As your Realtor®, we will together to help you create a marketing plan that will make it easier to sell your home at the best price possible in the shortest amount of time.

Create a Marketing Plan

Much of my work is quiet, behind the scenes – and important. Promoting your home involves several outreach efforts, including scheduling, marketing and hosting open houses, following up with open house visitors, having conversations with ad respondents, and posting photos and virtual tours on the web. Being your guide and confidant is part of the process as well.

Selling can entail a variety of marketing strategies, and we will develop a plan especially for your home, which will help set it apart in your local marketplace and attract buyers. Once listed, your home will be quickly entered into the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), displayed on mytootontownagent.com, century21fusion.ca, century21.ca and distributed to a multitude of national and local real estate websites, where most buyers begin their search for a new home.

TIP: A marketing plan will help sell a home at the best price possible in the shortest amount of time. Find out how I can help.

Following these 10 tips will help to add value to your home and increase your chances of a sale.

The Top 10: Tips That May Add Value to Your Home

1. Clean, organize and neutralize your space: Unclutter your house to make it look bigger and cleaner. Buyers need to be able to envision their own belongings in the home; so, avoid using bright colours and too many personal effects.

2. Keep Your Lawn Green: Get your lawn in shape. A patchy lawn takes away from the home's overall appearance. Your local gardening centre store supplies to re-seed those unhealthy areas.

3. Add insulation to save energy: The most inexpensive way to increase your home's energy is to add insulation, which can reduce heating and cooling costs by more than 25%.

4. Organize the Kitchen: The kitchen is often the room that buyers gravitate towards first and a well -organized kitchen can help sell your home. Remove unnecessary items from the countertops and get rid of partial packages of dry goods. Use dollar store containers to store rice, pasta – anything that comes in a plastic bag. You don't have to remodel your kitchen to give it a new look. Updated hardware on cabinet doors and drawers will go a long way to making a kitchen look more modern.

5. Declutter the bathroom: A little change can go a long way when it comes to the look of your bathroom. Minimize the items kept on the counter, get rid of old makeup and personal grooming products that are no longer used, Updating simple things such as faucet, handles and fresh linens can give any outdated bathroom style.

6. Repair the fence: If you're trying to sell a house, the appearance of a well-maintained fence adds appeal to the home overall. Buyers with children or pets will appreciate the privacy and security of an enclosed backyard.

7. Repair the gutter: Ensuring that your gutter is clean is crucial in protecting your home against water damage.

8. Light up the outside: An easy and inexpensive way to increase your home's outdoor space is to add lighting. It makes it more appealing and safer.

9. Store and organize: Ample storage space is a plus, especially when it comes to garages and closets. Efficient closet structures can help keep your clothes organized and can save space.

10. Polish off the basement: Declutter, declutter, organize, organize!

Setting the right price for your home is the most important decision you will make. We will discuss and evaluate the current market conditions and set the optimal price for your home.

Setting the Right Price for Your Home

A key part of my marketing plan is setting the list price. Quite simply, If a home is priced too high, qualified buyers will look elsewhere.

To determine the best asking price, we will review the prices of recently sold, comparable homes in the area, look closely at the properties that didn’t sell and evaluate the competition. I have ready access to this information and can provide the big picture to help you determine the right asking price.

It is also helpful for us to discuss what items that can be included in the sale of the home to make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Other factors to consider:

Real estate is local. I can explain current market factors in your community, including what's selling, what isn't selling, and why. This information is critical to setting an optimal price and terms.
If your house is located in a desirable area you will be able to get a higher price than you can for the same house in a less desirable area.
If a house has amenities that are currently popular in the marketplace, it will bring a higher price. I can help you identify top trends.
A house that has been better maintained and “shows” better will always sell for more than one that has had deferred (neglected) maintenance and needs work.
Buyers expect everything to work. It’s an important trust factor, and worth the time and expense to make basic repairs.
Markets differ by location and time. When interest rates are low and our local job base is growing, it's great to be a seller. But when times are slow and going through an economic downturn and mortgage rules change- homes still sell. The trick is to be realistic and to be tune with current market conditions in Saskatoon.
TIP: A formal written appraisal can be useful if your property is unique, or there hasn't been much activity in your area recently. It’s also helpful when co-owners disagree about price, or there is any other circumstance that makes it difficult to put a market value on your home.

You want potential buyers to feel at home from the minute they walk up the driveway. Give them a canvas to fill. It’s showtime!

• Start with a good cleaning, eliminate clutter, put away the knickknacks and add fresh coats of a neutral-coloured paint to brighten rooms. Oh, and tidy up the yard. I can give you all sorts of tips to help boost your home's curb appeal and impress potential buyers once they're inside. Here are a few basics:
• If the weather permits, open the windows (if there is too much noise outside, close them). If it's cold enough to wear a sweater to stay warm, turn on the heat. You want the temperature inside to be comfortable and to give the buyer more of a reason to linger, especially on hot or cold days!
• Light a fire in the fireplace, have chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, or check out Pinterest and make your own potpourri – never use commercial scents as potential buyers may have a sensitivity and leave your home without taking the time to really look at it! Open all the window coverings to let in light. If a particular window overlooks undesirable scenery or obstructed views, keep the blinds partially closed.
• Turn on every light in the house, including appliance lights and closet lights. Brighten dark rooms with few windows by placing spotlights on the floor behind furniture.
• Play soft background music.
• Move your cars to an alternate location to allow parking for the potential Buyers and their Realtor®
• Leave the house! Potential buyers will feel more comfortable – and less pressured – when you are not present.