Real Estate is considered an Essential Service, however it is not currently “Business As Usual.” The Lifestyles North Real Estate Team continues to take precautions to keep our seller and buyer clients safe with Covid protocols which are designed to lessen risks during these uncertain times. These protocols include providing not only professional photos and videos of all of our listings, but virtual home tours including floor plans. Our photographers also take numerous precautions and our stagers can work remotely by offering suggestions and advice via Zoom or Facetime. Paperwork can be signed electronically and showings are limited to those who are in a position to purchase quickly (those who have already sold a home and need a place to live) and virtual tours are taken before in person tours are booked.
When the lockdown ends, the Southern Georgian Bay area is going to see a seller’s market of unprecedented proportions. So, if you are considering selling your home, now is the time to prepare.
The Southern Georgian Bay Area Real Estate Market is still going strong. People leaving more densely populated areas have created the highest level of demand for homes that anyone has ever seen. December 2020 alone saw a 100% increase over the previous year in sales volume, while the sales in the region outstripped new listings by 20%.
These data points to the fact tha when the lockdown ends, the Southern Georgian Bay area is going to see a seller’s market of unprecedented proportions. So, if you are considering selling your home, now is the time to prepare.
Lifestyles North would like to suggest some simple steps you can follow so you can sell early in the season and earn top dollar.
- Call your Lifestyles North Realtor: With the potential sales frenzy about to be unleashed on the market, you should inform your real estate sales representative that you intend to sell now. This way we can partner with you to help avoid having to rush any of the steps approaching the “go live date” of your listing. Moreover, your sales representative will appreciate this so they can schedule their time in the upcoming months to ensure they give you the best service and fully research comparable market values to place your home in the market as favourably as possible.
- Do home improvements now: It is no secret that small upgrades to your home really pay off when it comes time to sell. A new countertop can breathe life into a kitchen or minor repairs to drywall can enhance first impressions. Because of this, if you have the DIY skills, you should start now to get a jump on your upgrades. If you need a contractor and you need help finding someone, let us know. We have an extensive Service Directory for all of our clients.
- Spring cleaning…in the winter: It is much easier to do a major home cleaning during the lockdown than rush it all in one day, so you may want to start sprucing up your home now. After you get it spotless it is much easier to do small cleaning chores as they come up, which will save you time for other details as crunch time rolls around when you prepare to sell
- Organize: A neat and orderly home shows much better than a disorganized one, so now is the time to prepare. Remember, minor organizational jobs tend to be put on the back burner when we neglect what is important for what is urgent. Despite this, home buyers will be very aware of anything that seems out of place while shopping for a new house. So now is the time to get out your bins, put up shelves and get those closets and storage areas looking good.
Hopefully, these steps can get you started on the path to sell your property when the real estate sales season ramps up again following the lockdown.
We are sure to see the continuation of the unprecedented levels of sales in Southern Georgian Bay as the weather turns nice, so act now to prepare. Your stress levels will be lower, your home will sell faster and for a better value and your Realtor will thank you for it!