Preparing for the Spring Real Estate Market in Burlington

Did you know that the spring real estate market is the one of best times to list your home in Burlington? After a long winter of house hunters looking and dreaming about properties, they’re raring to go and grab their next home. So, let’s capitalize on their eagerness!

With a seemingly long list of items to attend to before listing your house, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. Just take a deep breath and divide tasks into doable chunks. While they should all be addressed by the time you’re ready to take that step and list, it doesn’t have to happen over one single weekend.

Some easy first steps to take are to change your light bulbs and update light fixtures. You may have already noticed that the light bulb burnt out in the basement, but decided to wait. Wait no longer. Start looking at your home through a potential buyer’s eyes. That’ll give more clarity on what needs to be addressed.

Do you keep your paperwork in one place, or are they scattered around your home office? You will receive questions about the cost of utilities, taxes, warranties, and any renovation details so beat the rush and start organizing the details now.

Solving Inner Turmoil

As you move from room to room, you’ll start to realize the need to declutter, maybe even more than you already had. Start collecting boxes and duct tape so you can put things in storage for when you move. TIP: If you haven’t used something in 6 months to a year, but you’re still not sure about rehoming it completely, that’s a great candidate for early packing. You won’t miss it, but it will free up space and make your home inviting to potential buyers.

How’s your kitchen? If it’s the room that you’re most attracted to while you’re house hunting, then your kitchen needs to be looking its best when you list. Start by making your counters as free of clutter as possible. After you clean all the insides of the cupboards, replace items sparingly. You want to convey spaciousness to buyers, and if your cupboards are crammed with dishes and foodstuffs, you’re sending the wrong message. TIP: If you have an alcohol collection, put that in storage and consider a vase with some fresh flowers to make the room pop even more. Also, don’t forget the sink. Food gunk and odours store there and you want the room to smell like the fresh flowers, not like the remains of past meals.

Your basement may be the place where good intentions and projects go to sit in limbo, but buyers may have different ideas for it. Clear any half-finished projects and tidy up the sports equipment, or anything else, to show the buyer all the potential the basement holds. Whether they follow up with that potential is up to them.

What’s the first thing people see when they come into your house? While an entrance may be a small portion of your home, it’s a very important portion to get right. Since we’re talking about the spring real estate market, and spring in Burlington can be very mercurial, a variety of coats may normally live in your closets. Remember, you want the buyer to see the space this house has, not the stuff you’ve got.

Let’s move outside

The snow is long gone and it no longer covers a multitude of evils. Take stock of your grass, your garden, and your driveway, and make sure to address any fixes that need to be made. Trim those trees, cut the grass, and give some love to your outdoor furniture and barbecue.

Your REALTOR® will likely have other suggestions to make your home look appealing, but the sooner you start making small changes, the sooner your house can be listed for sale in this hot spring market, the better.