Selling your house at any time of the year can be an overwhelming and often dreaded experience.

WAIT!

Let's rephrase that! Selling your house feels GREAT! Showing your house? Not so great.

With all the hustle and bustle of people coming and going mixed with the chaotic flow of the holidays, it's no wonder you are feeling so stressed out. Not to mention, homeowners often talk about the horrors of selling a house during the winter months.

Don't listen to them! Because The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team has a secret for you!

People love the holidays!

How is that a secret? Well, it's not exactly. The secret is that you can utilize buyer's holiday nostalgia to increase your chance of an offer!

Let us set the scene, or rather, help you set the scene! Imagine you walk into a bright clean home. It smells like fresh baking, there is a wreath on the door, pine-tree garland up the banister, and a poinsettia on the table. The bows on the kitchen cabinets are an amazing touch, and the candle and pine-cone display on the fireplace mantle is darling! Sounds like a cozy home doesn't it? They will think so too!

However, it isn't as simple as placing a few decorations here and there, and that is why The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team have come up with the following tips to help you get started!

Staging Your Home For The Holiday Buyer

Baby It's Clean Inside!
Don't just tidy for your potential buyers-CLEAN! We want those walls washed and floors sparkling! Don't forget to sweep or vacuum under the furniture; Santa is watching! The more clean and fresh a home looks, the better the buyer feels about it.

Less Is More, Less Is More, Less Is More!
We know you want to feel like your space is your own, but your space it through that door and inside your new home! This space is now your buyers. Be sure to declutter as much as possible, so the buyer can really imagine themselves living in the house. A few well placed decorations will go a long way, but they will be entirely missed if all they do is add to the chaos. Keep your decor simple, tasteful, and clean!

Do You Hear (Taste, and Feel ) What I Hear?
You really want these buyer to feel at home because, hopefully, they are! Crank up the heat and let them feel the warmth, have some gentle holiday music playing softly in the background, and don't be afraid to bake a few holiday treats for them to sample. Not only will it smell delicious, but the longer they stay, the more time they have to admire the idea of living there. Just remember to clean up after!

Expert Tip!

If you can, try and keep your decor 'holiday neutral', and bake a gluten free goody option! A bottle of wine or sparking fruit juice never hurt either!

If you follow all these holiday tips -hopefully- one of your buyers will be home for the holidays!

Looking for more expert staging tips, and selling/buying advice? Visit our Blog

OR

If you're ready to buy or sell your home, contact Kelowna's leading real estate experts The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team!

Until next time, We Wish You A Merry Sale!

Imagine this scenario...
You're shopping for a new home in Kelowna. You drive to visit a new listing. As you
walk through the front doors, you're impressed. Every room looks fantastic.
You see yourself relaxing on the spacious patio, cooking in the modern
kitchen, and enjoying evenings with the family in the cozy living room.
Your emotions are on overdrive. This is your dream home!
Should you make an offer? Probably. In fact, you should make that decision
quickly in case there are other interested buyers.
However, your decision shouldn't be guided purely by emotion. You want to
make sure you take practical matters into consideration too.
For example, you'll want to consider:
· Is the property within your price range?
· Does it have everything you need?
· Do you like the neighbourhood?
· How old is the property? Are there items, such as the furnace, that
may need to be replaced soon?
· Will it need any major repairs or upgrades?
· What are the average monthly costs of carrying the home? (Property
taxes, utilities, etc.)
Once you've considered the purchase of the home from a practical
standpoint, you'll have a lot more confidence in your decision when you
make an offer.
Need help? Call The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team today!

When you're having a garage sale in Kelowna, one of the toughest tasks is pricing your
items. If you put a price tag on your old golf clubs that’s too high, no one will
buy them. If you make the price too low, they might sell quickly, but you’ll
spend the rest of the day wondering if you could have gotten more!
It's similar to selling your home in Kelowna — except with your home, the stakes are
much higher. You want to price your property to sell, but you don’t want to
leave any money on the table.
How do you accomplish that?
Setting the right list price for your home requires a combination of skilled
calculation and industry savvy from realtors like Rob Dion & Lee Ivans.
Let's start with the "calculation" part...
When you work with me, I'll review recently sold properties that are similar
to yours in type, size, features and location. Then, using that data, we’ll
calculate a range that represents your property's "current market value."
For example, consider a spacious 20-year-old rancher in a nice
neighbourhood like Glenmore. If similar homes in the area have sold for $575,000-
$650,000 in the last six months, then it's obvious that your home should sell
in that range too. A list price above or below that range would be in the
danger zone.
But skilled calculation is only half the task.
Setting your list price also requires expertise in the local real estate market, combined
with good old-fashioned gut instinct. That instinct comes from being on the
front lines of many property transactions in the Kelowna area.
That's why working with a good real estate salesperson is so important,
when you’re deciding on the list price for your home.
Want to discuss selling your home? Call The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team today!!