As the end of 2008 approaches, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do to sell my home next year?” Most houses on the MLS aren’t selling because they’re priced too high for today’s market. How can you improve the odds yours will be one that does?

There is no magic formula, but here are some tips for 2009.

• 1. Don’t believe the hype. It really is a buyer’s market.
  The first thing you need to do is accept that Metro Vancouver is now a buyer’s market. And contrary to what you may hear from a vocal few, it’s not likely to turn around any time soon.


• 2. Prepare your home
  Put extra effort into cleaning your home and leave no stone unturned. Some examples include:
  • The exterior of your home makes the first impression. Potential buyers will make a decision to view (or not) just based on how your home looks on the outside. So make sure your home’s lawn and exterior look perfect. Cut your lawn regularly, trim the hedges, plant some flowers, wash the driveway and paint.
  • Inspect your walls and repair stains, gouges, holes, and paint chips.
  • Inspect your flooring. A carpet cleaning and a stain pen for hardwood floors goes a long way.
  • Eliminate strong odours. Pay attention to cat litter, smoking and strong smelling foods.
  • Remove clutter and depersonalize.
  • Clean windows (in and out) and clean your appliances (also inside and out).
  • Redo all old, stained or mildewed caulking – It’s only 5 bucks for a new tube and makes a big impact when done!

• 3. Have open houses
  Many agents will say open houses don’t work. But are they saying that because they don’t work or because they can’t do them for all their clients?
  The truth is your home won’t sell if it’s not seen, and the best way to get someone to view it is through an open invitation (countless homes have been sold to “looky-loos”, neighbours, their family and friends).


• 4. Price your home at today’s value (or tomorrow’s), not yesterday’s
  The peak in Metro Vancouver home prices occurred in the spring of 2008. Since then values have fallen at least 10% (as of this writing in Nov’08) and will continue to fall in 2009. So when pricing your home, look forward, be happy with the equity you’ve made and don’t fixate on what you could have made last year.


• 5. Sell privately
  In this market, you should forgo the services of a realtor and sell “by owner.” Because ComFree offers the widest array of essential private-sale services, we think we’re your best choice. Private sale gives you the huge advantage of being price-competitive in this over-supplied market. With us, you won’t have to factor an agent’s commission into your asking price. You can sell faster at a lower price than your agent-listed neighbour, but put the same money in your pocket.
  
  And buyers will be looking for a deal. With ComFree, you can give them one.

Since 1996, ComFree has helped more than 37,000 homeowners across Western Canada sell their home privately and save more than $550,000,000 of their home equity. Money that would have normally gone to an agent’s commission if they had listed on the MLS.