There are a lot of steps to prepare your home for sale. (See the illustration of our 8 Steps Selling System).

Luckily, you’ve hired The Helen Tang Real Estate Team to coordinate it all for you. Take a look at these frequently asked questions or contact us if there’s something else on your mind.

Home prep day(s)

The Helen Tang Real Estate Team has hired great local contractors who also offer competitive pricing. This allows us to keep our costs low to put more in your pocket. In many circumstances, our contractors are working on projects to help your home show it’s best in photos to encourage buyers to schedule in-person or virtual showings.

What should I expect from cleaning services?

Should I be home during cleaning?

In our best efforts to practice social distancing due to COVID-19, we ask that homeowners not be present during cleaning, staging and photography.

What will be cleaned during my Home Prep cleaning?

We hire professional cleaners to do a “regular clean.”

Will the inside of my appliances be cleaned?

Cleaning the insides of appliances is considered a “Deep Clean” service. The listings team will determine if ordering this service will be beneficial to the home’s presentation.

Will my window tracks and screens be cleaned?

Cleaning window tracks and screens is considered an “Add-On” service. The listings team will determine if ordering this service will be beneficial to the home’s presentation.

Will my baseboards be cleaned?

Baseboard cleaning is considered an “Add-On” service. The listings team will determine if ordering this service will be beneficial to the home’s presentation.

Will my carpets be cleaned?

Carpet cleaning is considered an “Add-On” service. The listings team will determine if ordering this service will be beneficial to the home’s presentation.

I’d prefer The Helen Tang Real Estate Team schedule a “Deep Clean” or a particular “Add On.” 

We can absolutely arrange for a “Deep Clean” or “Add-On” cleaning services, depending on the timeliness to list your home and/or contractor availability. A requested “Deep Clean” or “Add-On” cleaning service may be subject to additional charges to the homeowner.

How do I know what my home needs to attract the right Buyers?

Our Listings Team are experts in determining what a home needs to not only increase Buyer traffic but net you the most amount of money. We will work together to ensure the right cleaning plan is scheduled for your home.

Where will I see my home listed for sale?

The Helen Tang Real Estate Team utilizes third party sites to promote and market listings. This includes internal brokerage servers, and external servers, namely Web4Realty. Web4Realty is the team’s leading source of prospective buyers followed by Realtor.ca (sourcing the MLS.)

Will you market my home before it’s on the MLS (Exclusive Period)?

Each home’s timeline to hit the market is different therefore marketing during the exclusive period will vary. Your Helen Tang Real Estate Team Listing Agent will go over the marketing strategy suitable for your personal situation and what the real estate market suggests.

Besides Web4Realty , where can I find my listing marketed for sale?

In addition to Web4Realty, we list homes for sale on our website, KWLS (an internal server for Keller Williams Realty International) and on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Wechat, and Comefromchina.com etc.  

Will I see my listing on other Realtor’s websites?

It is possible that you will see your home listed on other brokerage’s and Realtor sites. This is because of the Data Distribution Facility (DDF) which is a Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) service available to REALTORs across the country. DDF gives agents access to a national pool of listings and automates much of the listing sharing process.

Does my home have to be staged?

Staging is much more than the arranging of furniture. It includes depersonalization, decluttering, arranging furniture to optimize photography and encourage Buyers to visualize themselves in the space.

We have also found that homes with staging net higher sale prices than those without. Not all homes need to be staged but we consider it a Helen Tang Team best practice.

The before and after section (Click here) illustrates the power of staging. 

What should I expect from staging?

Should I be home during the staging appointment?

In our best efforts to practice social distancing due to COVID-19, we ask that homeowners not be present during cleaning, staging and photography.

How long will my home be staged for?

Once your home is staged, it will stay that way until the home is sold firm. In 2020, The Helen Tang Real Estate Team listings’ median total days on market is 8.

What rooms will be staged in an owner occupied home?

Our stager will pay attention to every room and stage each room as needed. Rooms that are prioritized are: living/family room, dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms. A utility room, unfinished basement/laundry room, or mud room may not require staging. 

What rooms will be staged in a vacant home?

If you are selling a vacant home for the intended purpose of an investor flipping it (extensive renovations) it may not need to be staged. If the home is in good condition and move-in ready, our staging team will have the living/family room, dining room, kitchen & bathrooms boasting life.

What rooms will be staged in a tenant occupied home?

It’s in the landlord/owner’s best interest not to disturb their tenants as much as possible, especially while the owner is selling the tenant’s home. Therefore, it’s a Helen Tang Real Estate Team best practice not to stage a tenant occupied home. Some exceptions may apply.

What should I do with my furniture/decor since you will be staging?

Our stager will provide you with a detailed list with respect to how to prepare for the day of staging, and guide on where to store your items. Some of your furniture/decor could be utilized in the staging while some signature Helen Tang Real Estate Team pieces will be pulled from our staging inventory.

What should I expect from photography?

Should I be home during photography?

In our best efforts to practice social distancing due to COVID-19, we ask that homeowners not be present during cleaning, staging and photography.

What rooms will be photographed?

All rooms will be photographed, however, not all photos will be included in marketing like the MLS/Realtor.ca. Photography of some rooms, such as the utility room, unfinished basement/laundry room, mud room, garage or storage shed (if included in the sale) will be held in our files for information purposes only. With respect to out-of-town buyers and the rise in home purchases without home viewings, we find having these “less” desirable photos handy helps give those particular buyers a total transparent look at the property.

My garage is a big feature of my home. Will it be photographed?

If the garage is organized and/or is a selling feature, our photographer will absolutely take photographs.

How long does it take for photography to be delivered?

Our photographers always strive for overnight turnaround however it may take up to 24-36 hours depending on when photography takes place and the demand.

If I don’t like a photo, can it be excluded from marketing?

You bet. We want you to feel good about your home throughout the listing process. Therefore we run all photographs by the homeowner before any online marketing is uploaded.

I noticed not all the photos of my home are on the MLS/Realtor.ca. Why is this?

MLS only allows up to 30 photos of each listing. We do our best to include the exact right photos that showcase the layout and appeal of your home.