Preparing Your Home For Showing First impressions really count with home buyers. A small investment in time and effort can provide a big advantage when your Sales Representative shows your home to a prospective buyer. Here are some suggestions for preparing your home for showing: First Impressions - General House exterior in good repair House number easy to see Eavestroughs, downspouts and soffits painted and in good repair Garage/carport clean and tidy Litter picked up Cracked or broken window panes replaced Wash all windows inside and out. Curtains and drapes should be fresh and attractive Adjust all doors, including closets and windows so they can be opened and closed First Impressions - Summer Lawns cut and raked Hedges and shrubs trimmed Gardens weeded and edged First Impressions - Winter Snow and ice cleared away from walks and driveway Sidewalks sanded or salted Boot tray inside front door General Remove junk from the attic, basement, closets and tool shed, and have a successful garage sale. Contribute whatever remains to the next garbage pickup. Organize the closets. Water all dying plants or get rid of them. Dust, clean and scrub everything ? that means EVERYTHING ? from attic to basement. Replace broken tiles on walls or floors and repaste loose or dangling wall paper. Make the beds and keep all clothes out of sight. Secure all banisters and handrails. Remove posters and adhesive from walls and doors. Paint the basement floor and walls if needed. If basement shows signs of any water or structural problems, a structural engineer's report is suggested. Remove excess extension cords and exposed wires to lamps and fixtures. Replace all broken screens, cracked window panes, faulty light fixtures, loose basement stair steps or anything else not in good working condition. At the Front Door Doorbell works Door hardware in good repair Porch and foyer clean and tidy Fresh air in house Interior Maintenance Cracked plaster repaired Chipped paint touched up Door knobs and cupboard latches tight Leaky taps and toilets repaired Furnace wiped down and cleaned Burned out light bulbs replaced Squeaky doors oiled High watt light bulbs in dark rooms Carpets freshly vacuumed & shampood Get all bugs and flies out of all light fixtures. Wash fixtures and bulbs. Clean all rubbish out of all fireplaces, particularly the ones that have not been lit in the last three years. Put two coats of off-white paint over any dark coloured walls. Also, if walls are dirty, one coat of white paint will work wonders. Bathroom Mirrors, fixtures and taps cleaned and polished Leaky taps and toilets repaired Seals around tubs and basins in good repair Floors cleaned, garbage containers emptied Inside of cupboards and cabinets clean and neat Towels clean and matching Clutter put away If you cannot get rid of stains in toilet bowl, buy a new one. This applies to all bathrooms, including the one in the basement that is seldom used. Throw away the torn shower curtain and put up a new one. Kitchen Sinks and taps clean and polished Appliances cleaned Counter tops clear and polished Inside of cupboards and cabinets clean and neat Small appliances put away Clutter put away Remove every bit of grease from the inside of the oven or ovens and burner trays. Vancouver Island Real estate Board Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Moving Checklist Send Change of Address Cards to: Post Office - 746-4523 Charge Accounts Subscriptions Friends Relatives Make Arrangements with Moving Company Transfer Memberships Church Clubs Civic Organizations Disconnect Utilities, get refund for any deposits made, and advise where final bills are to be sent Water Electric - 746-1545 Gas - Terasen Gas 746-8896 Telephone - 1-250-310-2255 Fuel: Island Pacific Oil - 748-6555 Columbia Fuels - 746-5533 Garbage Removal Shaw Cable 748-9113 Notify Insurance Companies Health Life Auto Home Owners Check with Insurance Agent on coverage for Life, Car and Household goods in route to new home Obtain School Records for Children Obtain Birth and Baptismal Records for All Family Members Obtain Legal Records Check to see if your Will must be rewritten Cancel Deliveries Milk Newspapers Other Transfer Bank Accounts Chequing Savings Safe Deposit Box Have Bank recommend affiliate in new location Obtain Medical Records General Practitioner Dentist Optometrist Other Doctors Have Drug Prescriptions Refilled Have Car Tuned Up for Trip Leave Keys and any necessary Legal Papers with your Realtor Homeowners 10 Rules For A Successful Showing Leave the house during each showing! Don't stick around to answer questions. Buyers will not bring up their objections with you nearby, but they will discuss with the Real Estate Agent if you are not present. This gives the agent the opportunity to overcome the objections. Turn on every light in the house! Just before your home is being shown, turn on every light in the house including closets and bathrooms (especially those bright heat lamps in the bathroom). This makes your house seem bright and cheerful, and avoids a situation where buyers are led down a dark hallway during the showing. Open all drapes, curtains and blinds! It is very important that prospective buyers see your home in the very best "light". Be certain the windows have been cleaned, then let in all the light you can. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Turn off the television! It is difficult for your Real Estate Agent to keep the attention of prospects focused on your house when an interesting Oprah Winfrey or Jeopardy is competing for their attention. Turn it off before you leave the house! Turn on the stereo! Turn on your best stereo to a soft, "easy listening" station, and turn the volume down low. Most buyers like to imagine themselves living in a peaceful, serene atmosphere. Open all the closet doors! When closet doors are open, the rooms appear larger than life. This allows you to emphasize the spaciousness of your home. Be sure the closets are neatly arranged before you do this. Keep all pets outdoors! Your pets are of no interest whatsoever to buyers who may be considering your home. The distraction and inconvenience which a pet could cause should be eliminated. Keep pets outdoors. Lower the thermostat! Or raise it! During hot summer months, lower the thermostat several degrees so buyers will notice the cool efficiency of your air conditioning system. In the winter, especially on bone-chilling days, raise the thermostat during the showing, making your home feel toasty warm. Build a blazing fire! If you have enough notice, build a crackling fire in the fireplace on winter days, before you leave the house. What family wouldn't enjoy cozy evenings roasting popcorn in front of the fire? Bake bread! To give your home the aroma of days gone by in grandmother's country kitchen, bake some fresh bread just before a showing. Some alternatives to baking bread might be warming cinnamon rolls in the oven, perking a fresh pot of coffee, grinding citrus peels in the garbage disposal or using lightly scented aromatherapy products.

My lawyer said, "you have chosen well."--that sums up Phil's performance. I liked his professional knowledge and manners; it was well complemented by his understanding, caring qualities. In both the selling and buying transactions, I appreciated the fact that he gave me ideas and options; but he was willing to wait until I made the decision. It has been a pleasure to know Phil Rooke! Jean Williams Thank you, Phil, for the excellent way you handled all things connected to the sale of my home. You always had time to answer my numerous questions and helped in every way possible. I would never hesitate to recommend you. I’ve come to know you in the last 10 years and have appreciated the way you have handled all the transactions you have carried out for me. Elva Lambrecht We appreciated the lack of pressure sales tactics and his exceptional knowledge of all aspects of the real estate transaction. Phil came across as a very genuine person we could count on. Randy & Debbie McLeod When I first met Phil, I knew he was the person to sell our house. He worked out a plan that was best for our particular house, and worked around shift schedules. I was very satisfied and really appreciated the effort Phil put into both the sale and purchase and recommend him to anyone interested in selling or buying. John Large I have known you for a long time with previous house purchases. Your performance is 110%! You do not push; you take time to explain every detail. I find that important, even though I have purchased and sold a lot of houses. As always, you take the stress out of buying or selling. Kurt Adelborg My sincere thanks, Phil for finding exactly what I was looking for. I am deeply appreciative of all your efforts! You were very sensitive to what type of accommodation I was looking for and you found the perfect spot! There wasn’t a thing, honestly, that wasn’t done to help me out! Florence Garson