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OKANAGAN REALTY HOME SELLING TIPS

Many times we are asked: Why can't I just sell my home on my own? Well, you could...if you enough free time on your own to do it right. Sometimes it can take hours of your valuable time to get a home ready for sale.

And even when you think you do have it ready, how do you know? Further, how do you know what price to ask or even how to negotiate the deal?

It is the answers to these questions (and more) which are the reason many people use the trusted Realtors from Okanagan Realty.

For example, our services encompass all the services required to properly prepare and sell a home. Some of the things we will help you with including how to:

1. Clean up Your Property

Did you know that a poorly maintained yard can knock thousands off the price of your home?

That's right. When you want to sell your home it is best to spend a little time and money if required to ensure the property is clean and tidy.

Now of course there are some obvious things, but we feel it bears mentioning:

Cut your lawn
Trim the hedges
Weed the flower beds
If it's summer, ensure to fertilize the lawn
If it's winter, be sure to keep driveways and walks shoveled
In the spring plant fresh flowers in the flowerbeds
Be sure to wash and/or sweep paved surfaces regularly

And that's just for the yard.

You also want to make sure the exterior of your home is equally maintained. If the paint is looking old and dull, why not buy a couple gallons of paint to freshen it up?

The same goes for any decking, fencing or rails in and around your home. Be sure that they all have a fresh coat of paint or stain.

When it comes to paved surfaces, ensure that any oil or other lubricant stains are cleaned. A good pressure washer can help do this. If you have an asphalt driveway consider giving it a fresh coat of sealer. This helps make the driveway look newer and more appealing.

If you have a cement driveway or walkway a clear sealer can also help it look newer and fresher as well, just be sure any stains are removed before sealing it!

These are just a few of the many hundreds of tips we give out to all our Okanagan home sellers.

So if you are in the market to sell your home, be sure to Contact our experienced staff of Okanagan Realty. We are sure to help you sell your home in a timely manner and for a price that is fair to you.

2. Set a Reasonable and Fair Asking Price

In today's real estate market it is tempting to set an extraordinarily high price on your home just to see if any offers are made.

However in our experience we have found that this is usually a waste of your time and effort.

That is why the experienced realtors at Okanagan Realty can help you set a realistic and fair price on your home. They have been in the real estate business for many years and understand the market intimately.

It is through this intimate understanding that they can help assess the true value of your home and then help you come up with a selling price which is both fair and equitable to you.

Our market analysis will give you a realistic price for your home based on what your local real estate market is experiencing. This analysis will provide you with information about recent sales of homes similar to yours, including how much they sold for and how long they took to sell.

Our agents will then provide you with their opinion on what your home is worth. This should be very helpful when you determine the right asking price for your property.

It is usually at this stage of the price setting when we get asked "what effect does the fair market value of my home have on it's asking price?"

The answer to that is that it does have some effect but only as an indicator of it's true worth.

Many times the market is what drives the sale prices of homes. When the market is busy, as is the case right now with the Okanagan housing market, prices tend to be higher, but when the market is depressed, prices drop.

But this is where your Okanagan Realty real estate agent will help you. They will first help you understand what is happening in your market, and then help you assess what your home is worth in that market.

From there they will tell you what they think your home will sell for. This then leads to a setting of a selling price which should both attract buyers and help sell your home in a reasonable time period.

If you are considering selling your home, we recommend contacting a licensed real estate agent at Okanagan Realty. They will provide you with a free home estimate and guide you in the sale of your home to help ensure that you receive all the money you can from your property. Contact Us now to find out how we can help you.

3. Take Care of any Advertising Required

4. Set Up and Manage Any Open Houses or Other Promotions

5. List Your Home on Our Website, Free of Charge!

...And More!

While some things, like cleaning up the property, seem obvious there are tips we can provide you to maximize the appearance of your home. Before we even take a picture or put up a sign, we will help you to attract buyers and sell your home with low cost cosmetic changes and tips.

Things you need to do include cutting the lawn, cleaning up outside, painting walls when needed and removing clutter. Why? Because people form opinions about a home early on and will usually only buy homes that appear clean, solid and well maintained.

Plus, having a clean and tidy home and yard can help you make more money on the sale of your home.

And this leads to our next point: Setting the right price right to sell your home fast.

We have the knowledge and experience to know what your home is really worth. We have access to all kinds of information such as what other homes similar to yours and even in your area have sold for, and we will use this information to help set a price that is fair and acceptable to you and will help sell your home quickly

Once your home is listed, we will manage all aspects of your sale. From coordinating showings of your home to advertising (including listing your home on our website).

We will also help you negotiate with buyers. We will help you receive offers, and make counter offers when necessary. Usually the buyer who makes an offer which is less than your asking price can be encouraged to pay more or agree to other terms.

When a deal has been agreed to we will complete the sale and ensure that you receive all the money you are owed. We will ensure all the contracts are properly completed and all the paperwork is correctly filled out.

As you can see, merely listing your home for sale is only part of a very complex and time consuming procedure. Why not Contact Us and hire the experienced Realtors at Okanagan Realty to help you through this process?