Let’s face it: this is by far NOT a seller’s market today. While you expected the market might turn, it didn’t do so as quickly as you would have liked. In fact, in many instances the market has worsened when we expected it to improve. It’s a fact; we hear it every day on the news. Almost like they are trying to make us, as sellers, feel depressed about it! That’s the media for you.

Many of us are handling two mortgage payments because our first home won’t sell—we’re depressed enough! Don’t get too down, though. There is hope. What you need to do is make your home stand out and market it well. Here are some tips on how to prepare your home to sell so that it will actually sell and not just sit on the market and collect dust while you handle two mortgage payments (or worse, while you are stuck and can’t move as soon as you’d planned!). First of all, upgrade things. You don’t have to spend a fortune. In fact, it probably is a good idea not to, because you won’t get much return on your investment. The key here is to upgrade in small ways.

For example, replace door knobs. Sounds like a super small common sense thing, sure. But it makes a big difference. If the door knobs look dated, that gives the sense that the interior is dated. New knobs, trim, and other small additions give a sense that the home is newer and more updated. Make sure that the outside of the home, and all of the interior walls are neutral colours. You may just LOVE that gorgeous ruby red in the kitchen and that sunny yellow in the bathroom, but it’s not realistic your buyer will love the same colours you do. Buyers, however, are totally ok with neutral colours like white and earth tones. If you insist on experimenting, do so with a colour that is all the rage today and isn’t too obnoxious.