, you have to do a deep research on the real-estate market, prices, competition, trends, for the year to come.

For example, look at the latest statistics published by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA):

National home sales rose 4.5% from November to December.
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity was up 4.1% year-over-year (y-o-y).
The number of newly listed homes climbed 3.3% from November to December.
The MLS^® Home Price Index (HPI) in December was up 9.1% y-o-y.
The national average sale price advanced by 5.7% y-o-y.

Learn more in CREA`s Canadian Home sales surge in December and consider all the facts before making a plan for the year ahead.

Don`t forget to research trends and news that will affect your potential buyers, such as New Mortgage Rules in January 2018: Everything You Should Know . Learn why it`s going to get a lot harder for some home buyers to get a mortgage this year and take it into consideration while forming a price.

Have a pre-listing inspection done at your home

Invest in this now, because, new potential owners will demand this either way. If you already did all the necessary reparations they will have nothing to inspect and the sale deal can be closed sooner. This will cost you anywhere from $300 for a basic inspection, or up to 600$ if you have some extra facilities. The important thing here is to find out what needs to be fixed and to do it on time. This way you will know what are the costs you have to count on when planning your pre-sale house preparation budget. Finally, knowing all the costs at the very start will help you formulate your final price on your home for the upcoming year.

Choose an up to date agent and let them help

Maybe the most important part of your home selling adventure is choosing an agent. This person is not here just to show the house and answer phone calls and emails. They can help you from the very start. Bring them home before you even stage your place and let them provide you with knowledgeable advice. They are the experienced one, they know what buyers like or dislike and they will be up to date with all of the latest trends.

Follow up on the interior design trends for 2018.

If you have time and a little extra money, you can always check on the latest trends yourself. Millennials are the buying generation now, since they are in the age of establishing families and earning their first serious income. This generation is all about the modern look and fancy design. Take some time to research what this generation likes and try to make some compromises when dealing with the old look of your dear home.

Show the new and improved look with quality photos and videos

Make virtual tours, high quality images, or videos. Hire a professional, or buy modern equipment. This is the last investment you`ll have to make, but a very important one. Do you want to make a sale in 2018? If potential buyers don’t like what they see on the screen, they probably won’t get up from their cozy chairs and check it out in person.

Retro Interior Design Trends For 2018

September 18, 2017 by Michelle Weller

Are you looking to give your home design an uplift with the arrival of colder weather? Maybe your current interior design screams summer and spring? If you don’t know where to turn, don’t worry! We are going to talk about the newest trends for 2018’s interior design, let’s get started.

White is out and pastels are in. Whether it be muted blush tones or pale blues, the past trends of all white have been swapped for a little bit more colour. Zillow’s 2017 Paint Colors Analysis study discovered that homes with blue bathrooms commonly sold for $5,400 more than expected. Therefore maybe these pastels will not only be the trend but will also be the most cost effective option if you plan to sell! Not only this, but bright yellows and greens are becoming prevalent. It seems as though pairing pastels with bright or gem like primary colours is the newest trend for 2017 and 2018.

Lighter and brighter paint colors may be trending but dark furniture is in. Pairing these bright colours with dark browns or black will create a powerful colour scheme leaving your guests feeling like are on vacation in the tropics. Not only this but having a darker accent pieces like dark green glassware or a dark blue rug can really tie everything together.

Adding texture to this bright palette of colours is essential to creating a balanced room. Textures like wicker baskets or wood furniture can bring everything back to a warmer feel. Not only this but unique light fixtures reminiscent of Morroco and Mexico have become very popular and add a bohemian feel. Adding large leafy plants adds to the relaxed feel of these new tropical trends.

As for your bathroom and kitchen, granite is out and quartz is in! It’s durable, has many different finish options and it’s fresh. Brass is back along with it’s cousin Rose Gold, too afraid to commit to these styles? Don’t worry, gold and silver will still reign supreme. Geometric back splashes are making a big comeback in 2018 along with bright kitchen appliances (GREEN will be huge! Just you watch). You will never believe it but velvet is also making a comeback, whether it be a velvet couch or stool adding this texture is surprisingly very attractive.

Its seems as though design trends are leaning towards a more retro feel for 2018. Shapes such as squares and triangles are popular with a bohemian feel intertwined. Pastel colours are a changed compared to 2017’s dark greens, blacks and whites. And textures such as velvet and wicker are making a comeback in a huge way. Minimalism was popular for so long that it was only time before bright colours made a hit. The new trend is maximalism while still incorporating muted colours because you wouldn’t want to scare everyone right off the bat!

Are you looking to stage your home to sell? Check out this recent blog post giving you advice and tips on how to set your home up for success!

5 Essential Tips For Staging Your Home To Sell

August 10, 2017 by Michelle Weller

Welcoming Curb Appeal.

The outside of your home is the most important aspect when it comes to staging. When people drive past your home and see your for-sale sign, the front door will be the first thing they see! Therefore, ensuring that the outside of your home looks welcoming and clean is essential to creating a positive first impression. This can be done by power washing siding and walkways, washing your windows, mowing and adding fresh sod as needed. Adding elements such as a welcome mat, decorative house numbers and beautiful blooming flowers can boost your homes curb appeal and create an impressive front porch!

A Sparkling First Impression.

This is one of the most cost-effective ways to help your home really shine, literally. Ensuring that every surface is unblemished and spotless, clutter has been organized, and floors are flawless will help put a great first impression into buyer’s minds. Do you have a large home and the thought of it overwhelms you? You may want to hire a professional cleaning service to do a deep clean before you start the selling process. Think about the areas within a home you would look at if you were looking to buy – you would probably look into closets, drawers, cupboards, etc. Therefore, ensuring that these areas look organized and clutter free will give them a great first impression.

Neutral Interior Design.

Whether it’s your paint choices or small decorative pieces, making sure that they are gender neutral is fundamental for a buying friendly atmosphere. What if a single male walked into a bedroom with feminine colours and a floral bed spread, it would be very hard for him to picture himself living in that home. Or if a woman walked into a home with a strong masculine design, they probably wouldn’t be too excited about it. Many interior designers recommended unisex friendly paint colours such as greige, egg shell blue or creamy whites. If you are feeling adventurous you could use paint colours such as golden yellow, classic navy or a dramatic charcoal!

Add Simple Small Touches.

Something that many sellers don’t keep in mind is that adding small simple touches can really boost the appeal of your home. These small touches can be anything from a basket a fresh picked veggies or fruits, or adding spa elements to your bathroom. Replacing old everyday towels with fresh ones, or using an air freshener or room spray to ensure everything smells wonderful. If your budget allows it try adding large touches such as new light fixtures, new flooring, fix squeaking doors and add strategic mirrors to make rooms appear larger.

Removing Certain Elements.

They say that you should remove 90% of your belongings when staging your home. This may not seem ideal to some but you should ensure that any personalized items of yours are stowed away. This includes pictures of you and your family, and any other sign of you living there. This also includes any toiletries, cluttered closets and fridge magnets. Don’t take it personally! You just want to create the blankest slate for them to imagine themselves living within your home

Are you looking to sell your home? Michelle Weller is your local real estate agent with a wealth of knowledge to help you sell your home! Contact her today and she can help you start the process.