Our 5 senses play an integral role in our processing of the world around us; these sensory cues trigger our emotional responses. Thus, we associate different emotions with different experiences. Some subtle touches can highlight the best features of your home, creating the experience that has potential buyers imagining this as their future home!
Sight
What we sense by sight is one of the very first things we notice about a place we have never been in before. Set a welcoming tone for the experience from the moment potential home buyers pull up with a manicured lawn and healthy plants for the top curb appeal.
Inside, give your home a good declutter and clean! When looking at homes for sale, buyers want to feel assured that they have been well cared for and will have enough space for everything they need. If you are unsure where to start, use the top to bottom, left to right method—beginning with ceiling fans and tops of shelves, working your way down all the way to the floors, utilizing bins for knick-knacks, loose bits and bobs, and personal items. For extra organization, use a colour-coded container for each member of the household to better keep track.
Lastly, be sure to highlight key areas by opening up the curtains and turning on the lights in darker areas! Window dressings such as curtains and blinds can often be neglected, so be sure to give these some love and care.
Smell
Though we can become desensitized to the smells in our own homes, home sellers must put themselves in the buyer's shoes and thoroughly deodorize, neutralize, and freshen the space. Think about how off-putting pet odours and trash odours will be to buyers! Be sure to take out the trash and clean things like litter boxes, putting them away in the laundry room.
Experts recommend using harsh cleaning solutions for deep cleaning to prepare the home for new owners. However, we must advise against using products that have strong scents when showing to potential buyers. Instead, use only mildly scented products. Candles are also not recommended to be used during showings—not only for the risk of the open flame but also because overly scented/artificial aromas may signal buyers that you are trying to mask odours!
Experienced REALTORs will propose using more natural fragrances, such as doing laundry beforehand, placing dryer sheets in drawers, or using clean linen scented plug-in (unplugged a few hours before). These give the home a fresh and clean scent, rather than an artificial and unnatural one. Baking cookies before a showing or heating up a few drops of vanilla on the stove will also provide a sense of warmth and comfort. Studies have also shown that citrus scents make a home feel worth more.
Taste
A day of home showings can be exhausting to buyers, and no one can truly enjoy their experience if they're hungry or thirsty. Simple snacks and bottles of water left for potential buyers can be the exact touch needed to leave that lasting, welcoming impression. Those cookies we talked about earlier? They can serve a double purpose here, just saying!
Touch
Of all lasting impressions, dusty and gritty surfaces that leave texture on your hands aren’t a good one. Make sure to dust so that buyers’ fingers come away clean! You want to be sure that they feel comfortable enough to touch. And leave closet doors cracked open for them to check out the storage spaces and vacuum carpets (both ways) for that plush and luxurious feel.
The idea is to emphasize what is already amazing about your home and help buyers to imagine the life they can make in the home. Thinking your home may need more of a facelift to get it showing-ready? Consider whether you may need to renovate before selling your home and contact me today about becoming your REALTOR!
Have you just moved into your dream home and can’t wait to grow your own outdoor oasis with vegetables and flowers, but don't know where to get started? Or are you a notorious plant killer that is looking for guidance so your attempt at boosting your home’s curb appeal for sale doesn’t end in disappointment? Hope is not lost! Here is a list of essential tips to help you get started!
Location, Location, Location
Like starting your home search, gardening is all about the location! The phrase "out of sight, out of mind" definitely applies to gardening, so be sure to place your garden somewhere that you will see regularly. That way, you will be more inclined to show it some TLC.
You also want to know where the sunlight hits in your yard, as most plants need large amounts of sun exposure to thrive. Placing your garden close to a water source where you can efficiently run a water hose is also incredibly important for when your plants get thirsty. A great indicator of this is if the soil is dry up to your first knuckle, then it’s time to give your plants a drink!
Cut Down on Lawn Work
One of the best landscaping tips you can get regarding your home is to save time on lawn chores by reducing the grass-covered areas in your yard. The time you will save by combining the use of trees, shrubs, boulders, and other decorative plants to make an eye-catching display in your front and back yards is sure to amaze. And the beauty of these elements is that they are maintenance-free, leaving the time for you (or your potential buyers!) to dedicate yourself elsewhere.
Start Your Garden with Good Soil
You have found your ideal location and reduced your lawn chores, so now what? Start your garden-growing journey strong by using good, nutrient-rich soil. Many local garden gurus here in Saskatoon recommend working with compost, manure, or dried peat moss to combat the drier conditions we tend to face.
Choose the Right Plants
Match the plants you select to your growing conditions and be mindful of placement within your garden. Sunflowers are named as such for a reason, and pumpkins like ample elbow room for all of their vines. Ask around your Saskatoon neighbourhood what plants your neighbours find success with in your area and take note of what they have planted. And don’t forget about the different seasons!
Listing your home for sale soon and need some quick curb appeal without waiting for seeds to sprout? An easy way to fill an empty garden with plenty of colour in summer and into the fall is to plant a few annual starters and keep them well watered. They’ll keep everything looking cheery and bright for summer selling, then die off in the fall so the new owners can start fresh in the spring!
Timing is Everything
Planting too early or too late could mean an accidental killing spree on your plants. The last average spring frost date in Saskatoon is typically around May 15, so plan to plant after that to avoid casualties. And keep in mind the first seasonal frost happens usually around September 11th to 20th, so plan accordingly for fall flair!
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Time release-fertilizers will keep your garden fed for more extended periods, meaning reducing the frequency you need to fertilize. And having a timed sprinkler system can shave countless hours off your maintenance schedule, which can be super helpful if you plan to spend more time at your Saskatchewan lake property this season!
Of course, the best news is, the more you garden, the better and more knowledgeable you will get! So don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the moments, whether they are the first in your new home or your last before you leave.
CENTURY 21 Fusion
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CENTURY 21 Fusion
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(306) 653-8222
INFO & SERVICES
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