Check Out The Competition Before Selling Your Home

Before you place your home on the market it is important to educate yourself as much as possible. Effectively preparing yourself and your home for market will be your key to unlocking the door to a faster and more profitable home sale.

You may feel a bit shy about checking out your competition but how will you truly know how well your home stacks up against them otherwise. Attend open houses in your neighbourhood, check public records of recent sales in your neighbourhood, talk to neighbours and friends and enlist the services of a reputable Realtor® who will be able to provide you with a wealth of knowledge pertaining to your direct market.

Here is a list of a few things to look for when checking out your competition.

• Square footage
• Lot size
• Desirability of neighbourhood
• Upgrades to the home (new kitchen, new bathrooms, up-dated flooring, newer windows and doors, new shingles, updated lighting fixtures, freshly painted...)
• Cleanliness
• Landscaping and curb appeal
• Their list price and how long it has been on the market.

Once you are well informed you will be ready to begin preparing your home to effectively compete in your local market. To help you with this task you may wish to secure the services of a trained home staging professional. As with Realtors® they can provide you with a wealth of information and advise on how to most effectively and profitably prepare your home for market.

Remember though in order to bear fruit your knowledge must turn into action. So plan the work and then work the plan!

Photo credit: Spacing Toronto http://spacingtoronto.ca/2010/01/31/gtas-lost-villages-meadowvale