By Ray Francis, REALTOR®, Royal LePage In The Comox Valley
Sellers often ask whether they should renovate the kitchen before listing. Almost always the answer is no. Buyers in the Valley pay for clean, bright, well-maintained and honestly priced. Here is where preparation money and effort actually go.
Worth doing
- Declutter and depersonalize. Buyers need to picture their own furniture and photos in the space. Rent a storage unit if you have to.
- Deep clean, including windows. Coastal homes collect grime on the exterior glass and siding; a pressure wash and window clean make a surprising difference in photographs.
- Fix the small things. Dripping taps, sticking doors, burnt-out bulbs and cracked switch plates all signal deferred maintenance.
- Paint in a neutral colour where walls are marked or bold.
- Tidy the yard and the entry. Curb appeal is the first photograph and the first impression at the door.
Usually not worth doing
Full kitchen or bathroom renovations, new flooring throughout, and major landscaping rarely return their cost at sale. Price the home to reflect its condition instead; buyers here are happy to take on cosmetic work at the right number.
Documents to gather
Property tax notices, utility bills, permits for any work done, warranties, the septic and well records if you are rural, and strata documents if you are in a strata. Having them ready shortens the subject period and builds buyer confidence.
How the timeline runs
Ray's evaluation and walkthrough come first, then preparation (one to three weeks for most homes), professional photography, and the listing going live on the MLS® System, REALTOR.ca and this site. He follows up after every showing and reports what buyers said. Well-priced Valley homes typically see their strongest interest in the first two weeks.