Clean and Declutter: Ready to Sell

You don't always have time to "stage" your home. You don't always need to. 

You've been taking care of your investment all along, haven't you? No?

If you've let a couple of things go, it's best if you can fix them up before selling, but don't stress out if you can't get it done. 

There are buyers who look beyond the surface and see the potential for creating their own personalized space in your home. Some people will look for a home that they can update for themselves with the colours and styles that they want, not a perfect home with brand-new things that they don't like and will want to replace anyway. 

Clean as much as you can. Take away the clutter, including some of the furniture that's taking up too much space. Make the home look clean and spacious. Leave it to the imaginations of the buyers to fix it up the way they want it. 

You might not get the price that the spiffy home up the street got, but you'll sell just as fast and without all the headaches and costs of renovations.

Give me a call and we'll see how much you need to do and can do to get your house on the market. I'll give you an honest evaluation and professional and common sense advice. Call Harry, Your Friendly Realtor: 416-716-3112. 

Get Ready to Sell! Do Your Own "Staging"

You're thinking about moving. You're getting ready to sell your house.

First of all, call me, Harry, Your Friendly Realtor (416-716-3112).

I'll pop over to your place, give you a free evaluation, and we'll look at what you need to do to get the house ready to sell for the best price possible. Don't worry, you probably won't have to do much "staging".

There is a ton of information on the internet about staging homes to get the most money. There are companies who will do it for you. Get a quote and see what they'll do. Sometimes they do amazing things. But, you might not have the money to hire a staging company and you might not have the time and money to invest in a big DIY project either right now, and that's okay. You have to consider the cost to yourself in terms of time and money in relation to the effect on the selling time and price. Will it be worth it?

You might end up just doing a major cleaning and just change things around a bit. Maybe you'll have a weekend to do some painting. Even if you have a good-sized budget and a fair amount of time, I believe that you can do it yourself if you can think like a buyer. It's a bit difficult to look at your home and your stuff and think of it as someone else's. But, that's what you've got to try to do. And, I can help you with that.

Here's a link to a blog post that has some good common-sense ideas for things to do before inviting buyers in to your house. You won't have to spend too much time on the projects that they recommend. It's on a Blog called The Sweet Spot Blog.

The most important thing is also the easiest to do: declutter and clean. 

Have a yard sale to get rid of things you don't need, give things away, recycle, and then throw things out. Pack away stuff that you won't need until after your move. Store it, and maybe even a few pieces of furniture that are crowding your spaces, at someone else's house or rent a storage space.

Then, clean thoroughly. If you hate cleaning, then you can easily hire people to do it for you.

Don't forget the outside of your house! Curb appeal is actually a big deal. People do judge based on appearances, on first impressions.

The next blog post in the series on the Sweet Spot Blog is about getting the outside of your house ready for sale. I recommend that one too if you want to see some good tips.

I can also help you decide what you need to do to boost your curb appeal, if you need to do anything at all. 

You've been taking care of your investment all along, right? I'll tell you what it's worth "as is". You might be surprised at how little you really need to do.

I will help you make your move as stress-free as possible.

And, you'll save money: you'll get the best deal selling and buying with my help!

Where do you want to live? What kind of home do you want?

If you're thinking of moving, unhappy with your house or apartment, how do you decide where to move and what kind of house you want?

How do you decide? This is an especially frustrating question for first-time buyers. 

The possibilities seem endless, and there are always more questions: 

• country or city
• commute or live close to work
• house or condo
• new or resale
• more house or more land
• modern or traditional
• close to family or farther away
• do you need to be close to schools or hospitals
• do you need public transit
• will you need room for guests
• will you need space for your family to grow
• can you do some renovating
• do you like yard work
• how many cars do you need
• what do your pets need
• what about your dreams 

The biggest and first question is always "How much can I afford?" 

The bank will tell you something, and so will friends and family. There are formulas for calculating mortgages and debt to income ratios, and there are always surprises, hidden expenses. Sit down with your bank information and your Realtor. I will help you to understand all the costs involved and I will also help you to see beyond the basics. Numbers don't always tell the whole story. Personality and individuality play a part, so you might need to look outside the box.

After you figure out approximately what you can pay, you need to narrow down your search. I can help you with that too. 

Sometimes it's easier to eliminate what you don't like first. Decide where you don't want to live. Think about what you're not willing to do, features you don't like, and anything else you want to avoid. Sometimes this direction of thinking will open up the ideas about what you do want too. This is a good time to write things down. Make a chart with 2 sides: Like/ Don't Like or Want/ Don't Want. Jot things down as they come to mind (and be prepared to change your mind). 

Go to my website and use the interactive search tool there. That will help. 

Most importantly, go and see homes with your friendly Realtor, me, Harry Naghavi. 

Wherever you are in your decision-making process, give me a call (416-716-3112). It will help to have a professional on your side to help you decide. I can take you to see all kinds of homes and we can take your list with us. When you actually step in to the homes that are available, and drive around the neighbourhoods, you will learn more than you can by sitting at a computer screen. 

We will choose a bunch of places to go and see and decide on a couple of dates that you're available. Then, I'll make appointments to go and see them. I'll set up a route, and we'll go and check them out. Remember to wear comfortable footwear that you can easily take off and put back on again. We can see as many homes as you need to, and take as much time as you need to. 

Your Most "Prized Possession"

Here's another reason to choose me, Harry Naghavi, as your Realtor.

Harry Naghavi respects your most prized possession and understands that it is more valuable to you than any dollar amount can express.

The Wikipedia entry for "home" says:

A home is generally a place that is close to the heart of the owner, and can become a prized possession.

It is often a house, apartment, or other building...

It is certainly the most expensive thing that most people own. But, your house or condo is really valuable because it's your home. It's close to your heart. You've put effort into keeping it well-maintained. You've renovated it and decorated it so that it reflects your personality and your values. It holds all the things that you love and the people you love best, too.

When you buy or sell a house, you need to do it right. Get the best, most professional help. Get someone kind and understanding who will respect your home, your needs, and your heart: Harry Naghavi, Your Friendly Realtor, me. Contact me today! 416-716-3112    harrynaghavi@gmail.com

Real Estate Flyers: The World's Smallest

Even I get annoyed with all the Real Estate Flyers coming in my mailbox every day! The Spring Market is in high gear and everyone's trying to get your attention.

How many of those things do you look at? How many go straight to the blue box?

Instead of sending out big flyers in the mail, I walk around your neighbourhood and hand out my business card to people I meet in the street and pop cards into people's mailboxes or tuck them into door frames. I'm trying to make a smaller personal footprint on the environment, and I'm getting some exercise, and (best of all) meeting people face-to-face.

If you see a little white business card with my bald head smiling at you in a corner, turn it over and see that it's meant to be "the world's smallest flyer". Call me or send me a message and we'll talk. I'd like to meet you over a coffee or tea and get to know you so that we can be a business team.

So Many Newmarket Realtors: Choose Harry Naghavi

Why choose Harry Naghavi?

There are so many Realtors in Newmarket, so many Realtors in Aurora, Realtors in Richmond Hill, everywhere! How should you choose? How do you know what the best choice is?

1. First of all, make sure you do have a Realtor to represent you when you sell and when you buy. Real Estate is complex and mistakes can have huge, costly consequences. Get professional help. This is no place for DIY. Harry is an experienced and knowledgeable professional.
2. Think about what success means to you. I'm not a pushy Realtor whose success is the result of making fast deals. Some people are out for fast money, the fancy car. That's not what success means to me. My success is in getting the best deals for my clients, giving them the best service, not turning houses around for my profit. If you're in a hurry, we can sell your house fast, but fast is not always best. I have represented clients in fast-and-fierce bidding wars in Toronto, and I've spent years with families holding on to investment properties, waiting for the right buyer with the right price.  I'm not a rich Realtor. Happy clients define success to me. Harry Naghavi is a successful Realtor. 
3. Selling your home with a local Realtor is a good idea. I would make sure my neighbour's house sold well, darn sure. A sale in my neighbourhood affects the value of my home, so I'd have a personal interest in that sale, beyond a paycheque. Harry is your best choice for a Newmarket Realtor or a York Region Realtor.
4. Buying your home with a local Realtor is also a good idea. A Newmarket Realtor can tell you all about Newmarket. That being said, your Realtor is a professional who will research an area for you. I have bought and sold homes and businesses far from my home all over Ontario. Whether I'm working in my backyard or far afield, I do a thorough job to get the best deal for my clients. Harry is hard-working, and does a thorough job.
5. Work with someone you can trust and feel comfortable with. This is probably the biggest and most important purchase of your life. Make sure you're comfortable and don't feel pushed or bullied. You need someone honest and friendly on your side. Sure, Real Estate can get tough and stressful, but it's your Realtor's job to get tough on your behalf and deal with the stress for you, not to be tough with you and give you stress! Harry is "Your Friendly Realtor". 
6. Work with someone who understands you, takes the time to get to know you, and puts you first. You are the most important factor, not the property and not the paycheque. I will get to know you so I can help you best. Let me help you. Harry is not #1. You are #1!