How to Get Your Vaughan Home Ready to List

Most Vaughan homes don't need a renovation before they sell. They need a weekend of decluttering, a few small repairs, and good photos.

I've prepared and staged homes for sale for over 10 years. Here's the order I work in, and what I tell sellers to skip.

Start with the walk-through

Walk through your home the way a buyer would: from the curb, through the front door, room by room. Write down everything you'd notice if it wasn't your house. The scuffed baseboards, the dripping tap, the closet you can't close.

That list is your to-do list. Most items take an hour or less.

Declutter first, then clean

Buyers can't picture their own furniture in a room that's full of yours. Pack up about a third of what's in each room, including what's on the counters and in the closets. Buyers open closets.

Then deep clean. Windows, grout, baseboards, the inside of the oven. A clean house tells a buyer it's been looked after.

Fix the small things

These are the repairs that pay for themselves:

• Leaky taps, running toilets and loose handles
• Burnt-out bulbs (use the same colour of light throughout)
• Nail holes and scuffed walls
• Sticking doors and broken blinds
• Missing caulking in bathrooms

Small problems make buyers wonder what else is wrong. A home inspector will find all of them anyway.

Paint where it counts

If your walls are a strong colour or marked up, repaint in a light neutral. It's one of the cheapest ways to make a room look bigger and newer in photos.

You don't have to paint the whole house. Focus on the main floor and any room that will be a lead photo.

What to skip

Don't start a kitchen or bathroom renovation right before you list. You'll rarely get the full cost back, it delays your listing, and the buyer may not like your choices.

The same goes for new flooring in a home that's otherwise dated. Talk to me before you spend money on anything bigger than paint.

Stage the rooms buyers care about

The living room, kitchen and primary bedroom do most of the work. Arrange furniture so there's a clear path through each room, and give each room one clear purpose. A spare room used for storage should become an office or a bedroom again.

Fresh towels, a plant, and a clear kitchen counter make a bigger difference than people expect.

Don't forget the outside

Many homes in Vellore Village and the newer parts of Vaughan were built in the 2000s and 2010s. Garage doors, front doors and porch lights from that era can look tired. Paint or replace them, power-wash the driveway and walkway, and trim the shrubs.

Get the paperwork together

Buyers will ask. Have these ready before you list:

• Receipts for the roof, furnace, air conditioner and windows, with the year each was done
• Any permits for finished basements or additions
• Your utility costs and property tax bill
• Survey, if you have one