Critical Steps To Take Right Now If You Are Selling This Fall or Winter!

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There are three important proactive steps you need take right now to prepare for your home sale if you are planning on selling your home this fall or winter.

1. Take pictures of the exterior grounds and views around your property while everything looks so beautiful.  Capture some good pictures of your home while the weather is still warm and your landscaping and views show nicely with all the greenery and especially with the Fall colours.  We can have these pictures on display when buyer come to see your home while it is for sale.   

2. Take steps to maximize your curb appeal: We work closely with companies that can help you maximize your curb appeal, things like painting railings, painting and fixing garage doors, painting or replacing front doors, fixing your stairs, walkway, driveway etc.. You won't be able to do these things in the winter, so now is your chance 

3. Take preventative maintenance steps to make sure your home is dry all winter long:   
  
     A. Clean your eavestroughs to make sure that leaves don’t freeze and clog up the flow of water all winter long. This would cause water damage to your roof and the side of your house right down to the foundation as water cannot flow away properly. 

     
     B. Seal the gap between your driveway and your house: A lot of homes we show have wide gaps between these spaces, and water gets in to the foundation and causes problems with mould and dampness. Also seal up the cracks around the base of your foundation (typically non-structural cracks). 

     C. Make sure there are no issues with your roof prior to the winter: Ice damming is the #1 reason why roofs leak in the winter. We know great roofing people to refer you to, so please don't hesitate to contact us.

We are seeing a strong seller's market right now, so it's a great time to sell your home.

Please don't hesitate to contact us. We would look forward to helping you maximize the selling price of your largest investment and help you and your family find the next home that you will love living in.

Two Steps You Must Take to Sell Your Home This Fall

Want to sell your Toronto Home? Get a FREE home value report 

Want to sell your Toronto Condo? Get a FREE home value report 

Want to buy a Toronto Home? Search all homes for sale

Today, we are going to talk about the two critical steps you need to take right now if you plan on selling your house this fall.

First, we will complete a pre-list home inspection on your property, even if you are in a condo. Then, we will determine the most cost-effective fix-ups that will get you the biggest return on your investment.  We will tell you what is worth doing and what is not worth doing.  We have a great home inspector who is very well respected in the real estate industry and agents and buyers highly value his inspection reports which creates many benefits for the seller.

Second, we will help you with the styling/staging of your home in order to maximize the emotional appeal. Selling real estate is about selling a dream and helping buyers picture themselves wanting to live in their new home.  We work with the best stylists / stagers and inspectors, renovators / handymen who have helped our clients achieve amazing results.

Timing is important as well and we will tell you the best time to sell considering some religious and other holidays between now and the end of the year.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to working with you!

Answering the most common questions about real estate deposits!

Want to sell your Toronto Home? Get a FREE home value report 

Want to sell your Toronto Condo? Get a FREE home value report 

Want to buy a Toronto Home? Search all homes for sale

Today we are here to answer the 4 most important questions about real estate deposits. There are key things to know if you’re a buyer, as well as key things for sellers to know. Without further ado, here they are:

1. How much does my deposit need to be?

In Toronto, 5% is a typical deposit, but sometimes you can get away with 4%. If you are a seller, you want the highest deposit possible for security against the buyer possibly changing their mind about buying. 

2. When does the deposit need to be provided to the seller?

In the standard agreement of purchase and sale, the fine print states that the buyer has 24 hours upon acceptance of an offer to provide the deposit. If you are a buyer competing with other offers, however, it’s smart to have certified funds available to give to the seller with your offer. This way the seller won’t have to worry about a buyer who might not show up the next day with the certified funds. Sometimes a seller will even take the 2nd highest offer if that buyer has certified funds when the highest offer only has a regular cheque that still needs to be cashed, or the seller has to take a risk on the buyer to show up the next day with certified funds.

3. Can a buyer get their deposit back before a sale goes firm?

Yes they can. If a buyer purchases a property based on financing or a home inspection for example, and is not satisfied with either, the buyer can back out of the deal and get their deposit back with no penalty. This leads to the final and most common question we hear.

4. If a sale is firm, can the buyer change their mind and get the deposit back?

The answer in most cases is no. If the buyer did end up not wanting to close on the property, not only would they most likely lose the deposit, but the seller could also sue for further damages. Some circumstances will allow a buyer to back out and get their deposit back, such as in cases where the seller or seller's agent had made misrepresentations about a property or not disclosed a critical piece of information that needed to be disclosed.

If you’re planning on selling over the next few months, properties are selling very well right now in August, and we expect that to continue into the fall. It is still a seller's market for most neighbourhoods in the Toronto area. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call. We would love to speak with you anytime.