When preparing your property to show, work your way from the outside in. It is essential that your home possess a certain “drive up appeal.” Remember, a potential buyer’s first impression of your house is formed while s/he is still sitting in the realtor’s car. So, first you need to view your house from this perspective. Go stand on the opposite curb and observe your property. Compare it to surrounding properties. Concentrate on the following three areas.

1. Landscaping

How does your landscaping measure up compared to the rest of the neighbourhood? If you guess it would rate below-average, make a few adjustments. You might want to consider buying some bushes and planting them around the property. Do not buy trees, however, as mature trees are expensive, so you will not see a return on your investment. And immature trees don’t tend to significantly improve the immediate appearance of your home.

If the problem with your yard isn’t a case of too little greenery, but rather too much, get out the pruning shears. The purpose of landscaping is to complement the home, not hide it. Overgrown shrubs should be sheared to a height near the bottom of the windows. Remove any ivy clinging to the side of the house. Tree limbs should be high enough that you’re able to walk beneath. Trim any branches that bar the way.

Your lawn should be freshly cut and watered, and an even colour. If there are brown spots, make sure you begin to remedy this well in advance of putting the house on the market. You may want to re-sod areas, and you need to make sure these spots are given enough time to grow, so they will match the existing lawn. Also, if you decide to use fertilizer, you’ll want to allow enough time for it to take effect. Rake up any leaves or grass cuttings.

Planting a few flowers is an easy way to add colour and vibrancy to your yard, enhancing the first impression of your home. Invest in a full flat of mature, colourful flowers, such as petunias or periwinkles, which last the length of the growing season. Do not buy bulbs or seeds—they won’t necessarily grow enough by the time you begin showing to achieve the desired effect. If you don’t have an area in which to plant flowers, consider purchasing a few flower pots for your porch and planting flowers or blooming plants. If you have a pool, keep it sparkling and leaf-free.

2. House Exterior

When you view your house from across the street, does it appear weathered or faded? If so, it’s probably time to treat it to a fresh coat of paint. This is usually a sound investment; new paint can do wonders to increase a home’s perceived value. Stay away from unusual or loud colours. The new colour should fit in with surrounding houses, and complement the style and structure of your house.

Examine the roof closely. Old or leaking roofs should be replaced. If there are leaks, you’ll have to disclose this detail to the home buyer anyway, and they will want it replaced. If there isn’t any apparent damage, however, wait for word from the home inspector before making repairs.

3. The Front Door and Porch

The front door and surrounding area should look particularly fresh and welcoming, as this will be the buyer’s first up-close impression as they enter the house. If you paint nothing else, at least give the door a new coat. Replace the doorbell if it is broken and polish the door fixture until it gleams. Wash the mail box. Keep the porch swept and buy a new plush door mat. All of these little things will contribute to the overall effect of a well cared-for and welcoming home.

Ensure the lock works smoothly and the key fits properly. When a home buyer visits your house, the realtor will open the front door with a key. You don’t want the buyers’ first experience to be of waiting on the doorstep while the realtor fumbles with the lock.

Imagine being in the market for a new home – you walk into a place and everything seems perfect. The home checks all the boxes: right number of bedrooms; adequate kitchen and living space; great storage space; and is in overall good condition.

Yet you still have many unanswered questions such as:

• Has the municipality issued an occupancy certificate for the home?

• Where are the property lines?

• What do the bylaws and zoning allow for if I want to make changes to the property in the future?

• Was a proper permit issued for the renovations done on the home?

• Where is the septic field?

• Has it ever been updated or serviced?

• Is the suite legal?

• Does the garage the former homeowner added built to code?

• Does the wood stove have a WETT Certificate?

• How old is the roof?

• Has the property had any issues with flooding?

• Have there ever been any problems with the foundation?

• Is the home still under warranty?

As a potential buyer, how confident would you be to make an offer without having your questions answered first?

As the listing agent, I believe it's my responsibility to anticipate and research any questions a potential buyer may have about the property before they even realize it. When potential buyers move their home search from looking at listings online to viewing homes in person, chances are they are ready to make a decision on the next place they’ll call home. The more information I can provide at this point, the greater the likelihood of a favourable offer being made and your home being sold.

Make the best move when it comes to choosing your Realtor®. Why would you settle for anything less?

1. International Exposure

With their exclusive global network and multimedia marketing channels that reach millions of people on a daily basis, I know that my clients have a competitive advantage because of my affiliation with RE/MAX Island Properties. 

2. Customer Excellence

Customer loyalty is unprecedented at RE/MAX. Our agency consistently rates #1 in customer satisfaction surveys while customer loyalty figures confirm that 70% of our clients are repeat or referred clients.

3. Brand Recognition

RE/MAX has a network of thousands of offices in over 100 different countries and is the world leader in real estate sales; we are the only real estate company to exceed 1,000,000 home sales in a single year!

4. Giving Back

RE/MAX strongly believes in giving back to the communities where they do business. They sponsor The Children’s Miracle Network which raises funds for 170 hospitals as well as Run for the Cure which supports cancer research. In Western Canada, they support the Quest for Excellence Program offering bursaries to a wide variety of deserving students in our area.

I strongly believe in supporting and giving back to the community where I live and work, which is why I am proud to be affiliated with RE/MAX.

Learn more about me and why I started off as a Duncan realtor.

Agreat REALTOR® is focused on maximizing interest in your home from the moment it’s listed. They generate excitement and anticipation for your listing to increase interest from potential buyers and ultimately, the best possible offer with the most favourable conditions.

What does a Great REALTOR® do for You?

They provide guidance before listing in regards to preparing your home for sale. They’ll offer suggestions on maintenance that should be done, upgrades that would be a worthwhile investment, and staging your home. They diligently organize the property file with concise and accurate information for potential buyers.

This can include visiting the municipality to review the building file, contacting VIHA for septic data, investigating well data, confirming property lines, investigating zoning and obtaining receipts and permits for recent work on the home.

They present the home professionally in listings, advertisements and on-site during open houses by way of professional photographs, videography, and documentation.

They build relationships with prospective clients, reaching out when there’s a listing that would suit their needs. They network with other Cowichan Valley real estate agents and across Vancouver Island to promote your existing listing as well as finding the next place you’ll call home. They understand the best time to list your home to maximize exposure and interest right from day one.

They're actively engaged in marketing your home via multiple channels including MLS, lawn signage, and social media marketing campaigns. They provide constant feedback and communication throughout the process of selling your home. They're completely confident in their ability to negotiate the best price for your home.

As an experienced Cowichan Valley and Duncan realtor, these are all things that I do for my clients. Let me know if you have questions.

1. Knowledge of the Community

Having lived in the Cowichan Valley for most of my life, as a Duncan realtor, I know what each neighbourhood in our community offers to potential homeowners and can offer you the best advice on a home to suit your unique situation.

2. Expert on Value

I have been a realtor in the area for 10 years during which time I have gained extensive knowledge of the housing market and the various factors that influence it. This enables me to provide clients with sound and accurate advice regarding housing prices, meaning I can tell you when the best time to buy or sell is and ensure you receive maximum value no matter what side of the equation you're on.

3. Knowledge of Local Regulations

The last thing you need after moving into your new home is to find out about a bylaw or covenant that isn’t a fit for your family or your lifestyle As a local agent, I am an expert in the local rules, regulations and bylaws. Therefore, I can ensure there are no post moving day surprises for you and your family.

4. Professional Contacts

I have built relationships with other local professionals whose services you may require during ALL facets of buying and selling your home. Whether you require a lawyer, home staging experts, interior designer or a renovation expert, I can connect you with people who you can trust will provide you with the same level of service and expertise that you can expect from me.

5. Support for Local Businesses

Trustworthy trades can help in the areas of renovations, building maintenance, home safety, landscaping, home inspections, and so many more. These are all vital parts to selling and buying at the best possible price. As your local real estate agent, I am proud to support local trades. I strive to maintain good relationships with businesses and trades in this area to ensure that each of my clients receives the best, most comprehensive care for their home.

Our strong Cowichan Valley real estate market is a real challenge for buyers. It seems sellers are asking higher prices every week and often instructing their Realtor® to "hold for offers", which means allowing as many buyers as possible to view their home in the hopes of high-priced, often subject-free, offers.

So, what can you do if you are a buyer and looking for a house in the Cowichan Valley?

A Strategy

Well, there are several strategies and things you need to do (contact me below for a complete list of tips), but one buyer strategy is to instruct your Cowichan Valley Realtor® to write a "Bully Offer" or a "pre-emptive offer". This strategy is an attempt to get the seller to review your offer early, before the "holding for offers" date in an attempt to get in early before the other buyers can view and potentially drive up the price.

The seller, who has instructed their listing agent to hold for offers, is hoping for a full price or better than full price offer with as few conditions as possible. On the other hand, the buyer and their agent can never be sure how much interest a home is getting – maybe not as much as expected. Perhaps an early and very strong offer will be appealing to a seller. Perhaps the seller doesn’t want lots of people traipsing through their home or perhaps the home is tenanted and the seller will welcome a strong early offer.

A Strong Bully Offer

Now, a "Bully Offer" needs to be strong, as subject-free as possible, and often (sometimes substantially) over asking price with perfect completion and possession dates. There needs to be enough incentive for the seller to accept your "early" offer rather than "hold out" for the unknown on the disclosed date.

Having your Realtor® write a "Bully Offer" does not necessarily mean you are the only game in town – once a "Bully Offer" is submitted, other agents could scramble and write "Bully Offers" too, making it a multiple offer scenario.

Important Note

A seller is not obligated to review a "Bully Offer" and may instruct their Realtor® to wait until the "hold for offers" date like they had originally planned. There is a risk that the buyer could overpay - what happens if there are only two or three offers or no other offers at all and you had put in an over asking price "Bully Offer"?

In Closing

A knowledgeable, experienced, local Cowichan Valley Realtor® is your very best resource to make sure that there is validation to the price you are offering.

Looking at buying a home in and around Duncan and throughout the Cowichan Valley is a challenge in this market, but there are tactics and strategies that can help.

As you have probably heard, Cowichan Valley real estate is in demand with record low inventory and high prices. Many sellers are seeing this as an opportunity to see an excellent return on their property investments with many buyers seeking to upgrade within the Cowichan Valley and many people wanting to move here to take advantage of our open spaces and recreation opportunities.

One of the common real estate terms being used by both buyers and sellers is "holding for offers".

What does "Holding for Offers" mean?

In a more balanced market it would be common for sellers to consider the first offer that they receive once their house is listed. It might be the first person who views the home, it could be the tenth person – in any case, the seller has committed to a ‘first come, first served’ approach to offers on their home. The thought is that the first few buyers are the most motivated and will likely offer the best prices.

Right now, we are currently in a strong seller’s Cowichan Valley real estate market, which means there are fewer homes available than eligible buyers – sort of like a game of musical chairs – with more serious consequences.

In order to maximize the best possible sale price of their home and the very best conditions possible, sellers with the advice of a Cowichan Valley REALTOR® are "holding for offers". They are not looking at offers right away, they are instead making the decision to wait and give as many people as possible the opportunity to view their home – with the hope that will increase competition. In particular, it gives more out-of-town buyer’s the opportunity to view – and the out-of-town buyers are more likely to pay higher prices and offer better conditions.

Note: this does not imply that an out-of-town agent can bring more out-of-town buyers if they list your home – that simply isn’t true – they cannot ethically represent a buyer anyway. Your best success in the marketplace will be determined by the experience and marketing of your Realtor®.

This "holding for offers" approach can be very successful in this real estate market, resulting in offers over asking price and in some cases, unconditional offers – both circumstances will significantly benefit sellers.

What are the Risks?

One of the risks with "holding for offers", is to make sure a seller doesn’t underprice the house in the hopes to drive up offers. If a house is underpriced, the final offer price might not be above what the proper list price should have been. Prudent investigation and discussion with an experienced REALTOR® is critical to maximizing value.

In Closing

Finally, a hot seller’s Cowichan Valley real estate market doesn’t mean that shortcuts should be taken with the listing. Every effort should be made by the REALTOR® to provide every possible bit of information on the home to potential buyers and all avenues should be used to promote the home for maximum value.

It is prudent for a seller to choose a Cowichan Valley REALTOR® who will help properly research and prepare their home and have a solid game plan in place to generate interest and the best possible offer on their home.

If you have further questions on this topic, please contact our team today.

Simply put, the amount of excitement surrounding a new listing determines the amount of call-ins and showings. The urgency surrounding a new listing determines how quickly, how many, and how strong the offers might be.

As a Duncan REALTOR® covering Cowichan Valley real estate, it's important to know these things in order to provide the best service to the seller.

Excitement is generated by correct pricing (and that doesn’t mean pricing low), excellent curb appeal, complete visual package with PROFESSIONAL photographs, PROFESSIONAL floorplans, video and aerial photography if it enhances the property, an accurate write up, and complete information packages for buyers and for agents.

Complete Information Matters

Complete information packages include receipts for work on the home, data from the municipality about the home, data from VIHA on the septic field, any well information including portability reports, any insurability issues like wood stoves, zoning information, zoning maps so on and so forth.

This information will help agents write STRONG offers and buyers to move forward with purchasing your home with confidence.

The day when write-ups or photos following a day or two after a home is listed is long gone and simply not acceptable.

Prepare for Multiple Offers

All listings should be featured on a modern website, on social media, and broadcast to other agents operating in the market. Whether it's for the Ladysmith real estate, the Cowichan Valley real estate, or the Shawnigan Lake real estate market, it's important as a Duncan REALTOR® to cover these areas well.

Excitement leads to urgency. A buyer feels the need to move quickly on a home which has been properly prepared, presented and marketed – they are more likely to feel comfortable offering more favourable terms and conditions to the seller.

In this market, it will often lead to multiple offers which is very beneficial for the seller.

I feel strongly a seller can benefit even more in this hot seller’s market through proper preparation, presentation and marketing as there is even greater urgency. It’s easier to sell a house right now, that is for sure, by all sellers should be trying to MAXIMIZE every bit of value.

If you have further questions on this topic, please contact our team today.