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!

Sell or Buy First?

Sell first and then buy. 

When people think of moving, they'll often call me and ask to see a bunch of homes. They just want to have an idea of what's out there. We're just shopping around. Most often, it's a waste of time for them. (Not for me. It's always a good experience to see homes. I can recommend things to other buyers.) 

When you go house shopping, you need to have your finances in order. If you already own a house, then your money will probably be tied up in that. Once you sell your house, the market will be different. 

Let's say you're shopping around while you're just thinking about moving and you fall in love with a house you see. How will you be able to make an offer on it? You can make a conditional offer. If there's another offer without the "sale of buyer's home" condition, then they won't choose yours. Let's say yours is the only offer and they accept it. Do you really want to sell your house under that kind of pressure? Can you get the most out of your present home if you are pressed for time? 

Take your time to prepare your house for sale. Get top dollar for your investment. Then, go shopping with the power to offer the strongest bid. 

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!

 

Best time to buy or sell

As a real estate agent, I’m always getting asked about when the best time to buy or sell a house is.

·         Is this a good time, or should I wait?

·         How is the market?

·         Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market?

·         Will interest rates go up or down?

·         Will my house be worth more in the spring?

·         Will my house sell faster if I renovate the kitchen first?

       

Some people think I’m a fortune teller! But, seriously, it’s hard to predict the market. I will honestly tell people what I know, what people in the real estate market are saying and what the newspapers say. It’s my job to keep up to date and knowledgeable about my industry.

But, I’m the friendly real estate agent, “Your Friendly Realtor” -and the honest real estate agent. I will also tell you:

The best time for you to move depends mostly on you!

The best indicators for the best time to move are your needs and wishes.

·         Do you want to be in your new home before Christmas?

·         Do you want to be in your new home before the school term starts?

·         Will you need to take some time off from work to move?

·         Do you want to move before it starts to snow?

·         How long will it take to sell your present home?

·         How fast can your home be ready for me to take pictures, and ready for an open house?

People buy and sell homes all year round, every day of the year. Someone might need to move because of a job transfer. Someone has to move because of a death or illness. Some retirement homes and nursing homes have waiting lists that don’t give folks much time to respond (It’s now or never, as Elvis sang.).

You could be just thinking about moving when a perfect house comes on the market. If you really want it badly, you might be willing to agree to a closing date that’s not at a perfect time and puts you under pressure to sell your present home quickly. But, if getting that perfect house is what you really want, then you’ll do what you have to do to get it. If it’s the best home for you, then it’s the best time for you.

When we work together to sell and/or buy a home, my first priority is to find out what your needs are. You are the most important factor, not the economy. I can help you to determine what those needs are, as people aren’t usually aware of all the variables. I’ve got experience that will help to guide you.

If you need to move quickly, I’ll do what I can to make it fast and smooth, and get you the best deal possible. But, if you want to take your time, I will wait with you. We can look at houses for as long as it takes to find you that perfect house- the one that fulfills your needs.