The Real Estate Blog - Selling

How to Price Your Home for Sale

How To Price Your Home For Sale

Do you know what your home is worth? Do you know what your homes will sell for? Probably not!

We all want to achieve the highest possible sale price for our home. Consider this when establishing an asking price. In 2014 - 6,638 homes were listed in Cambridge and 3,131 of them sold. This means that only 47% were able to sell their home. So, how do you join the SOLD percentage?

Pricing your Cambridge, ON home accurately is very important to achieving a sale, so be realistic. The price is the first thing buyers look at and if they feel your home is overpriced it can linger on the market, or encourage buyers to look at other options. Remember - Although you set the asking price, the value of your home is determined…

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The Top 10 Things you Need to do to Prepare your Home for Sale

The Top 10 Things You Need To Do To Prepare Your Home For Sale

There are many ways to prepare your home to sell to ensure you get top value for your property. We’ve compiled a list of what we think are the most important tasks to undertake leading up to your house’s sale.

1. Emotionally Detach

It’s important to constantly remind yourself why you’re selling the property. Remember the reasons why selling your property is good for you and your family and try your best to emotionally distance yourself. The sale of your home has now become a business transaction. It is likely that both buyer and seller will be making concessions in one way or the other, so keep that in mind. 

2. View the Home from a Buyer’s Perspective

Now that you’re mentally…

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Selling Your Home in the Winter

Selling Your Home in the Winter

Winter may be upon us, but the local real estate market is still hot. With many sellers holding off until the spring, this is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of a demanding housing market. The last thing in-the-know home sellers want to do is to slack off on their home’s curb appeal during the winter months. Those trying to sell a home during the winter should take extra care of their property’s exterior to help stand apart from other listings. A little bit of holiday cheer can go a long way when making a first impression with potential home buyers. Here are some tips to help increase your home’s winter curb appeal:

Walkways

There is no way to sell the home if buyers cannot make it to the front door. Take…

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Increase Buyer Excitement With Each Room

Increase Buyer Excitement with Each Room

When potential buyers are in your home they’re going to compare it with other homes they like. If they don’t like what they see, the showing won’t last 5 minutes, and they’ll be on to the next one.

Preparing the Interior

As buyers are viewing your home they’re making a checklist of what they do & don’t like. It’s your job to make sure the list of “Don’t likes” is a short one. You want buyers to move from room to room, gaining more and more excitement. The more you accomplish this, the quicker your home will sell and the more likely you are to receive a higher sale price.

The Minimum

Get out the magic eraser! Scuff marks on the floor or walls are a normal aspect of any home, especially if you have…

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Exploring Cambridge’s Diverse Neighbourhoods

Welcome to
Cambridge, Ontario

As a Cambridge realtor, I frequently get asked what part of Cambridge is best to live in. My answer always depends on what the asker’s lifestyle is – do they like to be in the thick of things or are they looking for a quiet spot to settle down? Do they have children or would they prefer to be in a good location to commute to Toronto?

One of the reasons why Cambridge is such an appealing place to live is because of its proximity to Toronto and also because the city itself is mature with a wide range of different styles of homes. There are four main neighbourhoods in Cambridge – each of which I’ve written about before but I think is worth tying together with an nice overview for an even easier comparison.

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Why work with a realtor when selling your home?

Selling Your Home: Why Use A REALTOR®?

One of the most common questions I get as a REALTOR® is why work with a realtor when selling your home? There are a lot of practical reasons why working with a real estate agent can benefit you when you’re selling your home – but I’ve narrowed it down to what I think are the top ten. You may already know some of the reasons why you should work with a realtor but I think you’ll discover some hidden benefits that you weren’t aware of!

Top 10 Benefits of Selling with a REALTOR®:

1. A realtor can help you decide when to sell your home so that you can make the most money. We have the market knowledge you need to make sure you are listing at the most optimal time.

2. A realtor can help you determine…

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Home Renovations to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Sellers: Avoid These Renovations

Recently I shared some of the things you can do to increase the value of your home when you're selling it. This week I wanted to share some of the things that you should avoid doing if you're trying to increase the value of your home. The following things aren't worth the time, money, or the hassle that will come of it. You want to make sure that every penny you spend on your home is going to give you a return that you can bank on.

Putting in a Pool.

Many families don't want to have to deal with the hassle of a pool, including cleaning it or maintaining it. Some people with children want to avoid the risk of accidental drowning that comes with a pool. In reality, even if you would like a pool, it can only be…

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Staging Your Home

Staging Your Home

Before you place your home on the market you should try to achieve a show home quality. You want to highlight your home's strong points and minimize the weak points. You are trying to persuade someone to spend Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars on your home, so you should try to deliver a quality product.

Get your Home Ready for Showings by focusing on these areas:

Lighting.

Open blinds & drapes, make sure all light fixtures are on & have working bulbs during showings. Many houses don't have enough lighting to begin with but you can go to any big box store and buy beautiful fixtures or lamps for minimal investment.

Living Areas.

Make sure furniture isn’t blocking the flow of a room. You might have a great sectional…

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How to Clean Up Fast - Preparing for Last Minute House Viewings

How to Clean Up Fast

When it's time to sell your home, the presentation of the property will strongly influence whether buyers make an offer. If you're still living in the house, it can be difficult to prepare for last minute house viewings, especially if your personal belongings are left out. If you want to clean up the house quickly before potential buyers arrive, there are a few important steps to take.

Check Your Curb Appeal

The curb appeal of your home is the first impression that you make on home buyers. Make sure your lawn is nicely trimmed. Spend time daily making sure toys or yard tools are put away neatly. You'll also need to pick up after pets that may spend time in the setting every day.

Remove Clutter

Clutter is an…

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Selling Your Home With Pets

"What Should I Do With My Pets?"

Your pets may be cute, cuddly and very friendly, but the reality is that they can be a detriment when you are trying to sell your home. Some sellers are afraid of certain pets, or they may have an allergy. They may think that pets make the home dirty, or the home may have an animal odor that strikes buyers as soon as they walk in the front door. These are just some of the many reasons why your pets may pose an issue when you list your home for sale. Our team at Dewar Realty has considerable experience helping our clients sell homes for top dollar in the Cambridge area. I myself have 100lb dog’s so I understand the challenges well & by following a few helpful tips, you can more easily overcome the issues of selling…

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