There's nothing like a Sunday full of open houses!  For me anyway...  Houses are popping up on the market every day and it's only going to get busier!  The mad rush is about to begin - and I'm ready for it - are you?

  If you're getting ready to list your home, there are some key points to remember:

1. STAY CALM

Ok, so that's really all you have to do.

There is a world full of professionals to take care of everything for you!  

In today's society full of "do-it-yourselfers", that last statement may not occur to you.  But I have to warn you that when it comes to something as big as selling your home, doing it yourself can be detrimental to the whole process.  

If you want to stand first in this competitive real estate market, your home has got to stand out.  Having your home staged professionally will do just that.  

Take a look at what professionals are saying about it here.

So take a deep breath -

If you do this right, you won't have a chance to think twice!

Call me crazy, but I love moving.

I love it that I get to pack away most of my personal items and wait eagerly in anticipation to bring them out again once I am settling into a new place. I don’t know when this really began, but I have moved so many times that it probably started when I was a child.

Back then, staging wasn’t a necessity. Back then, it was only a few days before I could rediscover all of my little treasures that I cherished so dearly. And I was so excited to pull the items out of a box or two and put them into new places – except for the few times that those new places were places I had to share with my two sisters!  My brother was lucky in one respect. He always had his own room.

But I’m over that now. It’s true that I’m older now, and home staging has become a necessity in order to sell your home, but I will always love the thrill of carefully packing away the few personal effects that don’t belong on display for the world to see only to carefully unwrap every item like it’s Christmas morning when I have found a new home for them.

If you’re anything like me, you don’t just live in your house, you THRIVE in your HOME. When it comes time to sell – for whatever reason, you must learn to live in your house. If you do this right, it won’t take long before you can thrive in your new home! It’s really a simple step to take, but can make a world of difference if you don’t. You’ve got to emotionally detach.

Step 1: Remove all family and personal photographs from sight. Pack them away.
Step 2: Any religious items need to be hidden from sight during showings and open houses.
Step 3: Personal collections, jewellery and family heirlooms should be packed away.

It’s that simple! Unfortunately, it’s NOT that simple for everyone. And I understand this. But you must look at the larger picture, step outside yourself and see how not following these steps could affect you and your family. Unless you are living in a highly desirable area and your house is priced below market value, then you need to emotionally detach. It will only be for a short period of time, and if you consider the unpacking process a burden, now it will become a pleasurable experience .

Ok, you’re still not convinced? Let me tell you about the first home I ever owned, and sold 4 years
ago. I wish I had emotionally detached before I moved. I walked backwards down the laneway with tears overflowing, trying to imprint the house in my mind as forever mine. 

Yes, I had made a life there. Yes, I had made memories there. Yes, I put my sweat into every ounce of work that was accomplished there. And finally – YES I should always think of that house with fondness. But it would have been much easier if I had let go two months prior to the sale, when it was first listed. It would have made selling the house a much quicker, and easier process. I have sold 2 houses since then (applying the rule of emotionally detaching) and they both sold in record time, and for a price I never thought possible.

So – quicker selling time, better selling price – that sounds good already! But also factor in your
emotions. Moving can be very stressful, so why not remove what stress you can control? If you
emotionally detach now, you can improve the whole process!