21. Make Your Home Odor Free
When a buyer enters your home, every major sense will come into play. If you have pets, smoke, or cook odorous foods frequently, you will want to take steps to remove any and all odors before a buyer enters. This may mean cleaning or freshening carpets and drapery or deodorizing the kitchen with an exhaust fan and an open box of baking soda. If necessary, you can also use candles or wax burners to infuse good, homey smells into an area.

22. Make it Light and Bright
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of interior decorating. Unfortunately, it is often one of the most overlooked aspects of home selling. If you want buyers to notice the finer details in your home, you will need to make sure each room is light and bright. If you can’t get enough natural light from the windows, consider adding recessed lights, scones, antique table lamps, and other attractive sources of artificial light.

23. Clean the Carpet
If you have carpet with a stain or two, you need to rent a carpet cleaner or have the carpet cleaned by a professional. By cleaning the carpet, you can significantly improve the look of a room and let the buyer concentrate on something besides the fact that they will have to clean or replace the carpet themselves before moving in.

24. Arrange Furniture for Optimal Effect
Although you may like having your recliner situated right in front of the television, it may not provide the best look for the room. You should always arrange furniture for optimal effect. You want the rooms to look spacious and open. You also w

ant to be able to create a smooth traffic flow within a room and from room to room.

25. Install Closet Organizers
Today’s buyers want walk-in closets and storage space. Pre-built closet organizers are an especially hot selling feature and a small investment that will make you money ten times over. The most popular places for organizers include bedroom closets, kitchen pantries, laundry rooms, and mudrooms.

16. Replace Leaking Fixtures and Pipes
Buyers will be instantly turned off by faucets that leak and pipes that drip. By updating fixtures and pipes, and repairing any damage that may have been caused, you give the buyer one less thing to complain about and one more reason to buy the house.

17. Consider Remodeling
A newly remodeled kitchen or bath could add thousands to the value of your home. In many cases, homeowners who perform a smart remodel can make their money back times three. If you can afford to do it and have the time, you may want to consider remodeling to boost the amount of money you get from your home’s sale.

18. Clean Thoroughly
If you are trying to sell your home for top dollar, everything needs to shine. Before showing the house, take time to clean everything from the bathrooms and living spaces to windows and appliances. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, hire someone to come in for an overhaul and then once a week to freshen things up.

19. Remove the Clutter
The number one rule of home selling is to remove any and all clutter. Stacked books, kid’s toys, and everything else that does not compliment the style of a room needs to be packed away, removed, or hidden from view. If necessary, rent a storage unit. The less clutter you have out, the easier it will be for the buyer to look at the actual item they are buying: the house.

20. Remove Personal Items
Buyers want to see a home they are viewing as their home. They may have a hard time doing this if you have too many personal items, such as pictures, trophies, collectibles, and signs around the house indicating that it is your home. It may be difficult to de-personalize your home, especially if you are still living there, but it is a necessary step to optimize selling potential.

Ontario to provide 75 per cent tax rebate on first $400,000

ROBERT BENZIE
QUEEN’S PARK BUREAU CHIEF
Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals are sweetening the pot in a bid to make the controversial harmonized sales tax more palatable to Ontarians.

In a surprise move this morning, the government announced it was capitulating to homebuilders’ demands by effectively reducing taxes proposed on new homes.

Under the change, buyers of new homes in all price ranges would receive a 75 per cent rebate of the 8 per cent provincial portion of the HST on the first $400,000 of the cost.

In the March 26 budget, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan had said that while people purchasing new homes costing less than $400,000 would be eligible for the tax break, those buying more expensive homes would get little relief.

It would have been a recipe for disaster for consumers and developers because there would be a gradual increase in taxes on homes costing between $400,000 and $500,000 and a massive one on those priced above $500,000.

For residents of Greater Toronto, where homes are more expensive than in the rest of Ontario, it would have been especially onerous.

“During these challenging economic times, the McGuinty government’s enhanced housing rebate would improve affordability for more homebuyers – increasing the most generous housing rebate of its kind in Canada,” Duncan, who was not available for comment, said in a news release.

The Liberals also announced a new rebate to encourage builders to construct rental housing units.

The HST, which will blend the 8 per cent provincial sales tax and the 5 per cent federal GST, is to come into effect July 1, 2010.

Since it was announced early this spring, the government has weathered an avalanche of criticism because the business-friendly levy will increase taxes on gasoline, heating fuel, funerals, newspapers, fast-food value meals, legal services and a slew of other things.

A Toronto Star-Nanos Research poll last month found 67 per cent of people polled have a negative view of the melded tax compared to 23 per cent seeing it as positive and 10 per cent unsure.

11. Price Your Home to Sell
While you may want to get as much money as possible out of your home sale, you will stand little chance of selling quickly or even selling at all if the home is overpriced. This is why it is essential that you know your market before setting a price. The more knowledge you can obtain from neighbors who have recently sold, listing agents, and other resources like the Internet, the better off you will be.

12. Get a Home Inspection
Although most buyers will want their own home inspection, you can save yourself from any unexpected and unpleasant surprises by getting your own home inspection prior to putting your house on the market. A qualified and competent home inspector can look everything over and let you know if there are any potential problems that you should worry about.

13. Get a Termite Inspection
In some areas, lenders require a termite inspection before the home sale can conclude. If you live in an area where termite inspections are common, you can complete this step as soon as you put your home on the market to save time later on.

14. Think Like a Buyer
Before doing anything else, you will want to walk through and around your home.

As you are doing this, think like a buyer and make a list of anything that might need to be changed. Because it can sometimes be hard to be objective when it comes to your own house, you may want to have a trusted (and blunt) friend, family member, or real estate agent accompany you on the walkthrough.

15. Make Necessary Repairs
You should always try to repair any minor or major flaws prior to selling your home. Minor things include loose doorknobs, squeaky hinges, and crooked light fixtures. Major things include foundation problems, a leaky roof, and damaged siding or windows. Buyers may not notice every repair you make, but they will notice every repair you didn’t make.

6. Negotiate Commissions
Real estate agents don’t work for free. If they sell your home, they will be expecting a commission. The amount of commission they get will be agreed upon when you sign a listing contract, and can often vary depending on the market and region. Although most sellers don’t realize it, the amount of commission the real estate agent gets is negotiable. This doesn’t necessarily give you a license to take advantage of the real estate agent, but it does give you an opportunity to increase the amount of money that you take away from the table once the house has sold. WARNING – This does not mean that paying a lower commission gets you more money in your pocket.

7. Offer the Agent Extra Incentive
Although the agent should be dedicated to selling your home as quickly as possible and for as much money as possible automatically, it doesn’t hurt to offer them some additional incentive. You can offer an increased commission or a bonus if the home sells for a certain amount of money in a specific amount of time.

8. Get a Lockbox
When agents write up a listing contract, they ask sellers whether or not a lockbox will be available at the home.

If you want to increase your chances of selling as fast as possible, you will want to say yes to this question. A lockbox gives agents access to your house key, as well as the ability to show your home anytime a buyer wants to see it. With a lockbox, you guarantee that you don’t miss out on any opportunities for potential buyers to see your home.

9. Hire a Real Estate Lawyer
If you have decided to forgo the help of a real estate agent and sell the home on your own, you may want to consider hiring the services of a real estate lawyer. These legal professionals can help you draw up paperwork, analyze offers, and act as an escrow agent. You will also have the confidence that comes with knowing someone is working for you with your best interests in mind.

10. Analyze the Market
There is a lot of unsold inventory that you will be required to compete with when selling your home, making it imperative that you know the local market. If possible, find out what types of homes buyers are looking for, the average age of buyers in your neighborhood, how long homes take to sell, and how much they eventually sell for. This will allow you to stage your home appropriately and develop selling expectations.