The current value of your home is nearly always at the top of your mind when you begin to think about selling. It doesn’t matter if your big move is imminent or a few years down the line. Knowing what your property is worth informs your entire selling strategy, from setting a competitive price to knowing what upgrades to make and how to reach your most likely buyer..

Unfortunately, it can also be pretty challenging to get a handle of the monetary value of your home in today’s topsy-turvy market. One minute everything is up and prices are rising by the minute; the next, we are at a stand still. In addition, it can be disheartening if you had a home evaluation months ago during a hot market and values have since dropped.

All the same, a clear and accurate picture is essential if you want to achieve the best possible results from your sale. In this post, we’ll give you a few insider tips and resources so you can enter the market at a premium price point that generates maximum interest and exposure.

Timing Is Everything

Though we never suggest trying to time the market when buying or selling a home, it’s essential to understand the current scenario. As we mentioned earlier, you should never enter today’s market with yesterday’s information.

If you had a home evaluation six months ago, your best course of action is to disregard it completely. Conditions change rapidly in the current landscape. A new and updated evaluation taking the most recent updates into account will give you the best foundation to build your strategy upon.

Looking for even more ideas to come out ahead when selling your house? Here is some related reading that can help:

• Selling Your House in Hamilton? Here’s How to Make the Most of It
• 8 Important Things to Remember When Selling Your Home
• Why Home Sellers Need to Think More Like Buyers

What Is a Pre-Home Evaluation?

So far, we’ve talked about home evaluations – not pre-home evaluations. What’s the difference? If you Google “pre-home evaluation”, you won’t find many websites pop up with a clear answer. That’s because it’s a specialized service that Woolcott Real Estate provides to go a step above and beyond for our clients. Here’s the difference.

A home evaluation is a standard service where a real estate agent comes out and assesses your house, taking into account its age, condition, size and location, among other factors. They will also consider recent statistics about how your home compares to others that have recently sold in your neighbourhood. When your plan is solid and imminent, a home evaluation makes perfect sense. However, few life-changing decisions (like selling your house) are set in stone.

If you’re curious about home evaluations and what they mean, check out What’s Your House Really Worth?

Keeping the Long Term in Mind

That’s where our pre-home evaluation service comes in. Market conditions can change as quickly as the weather. A pre-home evaluation provides an assessment of the long-term value of your home independent of minor fluctuations. It’s an ideal step if selling is on your mind but you’re not 100% certain whether you will move at all.

Though the market fluctuates, most attributes of your home will not. You can make improvements over time. However, the square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and location of your house will not change overnight. These long-term factors are what we use during the pre-home evaluation process.

A pre-home evaluation isn’t the only service we provide to our clients. Woolcott Real Estate also offers complimentary staging. Learn more in The Power of Staging When Selling Your Home.

Value Beyond Selling

Many people will opt to get a home evaluation just before they sell to get an idea of what they’d be able to purchase next. However, what they don’t realize is how the information from a pre-home evaluation can help you make sound financial decisions.

Remember that your home is much more than the roof over your head and where you create precious, lifelong memories. It’s a significant financial asset. Even if you don’t plan to sell immediately, you can still consider the value of your home as part of your net worth and purchasing power. Whether you plan to borrow money to remodel your kitchen or take out a home equity loan, the value of your property is a determining factor in your budgeting.

Looking for advice for an exceptionally challenging selling situation? The posts below might cover it:

• Can You Successfully Sell a House With a Stigma?
• How to Sell Your Home After a Divorce
• Can You Sell a House When You Have Tenants?

Your Next Steps

As Drew Woolcott, broker of record, Re/Max Escarpment Woolcott Realty Inc puts it:

“A pre-home evaluation is a service Woolcott Real Estate provides for those that aren’t looking to sell right now, but perhaps down the road. Whether you’re thinking a cottage purchase is on the horizon or simply know that in a few years you’ll want to move somewhere with more space, knowing what your home is worth right now will help you determine how much to save and what’s financially viable.”

The Woolcott Real Estate Team also consults on which improvements or renovations can net more dollars, and can even have their in-house stagers come in for a pre-staging consultation to share ideas on how to get ready when the time comes to actually sell. Whatever the market is doing, we will spare no effort to ensure you earn the maximum return by making your home stand head and shoulders above competing listings.

A pre-home evaluation is a free, no-obligation service that Woolcott Real Estate provides! Reach out to us right here or call 905-332-9223 to learn more.