Locked Down & Quarantined? What To Do!

January and early February 2020 were shaping up to be one of the hottest real estate markets in recent memory – and then Coronavirus came along. Mandated social distancing, business closures and financial uncertainty have brought the residential real estate market to a halt.

Despite being listed as an “essential service”, real estate agents and brokerages are seeing the population making personal safety a priority.  

Get Ready For The Big Comeback

We don't know what the economy will look like three, six, nine, or 12 months from now, but most of us think there will be a time when daily living returns to normal.  The backlog of real estate transactions along with home buyers and sellers that have put things on hold for months could make for a competitive housing market when life recovers.

Preparation is Paramount

At the most basic level, there are three steps to getting your home ready:

1. Decluttering  2.Paint and Repair 3. Staging

For those pondering a possible move or relocation in the future, now is the time to prepare! De-cluttering and purging! There is often a rewarding feeling after getting rid of “stuff” that we hold onto for no apparent reason. Whether we are planning to sell our home in the future or planning to live in it for an eternity, no one likes clutter!

There’s plenty of decluttering tips to be found online including this one from the Huffington Post.

Click Here to get some practical advice on organizing your home and other aspects of your life from the organizational Queen herself Marie Kondo

Here is a real world sample of a room that I dealt with for a client that clearly benefited from the declutter process:

Before De-Cluttering:

 

After De-Cluttering: 

Whether you are considering selling or not, getting rid of the stuff that clutters our environment gives us a sense of achievement and takes our mind off these trying times.

If you are wondering about the state of the market or are unsure about the timing of listing a home in the current market, don’t hesitate to drop me a line or call me at 416-992-7338.

Stay tuned for Part Two where we look at Painting, Fixing and Staging your home.