Bonnyville Homes Blog

When you decide to put your house on the market, small changes tend to make a huge difference on the value and customers preference of the house. The state of the basement, whether finished or unfinished, is one of the critical areas of a home one has to carefully consider since it has the potential to make a home sell much faster and get a better selling price.

If you’re worried about the state of your basement before you sell, here are three factors to consider.

The Return on Investment

The cost of finishing a basement mainly depends on various factors such as the size of the basement or what you want to convert it into. The fact is that it could cost you a substantial amount of money to make some changes.

In a down market where the house prices are low, it would be difficult to recoup the costs incurred in improvements like finishing the basement. However, in places whereby the square footage commands a premium, a finished basement can be a great advantage. Therefore, it is important to find out whether undertaking such an investment will pay off when you sell your house or not.

The Current Market

Just like in any other business, it is important for the seller to consider the current trends of the market. If your house is in a new development where unfinished basements are common, with the aim of letting buyers have a space they can customize according to their needs, it is advisable to go with the flow. However, if most buyers in the real estate market expect a finished basement, then you may have to finish yours in order to attract potential customers.

Type of Finish

Homeowners put their basements to various uses depending on their specific needs and preferences, from spare bedrooms, a home gym or even a wine cellar.  However, the seller should know that the more specialized the basement is, the higher the chances of scaring off potential buyers who may not have an interest in these improvements or they are not willing to pay more for them.

If you choose to finish your basement, it is advisable to do it in a way that allows the customers to envision multiple uses where they can later customize it to their desire. This will make your home more attractive by having the potential similar to the unfinished basement, but with minimal work required to finish it.

Summary

With the above factors taken into consideration, anyone planning to sell their home should know that a finished basement is not necessarily a guarantee that it will help in making the house more appealing to buyers or that you will earn back the money you invested in the renovations of the basement. It is therefore important to study the local real estate advertisements or seek professional advice from a real estate agent before making any decisions.

Buying or selling? Get in touch with Gerry Storoschuk, Bonnyville REALTOR® and get started on your next housing adventure.

As far as value is concerned, having a pool is a hard feature to figure out. Therefore, you will find just as many realtors telling you how much a family would like one as the ones opposing this notion. Even though a home with a pool is a dream come true, the ability to sell your property depends on your expectations. This is because in most cases, having a pool is like purchasing a car, once its in your ownership, you might never get the full cost back. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t instances where your pool can help you sell your house.

How Swimming Pools Add Value

There is a huge difference between an above ground pool and an in-ground pool.  Even though an above ground pool is more costly and takes more time to install, it is a permanent investment and one of the real ways to add some value to your property. On the other hand, above-ground pools might be easy and cheaper to install but it might not necessarily provide any value when it comes to the resale of your house.

Why are Swimming Pools Tricky?

When it comes to getting a great price for your house, pools can be a hard sell. Swimming pools are a personal choice and people have a plethora of reasons for not wanting them as they do for wanting them.

Since you were the one who paid a hefty upfront cost, as an educated buyer, you are aware of the maintenance costs that go into owning a house with a swimming pool regardless of whether it is below or above ground. While pools can cost an average of $1,000 a year to maintain, research says that a well-marketed pool (mostly in-ground) can boost the value of your home to as much as 7%.

When Can a Pool Provide a Boost to Your Property’s Value?

There are two major things that can help you help you boost the sale of your home if you own a swimming pool. Here they are:

1. Knowing Your Buyers

It is essential to know your target buyers when marketing your home for sale if it has a pool. According to research, health enthusiasts, high-end buyers and families with teenagers are most likely to invest in a house with a swimming pool. However, you should also know that not all families with children will be interested in a home with a pool. In fact, a great majority of families with young kids do not want pools. This is because they don’t want to maintain it or they see it as a safety problem.

Therefore, if you’re seeking to sell your home with a pool, then you should know that it might shrink your buyer pool thus taking longer than you anticipate to sell your home.

1. Location

This is another thing that plays an obvious role when it comes to guaranteeing a buyers interest in your home if it has a pool. Buyers will debate on whether the purchase will enhance their quality of life or it will be an irritating and expensive extra for the summer season. For this reason, places that have warmer climates may be more ideal for homes with pools thus attracting interested buyers.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell in the Bonnyville area, for a greater probability of success you need a dedicated professional. Gerry can guide you through the process and be counted on to protect your investment! Get in touch today!

Whether it is a family house where you’ve grown up or you just have inherited and created lots of beautiful memories, selling your home would be an emotional experience. However, if you want to sell your beautiful house, it’s essential to talk with a reliable real-estate agent who has experience in selling similar properties in your area. You can read reviews of the real estate agent online for a better idea. Or look for recommendations from your friends and family.   

There is no doubt that getting the house ready to sell needs a lot of work and it can be stressful as well! Here are some great tips that will help you get your house in a ready-to-sell condition.

Listing the Home for A Good Price

You need to evaluate the worth of your home, then you may consider asking 15% to 20% less. You’ll receive multiple bids from various buyers and get your desired price if you list it correctly the first time.

Work with An Experienced Realtor

You need to select a realtor who is well-informed about the market and can provide you with the complete selling process. They will monitor MLS (multiple listing services) regularly and keep you updated.

Take Attractive Photos for Your Listing

With social media and the internet, it’s really important to create a positive first impression. You can take some professional, high-quality photos for the online listing. It will definitely help you sell your property.

Clean up Your Walk-throughs

You have to perfectly clean your walk-throughs and keep the place clean as it is. Additionally, you need to keep your kitchen and bathrooms impeccable, mop and dust, and clean the windows and wall for a beautiful clean look.

Declutter and Depersonalize

If you make your space more personalized, it will reduce the possibility of selling it as the buyers don’t like to see your personal stuff-stash. Clutter includes keepsakes, travel items, collections and photos.

Remove All Your Polarizing Items

You have to polarize your religious and political items as well as pack your personal things in a single place. You shouldn’t show your religious and political beliefs to your potential buyers.

Organize Your Closet Space

Your buyers want to see everything in a single place and look for an organized closet space. You can put half of your belongings in a separate storage unit if you have too many clothing items.

Lights On!

You cannot show a dark house to your buyers. Clean the windows, open up your drapes, up your bulb’s wattage and swap out the lampshades to something more modern.

Make Minor Repairs

You can replace broken appliances, patch holes in your walls and change any damaged light bulbs. These minor repairs will change the entire look of you house.

No Pets Allowed

Not everyone is an animal lover. If a potential buyer smells a litter box, sees a dog bowl or animal fur around, then they may be turned off.

If you want to know how much your home is worth on the current market, check out Gerry Storoschuk, Bonnyville REALTOR® and his free home evaluation.

Staging your house before selling can be a time-consuming and expensive process. However, it is one of the easiest techniques to help sell your house quickly. Here are a few reasons why you should consider staging before selling your home:

Increases the Possibility of the Sale

Selling your house fast and for the best possible price is a priority. Staging the place before listing, increases the chances of a quick sale. The main point of staging your house is to make it look great. Potential buyers are a lot more likely to make an offer if you get your house stages by a professional.

Give Your House A Well-Maintained Look

During the inspection, buyers look at every aspect of your house. They want to feel comfortable and imagine themselves living there. Buyers also want to make sure that all their needs, from a structural standpoint, are met. They also look for small details that indicate the actual condition of your home. This makes it crucial to stage your house so it looks great during showings.

Helps You Advance-Pack

In order to have to best staging effect, all unnecessary objects need to be disposed of, and the entire area de-cluttered. Pack all your personal belongings and put them in storage. Clutter-free, de-personalized spaces help buyers imagine that they can live there. Staging makes the job of moving a lot easier, as you don’t have any last minute packing to get done when moving day comes around.

Adds Value to Your Home

Post the housing crisis, the prices of homes have decreased, making it much easier for buyers to decrease their offer price. If buyers notice a number of things that have to be replaced or repaired, it will not work in your favour. This makes staging a very important aspect while selling your house and improves the chances of you getting your asking price.

Adds To the Size of Your Home

Staging has a lot to do with space and decluttering. Arranging furniture pieces in a particular way helps increase the usable space of your house. This gives your buyers the illusion of the house being bigger than it actually is. Sellers are often surprised at the size of the house once the staging process is complete. This also helps create a great impact on potential buyers, as the one thing they don’t want is to feel cramped.

Additional Benefits of Staging

• Allows buyers to visualize themselves in the apartment
• Buyers will have a great first impression
• Increases your chances over the competition
• The buyers can have the housewarming party a lot sooner
• Reduces expenses if you are working on a low budget
• Buyers will enjoy staying there

By keeping these simple tips in mind while staging, you can create a great first impression on buyers and can sell your house without much effort. Staging your house also gives you a great space to live in until it gets sold. Call in expert stagers to help you throughout the process, and to make your job much easier.

Are you having troubles selling? Or are you just starting the process and not sure where to start? Get advice from an expert! Get In touch with Gerry Storoschuk, Bonnyville Realtor® and get your FREE home evaluation.