Looking at that post title, I realize it could come across as a threat. As if, any time you head off on a trip, you have to be concerned about coming home to find another family moving in and a big SOLD sign on your lawn.
Fear not, the odds of me selling your home when you are on vacation are slim unless we’ve agreed to it beforehand.
I made just such an arrangement with a client in Aurora and while she is away with the kids at a resort, we are listing her house. In fact, we’re listing it today. Take a look at some of the pictures of this gorgeous 4 bedroom, 2 ½ washroom townhome near Wellington and Bayview and let me know if you or someone you know would be a good fit!
The idea of listing the home when she was on vacation came about when a month ago we were discussing timing for the sale and how it is challenging to add in keeping a home in its best possible state to an already busy life. Anyone who has ever sold a home knows that how you live and how you pretend you live when you’re selling your home are two very different things!
When she mentioned that there was a planned holiday in early July, I said it’s the perfect opportunity to list the home. There are three big benefits to listing your home while you are away.
- It stays clean. No matter how tidy you are, living in a home means making a mess sometimes. Cooking a big meal means dirty dishes and pots and pans and a potential buyer might want to see the place before you’ve had time to do the dishes.
- You’re not there to be bothered. While I do my best to minimize the inconveniences that are part of selling your home, your regular routine will be interrupted by visits from strangers who want to poke around your home. The fact that it is scheduled and you know in advance doesn’t help when you haven’t been able to relax on the couch for 4 days.
- More people see it. When the seller is away or a property is vacant, agents and their clients can see the place without much notice. This may make all the difference in how quickly the home sells. On a number of occasions, I’ve had clients buy homes that I was able to squeeze into our showings because it was available on short notice.
When I have clients who can plan a vacation around the showing period of the sale of their home, I work with them to make sure that the home is taken care of while they are away. You of course need to be careful that you don’t broadcast to the world that the owners of a house are away and the house is available for parties or break-ins.
Whether it is a house-sitter, a security system or periodic drop-ins by myself or a trusted friend or neighbour, you can have the benefits of listing while away and still keep your home safe. In the case of my client in Aurora, she has all of the above arranged!
I’ll be doing an open house on both Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 so feel free to send me a message for details on the location.
If you or someone you like wants to sell a home while on vacation, I’d love to be responsible for what comes next.
Regards,
Jeff
INTERIOR WINDOWS
Windows are most often used to create connections between the indoor and the outdoors. But there are many cases when an indoor space needs a connecting window to another indoor space.
In particular, hallways or corridors can often benefit from an interior window. Where privacy is not an issue, an interior window can turn a hallway that feels deserted into a part of the home that is connected to other nearby rooms and spaces.