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A well priced home can sell over the course of a weekend. If you price your home competitively, you can normally dictate the closing date. If you want to stay put for 90 days, just ask. If you need a quick closing, that’s up to you. In a balanced market, with a home that is not selling quickly, the closing date can often become a point of negotiation.

 I believe that it is always a good idea to have a home stager come in for a consultation. This is an expense that I cover for all clients. During the consultation, the stager will walk through your house and highlight things that can be done with your existing furniture and fixtures to maximize the experience for buyers. This may be as simple as repositioning your sofa and a few photos. They may even suggest a different paint colour in select areas. It is important to remember that these are suggestions from a professional, however, you should not be forced to make these changes. If your home is vacant, it is a great idea to consider fully staging a home. Many buyers have trouble imagining how they would live in the space. A stager will come in with some stylish furniture and turn the home into an experience. This can be costly, but in my experience staging has resulted in impressive sales prices that more than make up for the upfront cost of the services.

Determining the right asking price for your home is an underrated process and can be absolutely crucial in securing top dollar for your property. This is where a good agent will stand out from an average agent. Your agent should walk you through a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that highlights all similar homes in the neighbourhood that have sold within an appropriate time frame. You will factor in many things – square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, age of finishes, lot size, time of sale, location, construction style, garage, etc. etc. After reviewing all relevant items and comparing improvement costs and recent market trends, you should be able to come up with a realistic sale price. Beyond that, you need to consider pricing strategy. In certain price ranges or locations, sometimes it can benefit you to list your house at a number slightly below market value. This will entice a wider range of prospective buyers. The more feet through your door, the more likely you are to see multiple offers. There is a listing strategy where you will “hold offers” until a certain date, and have prospective buyers all submit their offer at the same time. What we see happening in these situations is higher sales prices, as people are making competitive “bids” on the home. The most traditional way to price your home is to list it at what you have determined to be the market value. This strategy may see slightly less showings, however you will be making it quite clear to prospective buyers what you are hoping to get for the home. Depending on the property, this approach may yield a slower sale, but every person’s situation is different. You should always have an honest conversation with your agent to determine the most appropriate approach with all factors considered. 

The best answer to this question is and always will be, ‘The best time to sell your home is when ever you are ready.’ Of course, that’s the easy answer, but there are statistically proven times of the year that may be more advantageous depending on your goals. The spring market consistently emerges as the busiest time, attracting both new listings and prospective buyers. In military communities like Halifax, the majority of military postings occur during spring, making it an opportune time to list your home with a higher chance of attracting multiple buyers. As the season transitions, people become more active in house hunting.

I’ve also found listing properties in winter to be favourable. It’s a period when most people prefer not to have their homes on the market due to weather and holiday distractions. This creates an opportunity to capitalize on low inventory. Buyers who must purchase during this time often have fewer options, increasing your chances of selling your home for a favourable price.