Selling Your Home? Buying a Home? Get Maximum Value for Your $$$ With Storage in Ottawa
It’s that time of year again!
The ice and snow are melting. The geese are back, and people are beginning to venture outside once again. Spring is here in Ottawa. And that can only mean one thing!
Road construction?
Okay, two things. That, and…
Home buying-and-selling season!
The Ottawa real estate market has heated up into overdrive, with home prices spiking and time-on-market dropping. It’s a “seller’s market” out there, to be sure. And March and April are the prime months for Ottawa home sales, with countless houses and condos popping up in the listings every day. Even in this market, sellers have to be competitive to get maximum value. And buyers must be competitive – and flexible – in making offers that get accepted.
That means that storage in Ottawa is as important as ever! Why? If you’re selling, you’ll want to declutter your home to get it into optimum sales condition. If you’re buying, you may need to be flexible on moving dates, potentially causing a period of transition and a need for storage. And for anyone who is downsizing, storage can help bridge that gap too!
Self-Storage in Ottawa for Home Sellers
You might be tempted to think, “no problem, it’s a seller’s market, so we can do the bare minimum and just get it listed ASAP to sell like that!” Whoa, there, not so fast! Contrary to this dangerous misconception, houses don’t just sell themselves, even in heated “seller’s markets.” A good realtor will back this up, of course. In the current Ottawa real estate market, you’ll want to attract multiple offers, potentially going into a bidding war and possibly getting more than list price (maybe even quite a bit more). Are buyers acting on pure emotion and ignoring the basics? While emotion plays a role, they’re also looking at neighbourhoods, lot size, commute times and other factors. When it comes to your home, it needs to be in tip-top shape! If buyers arrive at your open house or showing and encounter clutter, disorganization or otherwise unattractiveness in your home, how likely are they to make an offer? And even if they do, will be it for what you’d hoped? Probably not, on both accounts. That’s why it’s important to clean and organize your home from top to bottom prior to listing it on the market.
Being confronted with home filled with “stuff” is generally considered “unsightly” for buyers. That’s why many realtors and real estate experts recommend staging your home. This might sound off-putting for some sellers, but it doesn’t have to be. While some houses do get the full “makeover” treatment when it comes to staging (“out with the old, in with the new” to create a space that’s totally different), most homes don’t need this much. What’s important to realize is that you’ve lived in your home for some years, and now’s a good time to take off some of that “lived-in” look. If you have space in your garage and/or basement, you can neatly take out some furniture and other items and move them into these spaces. But those are still part of your home and shouldn’t appear too cluttered, either. That’s why putting some of your belongings into short-term storage can be a great investment. For as little as a few hundred dollars, you can get thousands of dollars in return on your investment! Be it large items such as furniture, or a series of boxes containing many little (but important to you) belongings, placing these into storage in Ottawa can clear up the home and get it a clean, simple look. After all, that’s what buyers want to see. Contact Acceptable Storage in Ottawa today – we’ll be happy to work with you on finding the right storage solution so that you can sell your home quickly and for maximum value!
Also, if you’re selling now and moving into a smaller home next, self storage in Ottawa can help bridge the gap. We’ve got an article for you on that very subject, so have a look here.
Self-Storage in Ottawa for Home Buyers
Are you looking at buying a home? Even in this market? You’ve probably concluded by now that a “seller’s market” really puts pressure on you as a buyer. If you’re experiencing frustration with what’s out there and angst about having to expand your budget and/or change your home buying criteria, you’re not alone. But we’ve got some good news in all of this for you! What if you had a way to get the home you wanted, at the price you wanted, simply by changing your timeline? If you have already sold your current home or are otherwise committed to a moving date (lease is up, job transfer, etc.), you don’t necessarily have to move into that new home on the exact date of your choice. Instead, find out (through discussing with the seller, or having your agent talk to theirs) about what the seller’s desired timeline is, then make an offer with those exact dates! But wait, you say, what about all of your stuff – and a roof over your head? For the latter, get creative – stay with friends or family, get short-term (furnished) housing, take a vacation, stay in a hotel… whatever it takes, within reason of course. As for your belongings, you can have peace of mind by placing these into short-term storage. At Acceptable Storage in Ottawa, we have storage units of varying sizes and dimensions, and will be happy to work with you to accommodate your move-out and move-in dates.
If you’re selling your current home and buying another one, you’re seeing both sides of this dilemma. So that’s double the need or double the confirmation for the case for self storage, right? Well, yes, of course! Downsizing or upsizing? No problem, we’ve got you covered there as well.
How Can Acceptable Storage in Ottawa Help?
We’ve worked with countless home buyers and home sellers in Ottawa over the years. Our storage units range from as small as one that will fit some boxes and a desk or chair, to large units (or combined units) to fit your entire household goods in transition. Give us a call today at 613.822.7666 – or use our contact form – to get started. We’re glad to be helpful partners in your home-buying and/or selling process.