What to do next after you listed your house?

Here is the to-do list after you listed your house:

Declutter time!!

There is a detailed action plan you can find on our website (click to access) but if you don’t feel like reading it the jist would be to have it show-ready. Don’t have when people open your cupboards or closets things fall out on them. Don’t have it look like you just had a party and left and now they’ve arrived for their showing. Obviously, we want the home to feel inviting and somewhere they want to call home.

Decide if you want a for sale sign

Most people do get one, I would say 9/10. This helps agents find it for their showing but also lets the neighbours know and often they want friends to live near them or family members so they can tell them about it.

Get a spare key made

If you do not already have a spare key we will need one for the lockbox (or if you have keyless entry we can use that instead). If you live in a condo we will also need a fob so agents can get inside.

Get ready for photos

We do have free boxes and tape so if you need to do some pre-packing and put it in the garage or one of our free trailers please let us know so we can arrange for you to get some. When it’s photo day, please have all lights on and curtains open, no vehicles in the driveway, the yard tidied as much as possible, and have it ready as if an agent was about to bring a client through.

Once your home is listed our office will send you a copy of the listing for you to see as well as double-check to make sure there is nothing incorrect.

‘Feature booklets will be delivered to your home, please let us know when

you get down to 2 or 3 so we can order you some more.’

Please keep the sanitization station at the front door, for agents entering as well as the feature booklets out on an island, counter or dining table. Ps please do not throw the cards out but leave them out for agents to see how many people have been through, however, the agents will go over this with you because depending on what market you are listing in you don’t want to show that 80 agents have been through your home and not offered if you aren’t holding offers and have been listed for a year.

Showings. Our office will call, email, or text you in regards to showings and also use the app Showing Time for you to see showings, feedback, and so forth. Please try to say yes to as many showings as possible as when agents get denied a showing they will often just skip over that listing and not try to re-book it.

Offer(s). Depending on what market you are in, you may get zero or you may have 27 offers. We will go over them in detail with you and let you know what all the legal jargon means and make sure you are completely happy with any offer before signing off.

We will need to get this to your lawyer so please let us know who that is, if you don’t have someone we can recommend someone. Do not forget to tell your insurance agent and banking institution so they know if they are discharging your mortgage or moving it to another property.

Before closing (move out day) the buyers may do an appraisal. This does not mean they are backing out and is common in 40–60% of all transaction deals. This is just the bank double-checking it is what the client said it was. They don’t want to give them the funds for an 8 bedroom mansion only to find out it is just a mobile home on the lot and now the people are off living on some island and they’re left holding the bag and large bill. So don’t stress. Also before closing and mid-closing, they will most likely do a walk-through. Again this is not them backing out or looking for issues in your home but they may be bringing a contractor to see the home, a family member or friend, or maybe they’re just deciding how to place their furniture. Most sellers don’t understand the one right before closing but this is just to try all the appliances and make sure you didn’t have a party and punch a hole in every wall and so forth.

Moving day. Please be respectful and leave it in a clean and broom swept manner, they will appreciate it and you will be on your next home as well. The new buyers will most likely be getting the keys between 2 and 5 p.m so please don’t intend on staying there until midnight. If you have any warranties or manuals, spare keys, garage door openers, etc. please leave them on the kitchen table.

You’re in good hands!