A real estate broker shares her five handiest tips for first-time home sellers

By: Ursula Leonowicz      
Published on June 10, 2017 in the Montreal Gazette

In an affordable city like Montreal, a first-time home seller could just as easily be 30 or 60 years old. Carly Fridman, one of the 10 top-selling real estate brokers in the province, has five tips for home sellers, regardless of their age or level of experience.

• Selling your home will cost you money, so plan accordingly

“Besides commission, sellers often forget that there are major costs associated with selling their home,” Fridman said.

These costs include everything from getting a certificate of location and possibly purchasing title insurance, to paying off items that were on a payment plan (like a hot-water tank or air-conditioning system) and the penalties associated with breaking a mortgage before the amortization period is over.

• Don’t pay cash for home renovations, and keep all your receipts

  “It’s always nice to pay cash for home renovations, but you can’t declare something was done when you don’t have the proof,” Fridman warned.

  It’s important to keep all the paperwork associated with your home — from the certificate of location and deed of sale, to the receipts for all major and minor repairs and renovations.

• Do something to increase the value of your home every year

  “Learn about what maintains value versus what increases value,” she said. “It’s better that everything be clean and in working order, rather than new and fancy.”

  So clean the gutters, put more tar and gravel on the roof, fill in the cracks in the driveway, and do the necessary masonry work. But leave the fun part — like installing a brand-new kitchen or powder room — to the new owners.

• Declutter and neutralize

  “You still have to live in your home when you’re selling it, but you should make it as neutral as you can,” Fridman said.

  You may love the eclectic combination of red and grey on the walls, but your potential buyers may not. Colours like white, grey and beige are inoffensive to most, as is a clear space with as few knick-knacks as possible.

• Trust the experts

  “You wouldn’t try to defend yourself in court, so why would you try and sell a home by yourself?” Fridman said.

  Real estate brokers are there to ensure that everything is taken care of before you have an interested buyer, including finding out if there is a lien on your home. They are also there to walk you through the process, and who could say no to that, especially when they are one of the best?

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Fridman will be offering a free webinar for first-time home sellers on June 19, from 7 to 9 p.m. Participants can ask questions, and go through the entire selling process with her. For more information, see the article “Solutions for First-time Sellers”.

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Source: http://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/real-estate/a-real-estate-broker-shares-her-five-handiest-tips-for-first-time-home-sellers