Keeping up with yard work is an ongoing process in the fall, so stay on top of it to keep your property looking great! The term “curb appeal” is making your home look as inviting as possible from the outside. If a home doesn’t look compelling from the street, potential buyers may not take the time to venture inside.

Approach the exterior of your home with your 5 senses:

1. Sight: Examine your landscaping with a discerning eye. Have most of your summer blooms succumb to the season? Remove any dead plants or branches and pull out those weeds. Fall is a great time of year to pick up plants and shrubs from your local nursery and there can be excellent deals from nurseries heading into winter. Your trees are turning beautiful shades of orange, yellow and red, those beautiful autumn leaves don’t stay on the trees and as they fall they can make your yard look unkempt and buyers will want to see your lawn. Put in the effort to stay on top of raking those leaves!

2. Smell: Let your nose lead you as you walk around the exterior of your home. Are you greeted with fresh air and fragrance from your autumn flower beds or did you get a waft of your full garbage bin that needs to be emptied? Does your birdbath or water feature smell like stagnant water? Don’t forget to pick-up any poop your furry friends leave behind. Do you keep an ashtray outside? It’s important to remove this on open house days and clean up any cigarette litter that may have accumulated.

3. Touch: Think about buyer-proofing your property with the same approach as baby-proofing your home. Make sure there is nothing that could put a buyer in harm's way while they walk around your property. Wrap up the garden hose, trim back prickly bushes and clear any debris along walkways. Trim trees so unexpected winds don’t knock down branches that could cause damage. Keep up on pool maintenance and make sure it is clean and inviting. Finally, add texture and comfort with pillows, cushions and outdoor rugs will make the outdoor-living space inviting and special.

4. Sound: What are the sounds of your neighbourhood? Is your home located near a school or a busy road? Talk to your realtor about scheduling open houses when recess isn’t in session or avoid rush hour so buyers can hear the true tranquility of the neighbourhood. Do you have an outdoor sound system? Playing soft ambient music is a great way to create an inviting atmosphere. Make sure any prescheduled sprinklers are turned off during an open house. When those rainy days are upon us make sure those gutters are free of clogs, so buyers only hear the calming sound of rain and not the pounding of gutters overflowing.

5. Taste: Staging your outdoor space can be an important way to help buyers envision themselves happily hosting an al fresco dinner party or lounging with a glass of wine under the stars. Start by remove anything unappetizing; knock down cobwebs, shine up that BBQ, power wash away weather worn decks, fences and be sure not to miss the bird droppings on those hard surfaces. Labeling your herbs or veggies growing in your garden is a great way to get buyer’s mouths watering

When preparing the exterior of your property for sale, the Grant Gardner Team doesn’t just hand you a generalized list of suggestions. We want to help you showcase your property at its very best and take the time to tailor any tips or suggestions to your home. If needed, we can connect you with the North Shore’s or Vancouver’s best landscapers, handymen and garden centres.

Contact us at info@grantgardner.com or 604-990-6468 and our team will help get your home ready to shine!

The most common misconception about real estate is that fall is a bad or undesirable time to list your home for sale. In reality, fall is a fantastic time to sell your home because there is less competition for buyers!

There are two types of buyers who are most active this time of year:

1 Millennials: Now that they have come of age and developed their careers, millennials are looking to invest real estate. The market never stops for millennials. With a smartphone in hand, they’re actively looking at listings around the clock. In the advent of beautiful homes featured on social media and pinterest, having great listing photos that highlight your home’s features online the minute your home hits the market is a must. Nothing is more frustrating to these buyers to find out about a property in an awesome location, only to discover it is a listing without photos.

Highlight amenities that millennials view as must-haves. Updates to kitchen and bathrooms are important to these young buyers as most of their savings will likely be going toward the down payment and furnishings and not sinking a lot of money into an expensive reno. Dedicated home office space is essential to these mobile and career focused buyers. Does your home have integrated smart home technology or energy efficient features? These are strong selling points that will catch the attention of Millennial Buyers.

2. Empty-nesters: Typically having decades of life experiences under their belt, they come to the table informed. Empty-nesters can be slower and more methodical about a home purchase no matter how competitive the market its.

Having already raised children, empty-nesters understand the value of good school districts, but nowadays are more interested in amenities that suit their child-free lifestyle. They crave flexibility for their future; emphasize multipurpose use for space. For example, stage a spare bedroom as a home gym or hobby room. Showcase quality. Without teenages around, empty-nesters can enjoy more delicate finishes and fine details, so give them something to brag about. They want to upgrade as they downsize.

Identifying and understanding the ideal buyer is an important step to getting your home sold. With over 30 years of experience the Grant Gardner Team has sold a wide range of homes to all types of buyers. Ready to list your home now? Contact us at info@grantgardner.com or 604-990-6468 and our team will expertly identify and communicate the story of your home to the right buyers.

Fall is a beautiful time of year, late summer flowers are in full bloom, the leaves are turning vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red, and the air is crisp and clean. There’s nothing quite like a bright blue sky over the North Shore mountains in the fall.

While springtime may have the reputation of being “real estate season”, the reality is the best time to sell your home is when you are ready or need to sell. The notion that fall or winter is a “bad time” to sell your home is an outdated idea that no longer holds true. The fact is people are ready to buy homes throughout the year.

A lot of home shopping, at least initially, happens online. Buyers don’t have to take time out of their busy schedules to drive around neighbourhoods scouting houses. Buyers can sit comfortably with their tablets on the couch. As a result of user-friendly real estate websites and apps, the fall months are no longer considered a real estate dead zone.

Here’s why:

1. Buyers never stop looking. A serious home buyer is looking at new homes online 24/7, even through the holidays. If the right home becomes available, they’re ready to move.

2. There is less competition. A lot of people still buy into the old thinking that real estate stops from Labour Day to Valentine's Day. Many potential sellers wait for spring. This is good news for you, because less inventory on the marketing equals less competition for you!

Each season has unique advantages that make it ideal for selling your home. A seasoned and professional real estate agent knows how to help you prepare your property to sell any month of the year. Follow along with our blog series as we shed light on what it takes to get your home sold this fall season!

Think you may be ready to list your home? Let’s chat at info@grantgardner.com or 604-990-6468 to get your home sold this fall!